to think that we NEED libraries? This is horrific.

[StuckInTheMiddleWithYou]

Would MN like to run a campaign on this?

www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/terence-blacker/terence-blacker-hands-off-our-public-libraries-2057131.html

Hi Tim, I have contacted you through the mumsnet CAT system.

Walkyouhome. If you contact me through the CAT system, I'll give you some things. I am coming to Doncaster on Friday at the request of the council Chief Executive to see if there is anything I can do to help.. Tim

Tim,

I don't pay for a subscription to the CAT system so am unable to do this. Please could you email me?

Thanks

Lauren

Maybe MNHQ would consider dropping the CAT charge for this thread?

Lauren

My blog is working again. If you put a comment on there I'll pick up your email address and write back straight away. www.goodlibraryguide.com/blog Tim

Tim did you get my CAT. I would be really interested to hear more about your "voices for libraries campaign" please.

to "wouldliketoknow" : an essential first step would be for Mumsnet to interview the Minister, Ed Vaizey. I am sure he would enjoy that and he could be asked some hard questions. Mumsnet, might you do that ?

I agree - Ed Vaizey on Mumsnet. Thank you in anticipation....!

I'm very surprised that anyone thinks that Libraries are a prime target for cuts.
The budget for our library service is less than 4% of the total council budget.This is in a rural council with many small branches too.

Honestly even if they got rid of the whole thing they would not save an appreciable amount of money, but they would manage to piss off a shed load of council tax payers

If any of you live in the Birmingham area you might be interested in a public debate taking place on the future of libraries. Although focused on the plans for the new Birmingham library, it will be looking at more general questions around what we need libraries for, and asking whether library planners are sufficiently in touch with our needs.
The debate takes place on the evening of Wednesday 22nd September in the city centre. Further details are here.
www.birminghamsalon.org/events.html
I know evening events can be tricky for parents, but we're looking to attract a good mix of librarians and library customers, and it would be great to see you.

Libraries are a civilised oasis in a mad world.

There abolition needs to be opposed.

The fact that #savelibraries has been trending on Twitter for two days shows that the potential erosion of these hubs for community has really touched a nerve. With student fee hikes also making blood boil we really are stumped for choice as to which way to vent our spleen.
Terence Blacker, in his original article in The Independent (20/8/2010 highlighted by StuckInTheMiddleWithYou) writes: 'The Government, while claiming to be empowering local groups, will in fact be wriggling out of its own responsibilities'.
Such is the venom gathering apace that The Bookseller has just launched a site to oppose library closures bit.ly/fight4libraries and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fight4libraries.
It will be interesting to see just how much Ed Vaizey squirms when he visits Mumsnet shortly in the face of such public opposition.
I am new to Mumsnet but a Mum for nearly a decade. I'm a freelance graphic designer/illustrator and I created this piece as my little bit for the cause. A Shameless plug? This slutty librarian seemed the ideal candidate for the plight: twitpic.com/3qkpyk

Hello

We're very excited that Ed Vaizey, the minister who is in charge of library funding, has agreed to come on for a grilling webchat at the end of the month.

In the meantime we'll be meeting Maria De Piero, the Shadow Minister for Media and Culture, who's asked us to collate your thoughts on libraries and what you think could and should be done about them.

So, if you've got firm feelings about libraries cuts, or suggestions about how to protect them, do post them here.

Agree closure of libraries is appalling. And short-sighted. It'll end up costing us far more if we reduce the opportunities for children (and adults) to learn, the unemployed or poor to use computers, the community to exchange information and just meet other people.

Typical Tory hatred of any public service that is civilised and important. Osborne, Cameron et al are wealthy people who can afford as many books as they like and don't give a stuff about people who can't.

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/16/libraries-closures-ed-vaizey-gloria-de-piero

Give this comment, are there any plans to actually study who really uses libraries?

Personnally, I find that the majority of people using our local libraries are workng class young familes, pensioners and students. Of course there is a liberal sprinkling of middle-class, recently retired baby boomers but they are certainly not the majority.

Any thoughts Mr Vaizey?

YANBU.

I'm a Mum on a low income. I use my library weekly as teaching 5 year old to read. There is no way I could afford to buy all the books she reads. Kiss goodbye to social mobility.

I think libraries are a cynical way in which the intellectual middle class get poorer people (i,.e. council taxpayers) to subsidise their hobbies.

Privatise them and let people pay for their reading habits themselves.

Same goes for museums.

And NO, I am not a troll - merely epxressing an opinion contrary to many posters on here. There is a difference, you know!

I will vehemently oppose any campaign to 'save' libraries.

I would quite like libraries to be libraries again. Ours serves coffee and the kids play games on the free computers. But they have cut back drastically on reference books and there are few desks on which to study. It is a Library-Lite.

There are lots of books in the world (as Amazon will testify). If we have to make choices, I would like Libraries to offer solid information (i.e. the expensive books!) for adults and children and children's fiction, and let adults sort out their own fiction (or charge them, like they do for audio - I have never understood this discrepancy).

Pascoe, so only the middle class read books?

Seriously?

Come on!

I work in a library, I input all tghe new stock onto the computers and make sure that requests get to where they are supposed to, Dorset wants to close 20 of the 34 libraries. I went into mine this morning which is only open 7 hours a week and it was busy, as it is every Thursday and Staurday morning which is the only time it is open apart from 3 hours on a Tuesday. WE have a lot of older people who use it aswell as younger ones.

You know, even if there are portions of society that don't read, closing libraries is hardly going to help the problem?

It's also a deeply patronising idea. If libraries and museums are "middle class past times" what are working class ones?

(ps, museums are far more than "past-times" they are the means by which our heritage is preserved and understood. Unless you subscribe to the "History is bunk" school of thought, your argument is redundant.)

pascoe, I doubt your conspiracy theory would hold any water. Libraries need to start some serious market research of their own to find out exactly who is using their services and what sort of information people want.

Stirling libraries did this recently and they are bucking the trend and increasing customer numbers hugely.

My dh works in our local library which has been threatened with closure. He said while the children who come in are mostly middle class it's not true of the adults.

At Christmas dh came home with boxes of chocolates & biscuits bought in by grateful customers. We go nearly every day (& not just because dh works there!). It is a lifeline when you are at home with young kids. Where else can you go designed equally for children and adults? We are gutted. And not just because dh will probably lose his job.

Just read about the webchat with ed vaizey. Does he control library funding? Don't local authorities do that? Our local authority has cut the library budget by 40%, even though the total library budget is something like 1.7% of the total LA budget. Half the whole service going including all mobile libraries for the rural areas little served by public transport to save about 0.8% of their budget :(