‘Much more than a roomful of books’

THERE are people who believe libraries are no longer relevant in the age of instant access to information.

Sarah Church is not one of those people.

“I would say that the library is more than just a roomful of books. It’s a service, a public service, and it covers so many things, from education to social inclusion to access to other agencies for health, employment and many other things.

“The library saves many other agencies money. It’s a service to the community and it can be a place to go for people who don’t have anywhere else; it’s access to education and books that many people do not have in their homes.

“A lot of households do not have the level of wealth that allows them to buy the latest e-books. For children who might not have a quiet or safe environment at home where they can do their homework.

“My children have to do some of their homework online, and if we did not have the internet at home they would have to do it in the library.”

“A library is also a place for people to meet. For me it’s easy to get on a bus or go to town, but if I were 94 it might not be so easy.”

Sarah has a clear and simple idea of what a library should be: “A local service that’s open to everybody, accessible and open to everybody that you can get to either on foot or by a small hop on public transport – and opening times that people can get to, not four hours on Tuesdays, four hours on Thursdays and every other Saturday.”

On Sunday, April 10, Save Swindon Libraries will host a public meeting at Christ Church Community Centre.

Beginning at 2pm, it will include a variety of guest speakers including authors.

The group was encouraged by the turnout at its recent fundraiser in Los Gatos in Old Town, which laid on Spanish hot chocolate and Churros as people signed a petition opposing the cuts.

“I thought it was very positive – we had a lot of support and I was very grateful to the owners of Los Gatos. They were very generous.

“What I have seen when I’ve been talking about the campaign is that every single person in the community, all ages, all backgrounds, all walks of life, understands the value of libraries, whether to themselves or somebody in their family, or they’ve used it in the past or somebody they know uses it. They can see that the library is crucial in the community.

“It’s a community hub and a rallying point, and I think that’s apparent to a lot of people.”

If a target of 1,500 signatures can be reached, the library issue must be debated by the council.

“I would hope councillors would take the views of their residents into account when making budget decisions on the libraries.”

Sarah left the Army last year, with the rank of major. She is originally from St Albans, the oldest of five siblings whose parents were both doctors. Some of her favourite childhood memories involve the local library.

“I would go on a Saturday with my mum. We’d get some books out and then go to the newsagent and get some sweets. I was brought up in a house where reading was very central to our lives.”

The borough has 15 libraries and a mobile one, which between them had more than a million visitors last year. According to Sarah, each of the static libraries has its own special facilities to cater for the individual needs of its local community.

There’s Stratton St Margaret and its advice point, for example, whose clients are given face to face help in dealing with officialdom instead of having to navigate alone through a maze of web pages, most of them confusing and irrelevant.

And Sarah’s own local library, in Highworth?

“They offer a whole range of services, but what particularly comes to mind is their job club.

“There’s a lady who has walked three miles to Highworth to access the internet so she could make her Universal Credit application and write her CV.

“She would have been stranded and unable to access the benefit to which she was entitled.”

At Penhill, the library shares its site with the local learning centre, where people go to upgrade their skills in everything from IT to confidence.

“The learning centre isn’t open all the time, but the library when it’s open has computers that you can just go in and use.

“I went there the other day and there were four computers in constant use by a variety of people.”

Some councillors and officials have suggested that more use of volunteers is an answer to the funding shortfall. The campaigners, although full of praise for library volunteers, reject the argument.

“The volunteer model is not a sustainable model. It has been found that after the initial spate of good will and people commendably giving their time, that falls off.

“There are also certain skills areas that volunteers are less inclined to be involved with – for example it has been found they are less inclined to use the library management system.

“Volunteers require a tremendous amount of professional back-up. They’re not free because they have to be managed and trained.

“Our bottom line is that libraries are a public service that should be paid for by an accountable public body and staffed appropriately, which is with a professional staff.”