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Original poster

Libraries....will you miss them?

75 replies

Curiousmama · 01/10/2010 20:30

If the government do close our libraries will you miss them?

I certainly will Sad I use ours regularly but it's always quiet. I can't understand why people don't take advantage of free books? Also you can order the latest books for a small charge and it's free for under 17s.

Ds1 has just really got into going which is good news as it gets him away from the xbox, wii etc.. He's reading like it's going out of fashion right now. I think it helps that where we've moved to everything is nearby, including the library.

I know things have to change but if this happens I'll be gutted.

OP posts:
Original poster
Curiousmama · 01/10/2010 21:49

Right am off to read my (library) book. Night all.

OP posts:
Schroeder · 01/10/2010 22:01

Too many you knows=too much wineGrin sorry.

IMoveTheStars · 01/10/2010 22:15

harpsichord, correct me if I'm wrong but you appear to be applying the 25-40% cuts to the public libraries. Has anybody actually said that they're going to close 30 libraries in Oxfordshire or are you theorising?

"the information comes from those who are in charge of planning for these cuts, and implementing them."

I assume you mean the conservatives?

Original poster
Curiousmama · 02/10/2010 10:24

JTGK do you live in Oxfordshire?

The girl in our library was worried so she must know something?

OP posts:
BudaisintheZONE · 02/10/2010 10:31

I really hope they don't close them. Having lived out of UK for 15 years I am really looking forward to moving back next year and joining our local library. Esp for DS.

Original poster
Curiousmama · 02/10/2010 10:47

Hope not too BZone. There needs to be a campaign to get more using them. Although if they're closing busy ones then maybe no point in that either?? Such a worry.

OP posts:
SgtAngua · 02/10/2010 11:02

They are going to close 30 out of 44 libraries in Oxfordshire? I bet they will, can't be giving the great unwashed free access to literature can they? Angry

We use our local library & so do lots of people. Mainly parents with small children & pensioners when I'm there. Anything seem familiar about the group of people affected by this cut?

The Tories never suprise you do they?

IMoveTheStars · 02/10/2010 11:23

Curious, yeah. I'm pretty sure our local one won't be closed. I never realised how many there were in Ox though, I only knew of the ones in in Oxford and the major towns (never used any of the village ones)

upahill · 02/10/2010 11:27

No personally I won't tbh. I used to like them until they became more like community centres with playstations, crowds of old men cheering the TV when the cricket is on, music blaring and so on.
I miss the traditional libaries where I used to go for some solitude and sit quiet with a book for a while.

Original poster
Curiousmama · 02/10/2010 14:27

Oh upahill I've never been to a library like that? Does anyone else have this experience?

OP posts:
cyteen · 02/10/2010 15:06

None of my local libraries are like that. They are, however, well stocked, clean, quiet and well staffed. The central lending library in my town has the most incredible selection of CDs as well as books, plus a great world cinema collection of DVDs. It also has regular talks and readings by a great range of writers and people of interest.

countycouncilinsider · 02/10/2010 15:16

There are plans being made the length and breadth of the country, looking at ways to meet the cuts expected of County Councils.

ALL services are looking at ways to reduce costs, and libraries are no exception. If you work for a library service and aren't aware of this, then ask your Head of Service/Director.

If you use a library, or don't use them but value them, and want to try and save them, USE THEM.

After the Comprehensive Spending Review, it is our democratically elected councillors who will be making these decisions. With at least 30% expected, there will definitely be difficult decisions to be made. If you want to save your library service, get campaigning now. Talk to the press, rally the troops. Of course, you might be asked to volunteer and run the services locally yourself, and if you are up for this, you can count yourself as one of Dave's Big Society. But who will run it when you can't?

Suffolk COunty Council doesn't want to provide services any longer, and is seeking only to become a commissioner of services. Many other councils are looking to follow them. Local authorities are going to look very different.

motherinferior · 02/10/2010 16:59

I am actually of another opinion here - in that if cuts to this staggering extent are indeed being imposed on local authorities by central government, I think I would rather see cuts to my local library service than to some of the other services.

And I say that as a fanatic, frequent user. I have just collected six books reserved online from my local library, and that's pretty characteristic for me. But if the choice is between cutting four libraries and cutting four day centres, I have to say cut the libraries. I believe passionately, obsessively, in the power of the written word. I write stuff for a living, and read stuff for pleasure. But faced with cuts on that scale, I think it has to be libraries before some of other services; probably including other leisure services. And believe me, I have thought about this a lot.

countycouncilinsider · 02/10/2010 17:22

Day centres have had it anyway. They are closing under the guise of "personalisation."

BooBooGlass · 02/10/2010 17:25

I agree MI. I live in a smallish city, and there are fabulous bus links. The central library is great, the smaller ones are badly stocked and must cost a fortune to run. I'd be for them putting all their efforts into the central library, especially if it did save childrens services, which my friend works for and are already seeing massive cuts :(

domesticsluttery · 02/10/2010 17:27

I would miss them, but I think that it is unlikely that ours will go as they have just invested £1 million in a new one.

LostArt · 02/10/2010 17:30

Our last family visit to the library was horrendous. There was a baby group going on so much of the children's section was out of bounds and most of the other shelves were blocked by prams. There was even someone changing a nappy in the middle of the floor. The layout is so poorly designed that some book are inaccessible if the computers are in use. The staff looked thoroughly pissed off, and the last thing they wanted to do was interact with any of the customers.

Libraries are trying to be something for everyone, community centres, internet cafes, craft groups... and books are way down on the list. I think the libraries need to decide if they want to be about books or be community centres.

countycouncilinsider · 02/10/2010 17:33

TBH book funds have been cut so much there is little scope to be about books anymore.

Fayrazzled · 02/10/2010 17:43

I love my local library and will be gutted if it closes. I regularly reserve books online (for free- would be happy to pay a charge for this excellent service though).

I agree with the poster who said free access to the written word is the mark of a civilised society. I think we'll all be poorer without libraries.

harpsichordcarrier · 02/10/2010 19:45

JarethTheGoblinKing Fri 01-Oct-10 22:15:07
harpsichord, correct me if I'm wrong but you appear to be applying the 25-40% cuts to the public libraries.

no, you are wrong. that's not what I am doing.

Has anybody actually said that they're going to close 30 libraries in Oxfordshire or are you theorising?

yes, they have. Not publicly, not yet. But that is the plan and I have been told about it. I am not theorising. But it may well be that the plans are modified in the future. That doesn't change the current plans.

"the information comes from those who are in charge of planning for these cuts, and implementing them."

I assume you mean the conservatives?

no, I mean the people responsible for implementing the government policy, locally.

IMoveTheStars · 02/10/2010 19:53

OK. thanks for clearing that up, I was getting a bit confused yesterday :)

pointydog · 02/10/2010 20:06

Yes, I would miss my library. The dds more so. It is a favourite place to walk to with friends, to hang out on the computers, to do homework.

BeenBeta · 02/10/2010 20:08

OK I dont use public libraries and I woudl not mis smine if it closed but frankly the cutig of fornt line services like thsi when I know ful well there are absolutley gross amounts of money being paid out to senior managers and layers of useless burecracy it makes me sick.

The Coalition are faling in ot the trap of allowing the cuts to be decided by local authorities who will pick the most politically sensitive and high profile services while sitting there collecting their own fat pay check and pension and doing nothing to cut waste and burecracy.

The Coalition need to wake up to what is going on. Yes we need cuts and plenty of them but they are going about it in a piecemeal way with no logical strategy.

pointydog · 02/10/2010 20:11

I partially agree with beta Shock.

I think LAs are making very bad choices. They are going for front line staff cuts in a very rough and harsh way.

The first thing that was slashed in my LA was teacher salaries - lots and lots of teachers oot the window.

bnm · 02/10/2010 20:18

YES most definately - ours is always busy and I cannot understand when they keep saying that reading and writing is so poor in this country and then they want to close libraries!!!