Save the Library?

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Save the Library?

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1Akiyama
Editado: Fev 16, 2007, 6:33 am

Is there any pressure group in Britain dedicated to pressuring the government and local councils to spend more on libraries? I couldn't find one using Google. There's something called "love libraries" but it's run *by* the government and doesn't appear to do anything other than put out press releases.

Both the central government and local councils have been steadily decreasing the amount spent on libraries over the past couple of decades. My local library in Burnham(Buckinghanshire) has just announced it is to close on Thursdays (it is already closed on Mondays) and cut its opening hours on all other days. The British Library has announced it may have to charge users due to a 7% cut in government funding this year.

Libraries are the basis of civilisation! There should be MORE money spent on libraries every year, not less!! The government treats libraries as if they are some kind of irrelevant fossils left over from the 19th Century, like gentlemen's clubs or Latin teachers. IT'S A DISGRACE!!!

* * *

Just needed to get that off my chest :)

2reading_fox
Fev 16, 2007, 6:27 am

It is a disgrace.

I don't know of any nationwide groups, let me know if you stumble across one. Most library campaigns are at local level, try writing to your MP or you can petition the PM Here about the british library

3nickhoonaloon
Mar 12, 2007, 6:33 am

"Doesn`t appear to do anything other than put out press releases"

No surprises there, then !

4TerrapinJetta
Mar 12, 2007, 6:52 am

It's really sad, but people just don't seem to go to libraries as often. Either they buy books, or just don't read at all. Kids don't read at all going by the number I see in libraries/bookshops - feels weird considering what a big part of my life my school/local library used to be. I don't think we're all that far away from being able to select what book you want to read from a machine and just print it out then and there on the spot, which will kill libraries even more.

I work near barbican library and I usually pop in twice a week or so, and it seems to be moderately busy still thank goodness, no sign of the opening hours shortening or anything like that.

5john257hopper
Mar 12, 2007, 9:29 am

According to its website, Love Libraries "has been kick started by a group of nine British publishers who’ve been working with a charity called The Reading Agency, exploring how to get more reading to more people, through libraries". On a quick read, it seems unfair to say they just put out press releases. They have worked with the Government, but don't seem to be run by it.

My local library seems to have a fair mix of age groups when I go in, though I admit I don't use it that often, as I own - and buy - more than enough books myself. My wife uses it more ( I go on her behalf sometimes), though she reads less than me overall.

I'm all for libraries being a central part of life and a valuable information centre for the local community (centred around but not restricted to books), but I am not convinced the situation is as bleak as some people see it.

6dan_89 Primeira Mensagem
Mar 21, 2007, 5:31 pm

I don't know if there are any pressure groups or help to libraries or anything, but I think you'd be surprised how illiterate and lazy people are when it comes to reading. I'm sure I heard that the non-fiction taken out of libraries has changed from Steven Hawking's Brief History of Time to a book by Paul McKenna - Instant Confidence or something. Is there really much groups can do if libraries just aren't used?

7john257hopper
Mar 21, 2007, 6:27 pm

I don't know that one can read (pun unintended!) much into that - self-help books have always been popular and are not necessarily to be looked down on. And how many people read the Steven Hawking? I'm pretty sure I've read that this is one book that many people have bought/displayed on their coffee table without actually reading it. ;)

8BoPeep
Mar 22, 2007, 8:05 am

It's hard to take out books that aren't there in the first place. I used to use my local library on a very regular basis. Then they 'archived' or sold off most of the books that I went there for - I can buy cheap paperback novels in Tesco, but I can't stretch to the DNB - so what's the point?

9reading_fox
Editado: Mar 22, 2007, 8:08 am

Over here about post #17 There's a description of how a local library made itself into the "in" place to be for teenagers. Surely a very good start to saving libraries fortunes.

If I can get some details I'll try and pass them on to my local council and see what they think about it.

10deargreenplace
Mar 22, 2007, 10:08 am

Someone named Tim Coates writes a blog called The Good Library Guide which advocates the reform of public libraries in the UK. He's outspoken in a good way about the state of British libraries, and his blog makes interesting reading.

11perodicticus
Mar 22, 2007, 11:17 am

Esta mensagem foi removida pelo seu autor.

12NancyBlackett
Mar 25, 2007, 1:47 pm

I want to Save the Library - I am a Librarian and big fan (free books who could ask for more?). But I'm not sure I want the local council spending a huge amount more - nobody likes paying taxes, we don't want them to go up and I'm sure we can all think of better things our money could be spent on (and I'm fairly left wing!).
Perodicticus you sound very elitist. Public Libraries with their limited budgets have to make £X work hard - this means buying the books that are most likely to be borrowed frequently. It also means that as there is so much competition for people's leisure time, if we want Libraries to be of value to the community they have to offer CDs DVDs and the internet. I don't think anyone on LibraryThing can say internet access should not be made available to the community, unless you feel that only people who can afford their own computer and connection should be allowed it.
I think everyone on LT should use their local library - use it or loose it! If you really don't like the books they have (a)look a bit further (b)try something new and expand your mind and (c)do it anyway its free! When the government sees that libraries are heavily used they will see the value and put more money in then.
Plus it is environmentally friendly to borrow books rather that chop down trees and fly them all around the world (very few are printed in Europe).

13perodicticus
Editado: Mar 25, 2007, 2:00 pm

Esta mensagem foi removida pelo seu autor.

14andyl
Mar 25, 2007, 2:51 pm

12>

What do you mean very few are printed in Europe?

Checking about a dozen or so of my UK hardcovers and paperbacks show that most are either printed by Mackays of Chatham or Clays in Bungay. There are a few outliers printed in Bury St Edmunds.

15Akiyama
Mar 27, 2007, 10:25 am

deargreenplace, thanks for pointing me in the direction of that blog. :-)

perodicticus, I know what you mean about finding really good books on the sale table. It's nice to be able to buy them, but I'd rather the library kept them for everyone to be able to borrow.

Of course, libraries have limited space, but that's why it annoys me whenever I see five copies of something promoted by Richard and Judy on the shelf. Those books may be borrowed for six months or a year, but after that, then what use are they? I think libraries should concentrate on breadth of stock, rather than buying in lots of copies of popular books. After all, libraries are not commercial enterprises, and one of their roles ought to be to have available to borrow books that people are unable to buy from their local bookshop.

I also agree with you about university libraries. Our taxes pay for these libraries so it's wrong that we should be banned from using them. I don't think there would be a huge conflict of interest because I think the books that university students most want to borrow from the library, and the books that non-students would want to borrow, are not the same books. I wouldn't mind paying a small fee (say £10) for a card. I once did a part time course in Japanese at my local university and got a library card that way!

Nancy, since you are a librarian perhaps you can tell me - how much of a profit or a loss do libraries make on the DVDs they stock?

16NancyBlackett
Mar 27, 2007, 3:13 pm

perodicticus #13 I'm sorry if you took my comments personally I didn't mean to attack anyone I just felt that the comment "crappy bestsellers" meant popular books were to be looked down on.

The comment about making internet access available to the community was partly a reply to your comment about your local library being "basically an internet cafe" but I over-reacted because as a librarian I have to deal with complaints all too frequently. Sorry. As someone who works for the public I am about as popular sometimes as a traffic warden or social worker are sterotypically supposed to be. On my first day I was moaned at because we didn't have any books (not even that we didn't have the books he thought were worth reading, we didn't have ANY) and we weren't standing by the counter or by the computers but in a fairly large room full of books. More recently a very nice elderly gentleman said he understood the difficulties we had but thought it was terrible that we no longer stocked the "classics" like Graham Greene or Dick Francis - we found him two books by Graham Green on the shelf, unfortunately all the Dick Francis books were out at the time.

Andy #14 I don't know how many books are printed here or there, there may be still more printed here but it seems everytime I read about a publisher they are moving the actual printing - like everything it is cheaper in the Far East.

Akiyama #15 we don't make a huge amount of profit on DVDs but if you take out staff and building costs etc they do more than pay for themselves, the popular ones by a large amount. Plus they get more people into the library more often (possiby they wouldn't come in at all otherwise) to see what else we have. Some libraries run promotions along the lines of borrow so many books (and in the case of children, tell us what you liked about them) and hire a DVD for free. We struggle more with CDs as people download so much music (free?), but they are still paying for themselves at the moment.

Re your comment: "libraries ... ought to be to have available to borrow books that people are unable to buy from their local bookshop". Please ask next time you are in, most libraries have other stock not on display and/or can get things from elsewhere including the British Library. There is often a charge, but not always, and where there is it is usually subsidised.

And I think there would be a conflict in some university libraries between student and public borrowing. Not in the big old ones that do lots of research perhaps, but HE colleges and the ex-pollytechnics will only buy books that support their courses - they don't have much money either.

To round up, I do think people are reading less than they used to - we have television and internet now - but libraries main problem is that people have more disposable income (or don't like saving) and it is the culture to own things now. So people who do like to read buy from bookshops rather than using libraries - which is sad.

17Akiyama
Mar 28, 2007, 2:20 pm

There's a comment by Tim on the Thingology blog - "Will libraries die?"

http://www.librarything.com/thingology/

18cjeskriett
Mar 29, 2007, 8:13 am

Esta mensagem foi removida pelo seu autor.

19ed.pendragon
Out 6, 2011, 6:22 am

Now we know who's to blame for cuts in local council social services: it's Philip Pullman.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/oct/05/philip-pu...

20Mweb
Out 6, 2011, 2:46 pm

This site links to a national petition to save libraries http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/ with petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1269 open until 2012

21pokarekareana
Out 7, 2011, 6:33 pm

You might find it useful to have a look at the Voices for the Library blog - http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/

22miss_read
Out 8, 2011, 2:39 am

The W.I. (yes, I'm a member) has made the saving of the libraries our resolution for the year. So watch out. Nothing stops the W.I.

23oldstick
Out 8, 2011, 7:01 am

I use our local mobile library who usually get me the books I request but only if they are in the County. Some American books are not even available to borrow in the country.

24pokarekareana
Out 9, 2011, 5:46 pm

22 - My mum is the president of her local WI and told me about this - I think that is a fantastic endeavour. Having met some of the formidable characters in one small rural village in Derbyshire, I think Gideon & any council planning library cuts better watch out!

25Grammath
Out 10, 2011, 9:30 am

#22 This is very good news. Now I know the library is safe ;-).

26KayEluned
Out 19, 2011, 10:03 am

Having read everything the WI has written about saving libraries I am now rather tempted to join

27dtw42
Editado: Out 22, 2011, 4:32 am

...the WI or the library? :^P

(Only kidding)

28KayEluned
Out 24, 2011, 5:28 am

Ha ha, the WI obviously, I would be very surprised if there was anyone on here who wasn't a member of their local library. And I have joined the WI now :)

29miss_read
Out 24, 2011, 2:36 pm

Oh, well done! I love my W.I.!

30theonawaytrust
Dez 16, 2011, 10:28 am

The Onaway Trust will be opening a new library in Pitlochry, Scotland in spring 2012 so all is not lost!

This unique library will explore all aspects of indigenous world cultures, such as Native American and Polynesian. Many of the books are one of the few copies in the UK and contain important knowledge to enhance public awareness of the plight of indigenous peoples.

We hope you will visit!

Please contact olivia@onaway.org if you have any queries.

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