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August 17, 2010
Council public library services
So far as I am aware, with all the pressures on budgets there are few councils still investing in the buildings and stock of their small community libraries. Most are talking about closing them or turning them into library links or other facilities that will make them not really libraries at all. Others are reducing opening hours or their funds for buying books.
There is however at least one council who sees things differently. This autumn they will complete two more full refits of their small libraries, increasing their opening hours and augmenting their stock. The staff of these libraries will be given more control over their own budgets. This is happeing because the council knows from their previous experience that this investment which can be made because of overall savings in the library budget, will be extremely popular with the local people and an electoral asset for the council. This is the London Borough of Hillingdon, who will have completed the restoration of half their libraries within the next year. Their plan continues despite all the budget pressure, because the council find it to be of greatest possible value. We would wish all councils had got themselves in such a position
If there is any council elsewhere in the country who would like to embark on a similar programme, please contact this blog. The Hillingdon project originated here and the lessons learned are available to any councillor who wished to take the course.
Posted by Perkins at August 17, 2010 8:47 PM
Comments
Overheard in Northwood Library,Hillingdon, last week :
Customer (rather plump, red in face and more than a little pompus)
'..I say you - can you tell me why all of these books have these funny little numbers on the back ?'
Library Staff member : 'Yes its so that we can put them back on the shelves so that the next reader who comes along can find them really easily, its called the dewey system and its used in every library in the UK'
Plump Red Faced and Pompous Customer shouting rather loudly now :
'Well I dont like it, I dont understand it so Im going to change it.........I dont care if Hillingdon is the only library service in the world that doesnt use it........I'm Councillor Henry Higgins and Im going to change everything I dont like about Hillingdon Libraries !'
So, there we have it - how to save money the Hillingdon Way, just scatter the books at random and sack all the staff ! Simples !
Posted by: Robert Arcomb at September 4, 2010 7:31 PM
Mr Arcomb...Bookseller readers who spend their mornings placing books in the correct place on the bookshelves of their stores may indeed wonder why the librarian sisters need little numbers to help them do the same job. They are also baffled as to why there is a need to go the expense of taping "CRI" to the spine of every crime book when either the author or the publisher makes that information pretty clear. Perhaps Councillor Higgins is right, if this story is authentic.
Posted by: W G Foyle at September 4, 2010 9:08 PM