Is your local library up to standard? Probably not, says CILIP
Many local communities are being denied the professional library service they're entitled to because of a 'postcode lottery' of funding and service provision - and it looks likely to get worse.
That's the message from CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, in a letter to the recently appointed Culture Secretary James Purnell.
"A number of Public Library Authorities are planning drastic reductions in the number of professional staff they employ, and some are even planning to hand over control of library services to local community groups without any professional expertise at all," explained Bob McKee, CILIP Chief Executive. "We hear talk about improved customer service and greater community management, but this is just spin-doctoring to cover up the reality of budget cuts and job losses. The truth is that without adequate professional expertise the quality of service will be reduced and the future of the service put at risk."
CILIP puts the blame firmly at the door of politicians, locally and nationally. "Library managers are trying to do the best they can," says Ian Snowley, CILIP President, "but their political paymasters instruct them to 'make the cuts but don't make them show' and the only option left is to cut the cost of staff. Library service is a statutory duty on local Councils and every citizen across the UK is entitled to a professional standard of local library provision. Some Councils are clearly failing to meet this standard."
"Like all public services, libraries are modernising," says Martin Molloy, CILIP's Immediate Past President, "and this means using new technology to achieve efficiency savings and also reshaping the professional base of the service. But there is a real danger that handing over delivery of the service to local community groups will lead to the break up of the national network which is one of the major assets of the service.
The Culture Secretary has the power to intervene if library provision by a local Council falls below standard and CILIP will be asking James Purnell to use that power if required. "We'll certainly be referring any Public Library Authority which we believe to be in breach of its statutory responsibilities to the Secretary of State for investigation," said Bob McKee, "and we'll also be asking the Audit Commission to take the availability of professional expertise into account when reviewing library service as part of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment of local Councils."
"The public library service is a hugely important asset nationally and an immensely valued service locally" concluded CILIP President Ian Snowley, " Local people care about their library but all too often politicians pay lip service to libraries while cutting back on library provision. It's time to campaign vigorously for the value of libraries in society and the for the importance of ensuring that local people in every community get the professional standard of library service which they deserve and to which they're entitled."
Media enquiries to:
Bob McKee , Chief Executive
Tel:020 7255 0690
Guy Daines, Director , Policy and Advocacy
Tel:020 7255 0632
Notes to Editors
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians,information specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 36,000 people engaged in library and information work of whom around 21,000 are CILIP members and 15,000 are stakeholders including customers of CILIP Enterprises. CILIP members work in all sectors; business and industry, science and technology, further and higher education, schools, local and central government, the health service, the voluntary sector,national and public libraries. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information about CILIP.
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Updated: 24 January 2008