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July 31, 2010

What are we trying to do?

If someone were to ask me what should we be trying to do with the public library service, faced with the funding cuts that we are, I would say the following things

1. We must have one clear idea about what the public library service is for. It is for reading and study. We offer buildings to visit and work in and we offer the opportunity to read and study at home, by allowing borrowing, or access to websites. That is what our management effort is directed at and that is what our assets and our stock are used for. We believe, because we know, that when we offer good library services in this way, the service is highly valued and useful to most of the population who want these things. Where we have space and can be comprehensive we also offer music and film libraries and those of other cultural activities. We are a resource of local history and information. We encourage people, especially the young, to read and to use the service, but we do not aim to make library buildings or services useful to those who don't want to read or study or use these other collections. That is not our purpose. To do so is to waste our limited resources of time, money and energy. We have a base of buildings and collections which have been built over many years. We want to use these to give the service wherever we can. We always aim to improve them. That is what we mean by being comprehensive.

2. The fact that we try to offer local services in so many places has come, over the years, to mean that we replicate organisational activities, needlessly and to no public advantage. We must stop this quickly and identify just only those activities that are needed to give the best possible service in every place there is a library. That is a huge programme of cost reduction and rationalisation that we have to face urgently and in depth. It will need to be managed and it will mean substantial change. This is where the reduction in costs must come from if they are not to reduce the library service. Otherwise we are irresponsibly forcing the public to spend money that they should not have to pay. It means that we have to devise and accept changes in methods and it will mean job losses. Therefore we also have to handle those in a sensitive and fair way, but we have to face this quickly. That is what we should mean by being efficient

3. Therefore the programme of change is not only to be carried out in local councils, but also has to involve a national leadership programme. That has to be set up, be capable of doing what it needs and be effective quickly. It has to work with local councils, but it is going to do what local councils could not and cannot do on their own. It needs strong and experienced leaders and it has to have the trust of the public and be able to work effectively and quickly with local councils. Councils have to participate otherwise there will be a massive failure of the service. In order to participate they have to be properly informed and involved.

4. We should aim to increase the use of public libraries by 50% within 2 years and to reduce the national cost of the library service by £200m or more per annum - by 2011-12. We have to act now.

I offer this plan to the Government. I believe it is, and could be developed as, a much more precise and specific approach than the one which is currently being adopted.

Posted by Perkins at 11:42 AM | Comments (3)

July 25, 2010

Gayton Library in Harrow

Many thanks to my correspondent in Harrow who has sent me a copy of the council newspaper which gives the good news that Gayton library is to re-open on Sundays

Posted by Perkins at 8:17 PM | Comments (1)

July 24, 2010

Within the dark wood

There is a big novel to be written about the collapse of the institutions of British Government which we are about to witness.

Perhaps it will be sufficient to use the characters of the politicians and comedians of public office that we can see each day, but the underlying drama of the overwhelming storm in which we find ourselves is going to be one of the great episodes of history. It will be the falling of the once mighty - as seen by King David and on the same scale.

To work!

Posted by Perkins at 6:40 PM | Comments (0)

Chafford Library

From Reena

Chafford library is a such an important place within our community and I urge all the residents to come together to stop the proposed closure.

Posted by Perkins at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)

The library in which I work

From Aidan Smith in response to a previous piece about 'library access points'

I cannot speak for the libraries in the rest of the country but the library in which I work (south Manchester), provides so much more than just it's books. In this area, the library is a fundamental part of a community with many half-way houses, homeless shelters, drug and alcohol rehab units, shelters for victims of spousal abuse (I think you get the idea).
To marginalise the quality of the service in areas like this one is to take away from the people who need it most the opportunity for autodidactic education, advice on benefits, immigration and unemployment issues, as well as regular contact with their M.P. and councillors. The library also creates a feeling of community which can be so easily compromised in areas high in street crime and unemployment.
Also, I wonder if Mr Cameron would be prepared to work eight days straight, accept verbal abuse, threats of violence, mop the bathroom, clean-up vomit and eject male-prostitutes from the toilet , all while his union tries to secure him a permanent contract (in keeping with employment law). Admittedly, these are not all daily occurances but things my colegues and I have done. I love my job and know there are much harder ones but I don't think we would see many people do these things cheerfully and for no remuneration.
Something tells me that this policy may be more viable in Oxford or Cambridge and tory la-la-land than for the majority of areas in the country.

Posted by Perkins at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2010

Turnips

I see that the Society of Chief Librarians has pledged that they will provide digital access to half a million people who don't have it, over the next two years. Or something like that

I'm sure that if the Government said that everyone ought to eat more turnips (if they haven't said it already) the Society of Chief Librarians would promise that the public libraries of England will play their part in providing free turnips for everyone who wants them

One day, perhaps, the Society will realise that the public library service doesn't belong to them and before they devote their energy and our funding to whatever initiative happens to be passing by on the bus, they need to balance their priorities and be clear what it is we pay them to do.

And even then, they might respond, as they have been asked so often, to the plea from people and parliament, to the request that they devote a bit more time and money to putting books in libraries-- which is what most people actually want them to do. Or opening the ones that are closed, or cutting their overhead costs -- or any of the things that are really important to improvement of the public library service.

Even those of us with short memories can recall that a few months ago the SCL announced that a library card can be used in any library in the country. This puzzled everybody, especially those who tried to see if it was true. This is called 'promising the whatever comes to mind in order to get a headline'

No one denies that people need to learn how to use computers. But people also need to have books to read and looking in my local libraries you would hardly believe that that is much of a priority at all these days. There are other ways (and other precious budgets) to teach all kinds of things. Librarians are only so good at teaching; teachers are better, . The balance is wrong.

Posted by Perkins at 7:45 PM | Comments (5)

July 4, 2010

What a waste

For ten years I have been arguing here and elsewhere that within the public llibrary service there is a huge amount of needless public expenditure. The result of this has not only been waste of money but also that the service is only half as good as it ought to be.

Because the service has no clear focus on what it is trying to do, almost any activity can claim that it needs to be funded. On top of that, management of local and national government departments concentrate so much on finding more and more funding streams, that they applaud themselves for higher spending rather than lower spending. The "culture" - which means the way they instinctively respond to any subject - is always and fundamentally - to waste money.

It will be terribly hard for these same people now to turn in their path and behave in a different way. They have thrown away so much public money and created operations that cost so much more than they need to, it is just not fair or honest to give them the responsbility of putting things right.

We are rather in the situation of the Eastern European governments in 1990, who, having removed the political leaders who had caused so many problems were left with the same state officials and administrators, who were steeped in the methods of the old regime.

It may be harsh, but in my book, all these people should be removed from their posts. Every single one.

This is the real political issue that faces us... it is no longer about left versus right, it is about those who have been in the citadel behaving outrageously and unfairly to those who are outside. These awful state officials must all be identified and removed from their posts.

I have a list.

Posted by Perkins at 9:25 AM | Comments (8)

July 2, 2010

Charter for change

Change is Overdue - a public charter for libraries

We are currently in a situation where two thirds of people in the UK read in their free time[1] yet only one third of the population visit libraries[2].
Why is this the case when libraries offer 24 hr web services, are open to all and provide access, free of charge, to books and an array of other interesting reading materials? Either it is because a public library service is not relevant today or, the more likely, libraries are not meeting the needs and wants of their local communities.
For too long the public library service and its management has been unresponsive to and disconnected from users and potential users. The essential value of public libraries needs to be reinforced at both local and national level and a focused effort must be made to see libraries fulfil their role and maintain their relevance for generations to come.

1. Make the libraries local
Individual libraries, large and small, need to be empowered and resourced to meet the specific needs of their local communities. The individuality of each library cannot be overstated and libraries need the freedom to operate independently.
2. Increase opening hours
In today’s society it is unforgivable that some libraries close for lunch or on certain weekdays. Providing access to library services means opening libraries at times when the community wants them open – late closing and weekend opening should be the norm.
3. Improve library collections
Library collections, book stocks and other resources, have been neglected almost everywhere and they need to be restored, maintained and made accessible. This means increased funding for new stock, replacement stock and giving the public access to special collections.
4. Improve the library environment
All public libraries should be attractive and dignified places to visit and in which to read and study. They need to be kept clean, safe and smart. Standards of interior design need to be raised and building architecture used to best effect. Appropriate local events and activities are important.
5. Embrace technology
While books should remain the focus for libraries, computers and technology can enhance users’ experience. With this in mind, computers and all associated equipment needs to be in good working order and kept up to date. Internet-based services, available round the clock, add value for many users and should be extended and promoted.
6. Liberate the library staff
Service to the public should be of a high professional standard. All staff, long or short term, full time or temporary should be trained for the roles they undertake. Volunteers are welcome for many aspects of the service, but they cannot take the place of skilled librarians in provision of the day to day service to readers.
7.Collaborate and share best practice
Collaboration between neighbouring authorities will make limited resources go further and sharing best practice will mean all libraries are better able to meet users’ expectations. A range of funding sources is available and councils need to explore the options and consult people about proposed change.
8. Don’t waste money
Accurate, meaningful and consistent reporting of library budgets and expenditure will encourage accountability and openness and mean all budget discussions are grounded in facts.
9. Performance feedback
Performance reporting should be timely accurate and clear. Every month councils should report publicly the key usage figures for each library within their responsibility.
10. Engage individuals and communities
There needs to be a substantial genuine effort to build trust between councils, government bodies, library professionals and library users. Local councillors must all be fully and properly informed about library matters and libraries should actively work with their users in managing their libraries.
11. Don't close libraries
Of course sometimes building development means that libraries have to move; library services can be provided more efficiently in newer facilities; sometimes closures can be justified. However residents are distrustful of assurances of improvement and the onus is on councils to demonstrate the benefits of proposed changes before they are made. Savings from library closures will be tiny compared to the animosity generated among library users. Many library users belong to groups sometimes marginalized by society—the elderly, the unemployed, single-parent families—and the negative impact on these people’s lives following library closures can outweigh any cost savings.
12. Make and keep a promise
Public library users call upon councils to commit themselves to achieving the aims of this charter.
[1] Source: Social Trends 39, ONS, 2009
[2] Source: Taking Part, DCMS, 2010

Posted by Perkins at 6:27 PM | Comments (0)