PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE AT RISK, CLAIMS CILIP
Job losses, outdated attitudes, lack of government scrutiny and absence from the top table of council decision-making are the main reasons for cuts in quality being faced by public libraries in England. So claims a hard-hitting report from CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.
Read the full report
The report was specially commissioned because of rising public concern about the future for local libraries, as councils struggle with the requirements to improve performance and reduce costs. “CILIP has a responsibility to act in the public interest,” says the Institute’s Chief Executive Bob McKee. “It is in everyone’s interest to clarify what local people can expect from their library service.”
The report was written for CILIP by Patrick Conway, former Director of Culture and Leisure with Durham County Council. He was assisted by a small steering group chaired by Martin Molloy, Strategic Director of Cultural and Community Services with Derbyshire County Council, who says: “Patrick’s report is based on an admittedly small sample of public library authorities. However, it raises important matters of concern, and further work is now needed by government to establish the full picture across the country.”
Loss of professional posts in a number of library authorities means there is less specialist expertise available to assist local people and develop services in local communities. The report emphasises the importance of professional experience and judgement in planning and delivering effective service. Job losses could lead to a reduction in the professional standards of service experienced by library users, and CILIP will refer this matter to government for further investigation.
However, the report also urges action to redefine professionalism in response to new ways of working, noting that some professional library staff – and CILIP itself – are sometimes seen as inflexible and dated in their approach. It suggests further work is needed to examine the potential of new ways of delivering local library services, and to highlight the ways that library services can contribute to key policy objectives. “There are two issues of concern here,” says Patrick Conway, author of the report. “One is the way in which the scrutiny of the public library service has been watered-down by government, which has increasingly distanced itself from local arrangements, despite the statutory nature of the service. The other is that some local authorities don’t fully recognise that the library service can contribute positively to their overall strategic objectives and this may be because the Head of Service responsible for public libraries does not have a seat on the council’s top table.”
“When I spoke to the Libraries Minister, Margaret Hodge, about this report she promised to read it ‘with attention’”, says Bob McKee. “The report is now with her and I look forward to receiving the government’s response. This is a vital issue for library users and library staff. We will continue to press for action at local and national level in recognition of the value that professionalism brings to public library provision.”
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Press contacts:
Patrick Conway
Tel: 0191 386 8216
patrick.conway3@btinternet.com
Martin Molloy
Tel: 01629 580000 ext 6500
martin.molloy@derbyshire.gov.uk
Bob McKee, Chief Executive, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0690
Mobile: 07989 380607 (out of hours contact)
Bob.Mckee@cilip.org.uk
Guy Daines, Director of Policy & Advocacy, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0632
guy.daines@cilip.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
1. To read the full report go to www.cilip.org.uk/conwayreport
2. 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 around 15,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises. CILIP members work in all sectors, including 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. For more information about CILIP go to www.cilip.org.uk
Updated: 02 September 2008