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Main index page on libraries
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003 and earlier
The Times has covered suggestions by the culture minister, Margaret Hodge, that libraries could be brought into the 21st century by locating them in shopping centres and offering loyalty cards and cinema ticket rewards for visits.
Margaret Hodge said that it was vital for libraries to maintain relevance to the Google generation. Among her ideas were opening public libraries during evenings and all weekend and striking deals with Starbucks or Costa coffee shops. Mrs Hodge said that libraries could, for example, have advertising tie-ins with Amazon: "You’ve borrowed the book – now send a new copy to a friend."
In a speech in Brighton to the Association of London Chief Librarians, she told delegates that although spending had risen by 17% in the past ten years, the number of books borrowed had dropped by 34%.
Tim Coates, author of the library report Who’s in Charge? Responsibility for the Public Library Service, said: "Book collections have become poor to the point of uselessness and that is a problem which is not addressed by clubcards or Costa coffee shops. Good coffee doesn’t make a poor bookshop into a good one – and neither will it do so for a library."
(The Times, 7 March 2008)
Library and Information Update has reported on a new ‘national offer to youth’ from libraries. The public library youth services have set out the offer on a simple A4 card. It lists seven elements of a library service that will contribute to local and national policy agendas for youth. According to the offer, young people should expect:
- Participation in shaping the future of library services
- Volunteering opportunities with younger or older library users
- A place to develop citizenship skills and community engagement
- Free, safe and welcoming spaces in the local community
- Formal and informal learning support for educational attainment
- Inspiring books and reading materials supported by positive activities
- Information on education, training and career opportunities
The card is part of an advocacy pack being sent to every library chief. It also has background information, a sample presentation and points to use in explaining libraries’ potential to heads of children’s services and those compiling Local Area Agreements.
(Library and Information Update, March 2008)
The Independent has reported that libraries lend more books by James Patterson than any other author. The Public Lending Rights figures show titles by James Patterson were lent more than 1.5 million times between July 2006 and June 2007. His popularity is so great that it has ousted Jacqueline Wilson from the number one spot.
The top ten most borrowed authors are:
- James Patterson
- Jacqueline Wilson
- Daisy Meadows
- Josephine Cox
- Nora Roberts
- Danielle Steel
- Ian Rankin
- Mick Inkpen
- Janet and Allen Ahlberg
- Francesca Simon
For more information visit www.plr.uk.com.
(Independent, 8 February 2008)
Library and Information Update have reported on research from the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) which has found that only 52% of the primary teachers who took part in their survey into reading made use of a library for work. In 1998, research by the Teacher Training Agency found that really effective teachers of reading knew a lot about reading skills, such as phonics, and had extensive knowledge of children’s literature.
The Teachers as Readers team at the UKLA said that it was essential that primary schools have a close relationship with libraries if teachers are to acquire such knowledge. The team accepted that some data will have been influenced by factors such as access to libraries, but the overall results showed a general lack of links between teachers and local library services. Teachers with fewer years in the classroom were less likely to use library services.
(L+I Update, November 2007)
The Big Lottery Fund awarded libraries in England £80 million to put towards a modernising makeover. 58 library authorities are being given grants of between £250,000 and £2m each from community libraries funding to renovate, extend or build new libraries. For more information visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/pr_301007_eng_cl_modernising_makeover?regioncode=-uk
(Big Lottery Fund, 30 October 2007)
The Bookseller reported that book spend by libraries in the UK has fallen again in 2006/07, spending just 8.7% of its overall budget on books. That represents a decline of 0.6% on the previous year. Libraries in Northern Ireland more than doubled their book spend for the second year running but that pattern has not been repeated in England.
(Bookseller, 28 September 2007)
Library and Information Update has covered the results of a survey run by the Office for National Statistics and commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and other organisations, such as English Heritage.
The survey of over 28,000 people found that 50% visit a library at least once a month with the main reasons being to return a book (56%), taking children (10%) and to use ICT resources (6%). Top library users are Asian (58%), closely followed by black (57%) and mixed-race people (51%), with white people accounting for just 47%. The survey showed library use was most favoured by people with children, especially lone parents, those in the South East and those educated to A-level or above.
The full report Taking Part: the national survey, annual report 2005-6 is available at www.culture.gov.uk
(Library and Information Update, June 2007)
The Guardian has covered the announcement of poet and novelist Michael Rosen as the fifth children's laureate, taking over from Jacqueline Wilson. The author of over 140 books, Rosen is best known for his collections of humorous verse for children, including You Tell Me, You Can't Catch Me and Quick Let's Get Out of Here. He has written picture books, such as Burping Bertha and Mustard, Custard, Grumble Belly and Gravy, and is a familiar voice on radio as the presenter of Radio 4's linguistics programme, Word of Mouth. The four laureates so far have been an illustrator (Quentin Blake) and three writers (Anne Fine, Michael Morpurgo and Jacqueline Wilson). The appointment of Rosen ensures that the field of children's poetry has also been recognised.
(Guardian, June 2007)
The London Libraries Development Agency and The Network announce the launch of the www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk web site whose aim is to support public librarians in engaging effectively with refugees and asylum seekers.
The web site is part of the Welcome To Your Library project which aims to increase opportunities for active participation by refugee communities in public library service planning and delivery and, in so doing, to improve access to and quality of services for all. The project is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and co-ordinated through the London Libraries Development Agency.
Three schemes are in the running for the 2007 Libraries Change
Lives Award. They are a scheme in Leeds and a UK-wide project
developing the role of public libraries in supporting refugees
and asylum seekers.
Read Yourself Well, a bibliotherapy project run by East Ayrshire
Library, Registration and Information Services, provides alternative
treatment for people with depression and mild mental health
problems.
Large (Leeds Always Reading Group for Everyone), run by Leeds
School Library Service, provides loans of large print fiction
books for partially sighted children so that they can read
books alongside their peers in mainstream schools.
Welcome To Your Library, led by the London Libraries Development
Agency, is UK-wide project developing the role of public libraries
in supporting refugees and asylum seekers. It aims to promote
social inclusion and build self-esteem, and has seen two library
services (Leicester and London Borough of Camden) set up work
placements for refugees.
The winner of the award will be announced by Roger McGough
on 18 April 2007 at the Library + information Show (LiS) at
Birmingham NEC. For more information visit www.lishow.co.uk
(CILIP/LiS press release, February 2007)
A project working with vulnerable young people and drug addicts
in Blackburn, helping to create a senses of ownership of the
library; a library service focused on guest workers and their
families in Lincolnshire; and an innovative library-based scheme
working with excluded young people to address antisocial behaviour
in the Sighthill area of Edinburgh, are in the running for the
2006 CILIP/LiS Libraries Change Lives Award.
The three shortlisted library projects are: Books on the
Edge - Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council, Multicultural
Development Service - Lincolnshire County Council and Sighthill
Library Youth Work - Edinburgh City Libraries and Information
Service.
(CILIP/ LiS press release, March 2006)
At least 35 public libraries across the UK have been earmarked
for closure. The branches to go fall across Devon (12), Lancashire
(9), Cambridgeshire (8) and Surrey (6) County Councils. Bob
McKee, chief executive of CILIP, said they were probably the
"tip of the iceberg".
The decisions were made separately, but all the councils
said they wanted to cut costs or channel funding into more
visited libraries. Funding of £80m has been pledged
by the Big Lottery Fund for libraries and this will be ring-fenced
to help promote a "sense of place" with a "range
of community uses and activities". Miranda McKearney,
of the Reading Agency, said: "it is important that councils
are able to close libraries to reinvest around shifting concentrations
of the population." However, library expert Tim Coates,
said: "The hard part is saving expenditure on bibliographic
services management posts and all other non-reader activities.
Libraries should ask for help in addressing these challenges.
In no sense can closing a library be an improvement for its
local community."
(The Bookseller, 20 January 2006)
Northern Ireland is to replace its five education and library
boards with a single education authority, in a move that paves
the way for a single library board in Northern Ireland.
The shift comes as part of a massive local government restructure
across the province that will slash the number of public bodies
from 67 to 20 in a bid to save £200m. Libraries are
expected to fall under the new education authority or have
a separate authority of their own. The majority of job losses
are predicted to hit the upper tier of management at the education
and library boards, with the new system expected to be complete
by April 2008.
(Bookseller, 25 November 2005)
The big plus promotion was launched by Scotland's Deputy Minister
for Communities Johann Lamont on International Literacy Day.
The scheme has already placed 100,000 items in 100 community
libraries to support new readers, and given specialist training
to 70 staff from library and adult literacy partnerships.
It is a partnership between Scottish local authorities, adult
literacy partnerships, Learning Connections, Communities Scotland
and the Scottish Library and Information Council.
For more
information visit www.thebigplus.com
A wide-reaching Black History project from Northamptonshire,
a reader development campaign working with disadvantaged and
socially excluded people on estates in Islington and an empowering
adult learning scheme for people with learning difficulties
in Enfield are in the running for the coveted 2005 CILIP/LiS
Libraries Change Lives Award.
The national award recognises innovative and exciting work
in libraries and their communities. The three shortlisted
projects are:
(Library and Information Gazette, 11 March 2005)
The Bookseller has reported that public libraries will get an extra £2m of government funding
over the next two years as part of ongoing efforts to overhaul
the service. The money will be spent on less successful libraries
to help improve their leadership and work with local communities.
It will be distributed through the Department for Culture, Media
and Sport.
(Bookseller, 25.06.04)
A report published in August 2004 by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions presents visions on how libraries can promote literacy and lifelong learning. It shows that libraries in developing countries have to come up with novel ways to deal with problems that bigger, richer countries are able to tackle differently.
The principles at stake are similar, but local conditions create different sets of problems and solutions in each country. The report shows how different processes - funding partnerships, community involvement, staff and user training - can be enable libraries to make a greater contribution to the lifelong learning process.
The report debates the implementation of ICT and the concerns and challenges of developing countries. Some of the barriers identified are ICT infrastructure, training, local content and cost. These highlight the digital divide that exists on a global scale, between urban and rural populations, as well as rich and poor, within individual countries and internationally.
Libraries for lifelong literacy: unrestricted access to information as a basis for lifelong learning and empowerment is the fourth volume of the IFLA/FAIFE World Report Series.
Visit www.ifla.org/faife/report/FAIFE-report2004.htm.
2003's BBC Big Read had a hugely positive effect on reading
in public libraries, according to a survey of the campaign.
More than three-quarters of library users discussed The Big
Read with family and friends, while two-thirds took part in
at least one library activity around it. The figures are included
in a report published by the Reading Agency in association with
the BBC and the Public Lending Right.
PLR figures also showed that loans of books featured in The
Big Read Top 100 doubled last year, mimicking dramatic increases
in sales of the titles. About 83% of library authorities said
that the project had stimulated wider reading.
In February 2004 Essex County Council Libraries' Mobile Library Travellers Project won the Libraries Change Lives project award.
The project works with five travellers' sites
and eight primary schools with a high percentage of travellers
children on their roll.
According to the Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey, published by the Library and Information Statistics Unit (LiSU) at Loughborough University local authority spending on books rose by 2.6% in 2002-3 - just
ahead of the rate of inflation. It compared to a 2.4% decrease in the previous 12
months and a drop of 15% in real terms over the past decade.
Spending rose by more than 25% in Northern Ireland, by 5% in
Scotland and 4% in Wales, though England saw growth of only
2% - and spending in London boroughs fell year on year.
The report Public Library Materials Fund and Budget Survey is available at www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/dis/lisu/lisuhp.html
A report, Better Public Libraries, states that; "The library has the potential to be the 'living room
of the city' or a 'club for everyone'. New libraries should
increasingly be long-stay places for students, a safe haven
for children, even a home from home. They should include cafes,
lounge areas with sofas, and chill-out zones where young people
can watch MTV, read magazines and listen to CDs on listening
posts."
Better Public Libraries is available at www.cabe.org.uk
A new central development agency needs to be created if public
libraries are to reverse a long-term decline in their use,
according to a damning report published by think-tank Demos
in May 2003.
The agency would become the main advocate for libraries, the
report's author Charles Leadbeater proposed. It should mimic
successful central development bodies such as the London Libraries
Development Agency and the Reading Agency.
The full report, Overdue: how to create a modern public library service,
can be downloaded from www.demos.co.uk/media/pressreleases/overdue
A "quiet revolution" is gathering momentum in public libraries as free internet access opens up lifelong learning opportunities, a report published in January 2003 shows. It reveals that about 40% of people who visited libraries for the first time to use information technology went on to join the library.
Some library authorities reported "a modest increase" in book loans though not yet enough to turn around the longstanding decline in book borrowing. More than 4,000 of the 4,488 branch libraries in the UK were connected to the People's Network by the end of 2002, around half with broadband.
More information about the People's Network is available at www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk
The People's Network: a turning point for libraries is available free from Resource Publications on 020 7273 1458 or email info@resource.gov.uk.
Reader development - on a national scale - is the aim of
a £238,000 scheme to be launched by the Chartered Institute
of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS).
Part of the funding will come from the National Lottery (£99,664),
local authorities and the National Library for the Blind.
Meanwhile, a post of National Readership Development Officer
is being created with a £50,000 grant from the Scottish
Arts Council. The post-holder will work for both CILIPS and
the Scottish Library and Information Council.
The reader development scheme will train staff in public
libraries to be 'skilled promoters of contemporary literature
and to help library users get the most out of visiting their
local library'. The training will be embedded in practical
projects of immediate benefit to readers. In charge will be
Opening the Book, the agency that has spearheaded many innovations
in reader development, including the Book Forager website
and Arts Council funded training in England and Wales. These
projects have led to a conceptual breakthrough where reading
is recognised as participation in art, giving libraries a
new importance as gateways.
Jenny Brown, the Scottish Arts Council's Literature Officer,
says: "Activity in Scotland to date has tended to be ad hoc
and piecemeal. Libraries have a crucial part to play in this
field - they have access to every community in Scotland, and
are the first port of call for most people to turn to for
advice on reading. This is a strategically important project
[for] one of the priority areas in SAC's literature plan,
and is likely to be of long-term significance."
(Library and Information Update, May 2002)
Excellence in developing libraries as a community resource
has been recognised by awards of Beacon status to eight councils
across the UK. A series of showcase events followed by open
days and other learning activities will be funded by a special
grant to help them disseminate their innovative approaches.
The Beacon councils will "set the pace of change and act
as centres of excellence by spreading best practice and sharing
their experience." Beacon library services are in London Borough
of Barnet, Blackburn with Darwen Council, Leeds City Council,
Liverpool City Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council,
Suffolk County Council, Sunderland City Council and London
Borough of Sutton.
(Library and Information Update, May 2002)
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