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Croydon under fire over National Libraries Day
03.02.12 | Benedicte Page
Two hundred events will be held at libraries around the country to mark National Libraries Day tomorrow (4th February).
However some councils remain under fire for failing to schedule any special events for the day, with local campaigners now claiming Croydon council is among them. No NLD events are being held by Kent library service either.
Elizabeth Ash of Save Croydon Libraries said inquiries from residents to Croydon library staff had been met with the response that the staff knew nothing about the event. "One resident emailed to find out what was happening but got no reply," Ash added.
A spokesperson for Croydon council disputed the claim, saying there were "a number of events taking place under the National Library Day banner this Saturday", including an author reading by Monica Carly and a Manga workshop by Chie Kutsuwada. "Other events include Rhymetime and Storytime in several libraries," the spokesperson said. But Ash said the Manga workshop was part of the My Voice Reading Agency activities "and Rhymetime and Storytime go on anyway."
On the council's website, events in libraries for 4th February are listed without reference to National Libraries Day.
Croydon council has moved to outsource its library service, in partnership with Wandsworth, to an outside organisation. The council has also withdrawn from the Upper Norwood Library, which they ran jointly with Lambeth.
National Libraries Day has the support of a wide range of associations including the National Literacy Trust, the National Union of Teachers, The Society of Authors, The Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians and the Society of Chief Librarians.
Children's laureate Julia Donaldson, Man Booker-shortlisted Carol Birch, and The Radleys author Matt Haig are among the writers taking part in NLD events, while Gloucestershire authors will reprise last year's "Flying Authors" act, attempting to visit every library in the county.
Other special offers made by libraries to mark the event and tempt in readers include allowing visitors to borrow DVDs, CDs or audiobooks for free.
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I would like to add here that Gloucestershire are ignoring NLD also. It is library users and local authors who have arranged the flying author events....or the day would have passed unmarked. GCC do not want to promote or celebrate libraries. They want to axe them
You wouldn't expect Croydon to back a day celebrating public libraries when they are actively seeking to divest/privatise theirs would you? There are many more authorities choosing to ignore the event with some only jumping on board due to the SCL coming under pressure!
Alan, do contact me with details of other authorities ignoring the day. benedicte.page@bookseller.co.uk
Our library in Charmouth is one of the nine Dorset libraries threatened with closure unless it becomes community-run.
Since Dorset appeared not to be acknowledging National Libraries Day at all, Friends of Charmouth Library asked Council permission to mark the day by having continuous reading aloud in the library during the two-hour opening period on 4 February.
Having initially given permission, the Library Service then started making noises about crowds (we wish!) and risk assessments to the point where we had to give up the idea.
It is, of course, anathema to us all that we have to fund and run the library ourselves. Libraries should be free, i.e. funded by our taxes, and locally available.
We can't help wondering though if they won't actually be better, more useful, more vibrant places without the yokes of timidity, apathy, money-wasting and bureacracy which have characterised Dorset's services for so long. With the same people staying at the top with their nice fat salaries, it seems unlikely that these attitudes will change any time soon.
It has been shocking having been forced to see the actual workings of the Library Service during our campaigning to keep our libraries within the statutory system and, indeed, to see how poor and unaccountable the whole of local government turns out to be. And Localism is coming soon so ......heaven help us all!
This is madness!
People should be made aware that political dogma will cost them dearly both financially and in terms of literacy.
Upper Norwood Library has been the only truly independent publicly funded library in the UK for 111 years. It runs like a dream at 50% of the cost of most London Boroughs. It should be a flagship for Big Society instead Croydon have cut off funding http://www.croydon.gov.uk/contents/documents/meetings/546596/2011/2011-0... & are pursuing outsourcing that will lock us into costly library services instead of using Upper Norwood as a blueprint that could help save 2 million locally.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/269577509754920/doc/315015881877749/
http://unlc.org.uk twitter @savUNlibrary
We appreciate the Bookseller highlighting this issue. It is just one of many surrounding Croydon libraries. Cllr Sara Bashford, the cabinet member with responsibility for libraries made not a single mention of National Libraries Day in the council meeting held this week. Instead she wasting valuable time regaling us with the non-story of the council waiving a £5 fine on a book returned, long overdue. As the book was posted back to New Addington library by an anonymous relative of the now deceased borrower it really does beg the question how Cllr Bashford thought she had any option other than to write-off the fiver!
Croydon are intent on outsourcing the whole network of libraries. Cllr Bashford made an announcement recently that New Addington Library is to close and move into a yet unquantified space in an already crowded building, with no assurances given about the book stock. We also have the ongoing situation with Upper Norwood Joint Library.
None of these more pressing issues were touched on in the meeting, other than to tell Upper Norwood residents that they were welcome to use "any Croydon library".
We have put further information about NLD on our blog here http://soslibrary.blogspot.com/2012/02/croydon-under-fire-for-national.html and are encouraging residents to still mark the day in whatever way they choose. We've added a list of suggestions here. http://soslibrary.blogspot.com/2012/01/national-libraries-day-looms-4th.... , including simply using local libraries on the day and encouraging residents to join.
We are on twitter at @SaveCroydonLibs and @SaveSanderstead. You can also find us on facebook at http://en-gb.facebook.com/groups/savecroydonlibraries/
I am pleased to report that the Upper Norwood Library, despite fears for its continued existence due to Croydon's shameful attempt to cease its funding held a joyous celebration of what community libraries are all about. There was a range of family events throughout the day. Outside hundreds showed their ire at Croydon's wilful dismissal of the wishes of what Crystal Palace wants by joining the save Upper Norwood Library campaign.
Robert Gibson Upper Norwood Library user.
Congratulations to the Upper Norwood library users.
This is taken from today's 'China Daily' It perhaps helps to explain why where China is today, and where we are - and heading fast.
Schoolboy donates $12,000 to build library
Updated: 2012-02-08 15:50
(chinadaily.com.cn)
A high school student will donate 75,000 yuan ($12,000) to help build a library for a middle school in the city of Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, Modern Express reported Wednesday.
Liu Jiahao, a student at Changzhou Senior High School, will give years of his saved pocket money, totaling 75,000 yuan, to help Lanling Middle School in Changzhou.
Liu said the library will help poverty-stricken students and inspire more people to read.
Books including classics, history, science and reference will be added to the library several times a year, he said.
Liu Mingkun, father of Liu Jiahao said the money is from his allowance and New Year lucky money saved by his son for years.
More than 70 percent of pupils at Lanling Middle school are migrant children who study in inadequate conditions, said Liu Mingkun, who runs a local catering company and has donated 1.5 million yuan ($238,000) to set up an education fund for the school in 2010.
.
Being an Upper Norwood library user I am desperate to keep the library going, I am even willing to pay an annual subscription to keep the library open, despite at the moment being on a weekly job seekers allowance of £67.50 a week.
The library is a valuable resource for so many in our society and it really really depresses me when I hear people like Sara Bashford.
The lack of vision and understanding terrifies me.
One just knows that if a library closes it will never be replaced!!
So so sad
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