News

Threat to 1964 Act’s protection of libraries

14.03.11 | Benedicte Page

The legal obligation for councils to provide a public library service could be under threat, after the government launched a review into local government statutory duties.

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is urging "everyone who cares about libraries" to respond to the review, which has been launched by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Three of the 1,294 duties the DCLG has identified for review apply to the library service under the crucial 1964 Public Libraries Act. These include the statutory requirement on local authorities to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” library service to all their residents, and the right of the secretary of state to gather information about and inspect the service.

The DCLG asks respondents to the review, which is focused on local authorities themselves but open to anyone to participate in, to “comment on the duties and challenge government on those which you feel are burdensome or no longer needed".

CILIP president Brian Hall said: “We are calling on everyone who cares about public libraries to explain to the Department of Communities and Local Government, loud and clear, why these statutory duties are so vital . . . Without them, it will be incredibly difficult to hold local authorities to account and local people will be much less likely to receive a quality public library service that is consistent across the country.”

Meanwhile, CILIP chief executive Annie Mauger has written an open letter to culture minister Ed Vaizey, urging him to “make it clear to your colleagues in the Department of Communities and Local Government that there is a continuing need for these duties". Mauger told Vaizey: “I am sure you realise the dangers of giving way on this point when libraries are the subject of so much public concern,” adding that she would “welcome the assurance that the coalition government will remain true to the [1964 Public Libraries] Act".

Respondents have until 25th April to comment on the DCLG’s review.

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By Louise Allen-Jones

This is a shocking development. How can we draw to the government's attention to national hero Alan Bennett's views of library closures - "it's child abuse"?.

Mon, 14/03/2011 - 19:59
By Cassandra Connolly-Brown

Libraries are already underfunded. Just because they don't provide monetary gain, doesn't mean they are not vitally important to communities. They provide places for people to gather, students to research, children to expand their minds, and a means of providing reading material to those who might not have access to it. To risk that is a preposterous thing.

Mon, 14/03/2011 - 21:25
By No future

What a ridiculous idea to remove this statutory requirement. Surely it is just a blatant ploy to allow local councils to close essential libraries willy nilly. We have got to stand together on this issue and not let this happen. A whole range of people use libraries today, from babies & toddlers attending rhymetimes and storytimes, to teenagers doing homework & using the internet, to elderly folk taking large print books and everything in between. SAVE OUR LIBRARIES!

Mon, 14/03/2011 - 22:59
By Barry West

It will be a disaster if the Government manages to remove the last line of defence in relaion to public libraries. The 1964 Act has rightly been celebrated as the vital piece of legislation which ensures that local authorities MUST support a decent, properly funded library service within their areas, to the benefit of all their citizens. Libraries remain an easy target, and without this safeguard many will be tempted to run down their service to an even gretaer degree than is already the case. In Warwickshire there is already a planned massacre of provision, with 9 libraries facing the axe and many others having their hours cut drastically. We need to organise a petition of parliament!

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 01:41
By Unromantic

Go here https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GP7BKKT for the survey. The "duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service" is reference number DCMS_027 - you need this to respond. Please share this info, with friends and on social media to maximise the number of respondents!

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 09:41
By Gary Green

As well as DCMS_027 people also need to respond to the following.

DCMS_026 (Duty: To provide information and facilities for the inspection of library premises, stocks, records, as the Secretary of State requires.)

DCMS_028 (Duty: Supplemental provisions as to transfers of officers, assets and liabilities.)

Please don't forget that these other statutory duties are just as important to safeguard the future of public libraries.

Gary

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 10:39
By Alan Weaver

So, not content with attacking grants to voluntary bodies, youth sservices and other non statutory services - we now see the rest of the ConDem agenda. By taking away statutory provision they fundamentally attack services to all people in this country - but especially those who can't afford to purchase books or papers or music. How does this help our children develop and increase our young people deveop their skills?

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 12:42
By 50 scent

govt gets threatened with legal action over library closures so govt changes the law! it's like one of reinaldo arenas's 'fifo' castro spoofs in the colour of summer! you couldn't make it up!

Tue, 15/03/2011 - 12:43
By Frank Daniels

Of course it is ridiculous to even think of removing statutory protection of libraries. No public libraries closed since 1964!!!! and no library services suffering cutbacks since then either!!!.

I suppose I mean to say that I don't want to lose this piece of paper (the 1964 Public Libraries Act) but on the other hand what real use has it been when the chips were down, i.e. from about 1979 onwards.

What really needs protecting here is not so much the libraries themselves as the piece of paper, but the government controls what these pieces of paper say, and for how long they can say it. It is a shot across the bows: incipient fascism in the guise od ConDem cutbacks. Not such a good disguise.

Wed, 16/03/2011 - 13:15
By Patricia Richardson

Get real government! What are these statutes listed on a document entitled REVIEW OF STATUTORY DUTIES if they are not up for review????
I am so sick of government and its advisers believing I am SO stupid!!!

Patricia Richardson

Thu, 17/03/2011 - 23:04
By Myles Rose

The news that the legal protection enjoyed by the public library service is up for review underlines the scale of threat libraries are currently facing. With 525 of the UK’s 4,500 public libraries in danger of closure or of leaving council control, the situation is getting more serious and there are even concerns about the future of school libraries. With cuts likely to hit education budgets, school librarians are worried that they will soon find their positions in jeopardy.

In fighting these battles, they can strengthen their position by using the latest generation of library management systems to provide compelling data around footfall; borrowing levels and ultimately even the correlation between library usage, literacy and academic success.

Today, library management systems are available which provide the sophisticated reporting capability libraries will need to generate detailed data around usage and defend their position in an environment where budgets are tight and resources increasingly scarce.

Myles Rose, general manager, Softlink Europe, Middle East and Africa

Fri, 25/03/2011 - 16:34

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