Fears council cuts could hit service (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Fears council cuts could hit service
1:00pm Friday 6th August 2010 in
Campaigner Shirley Burnham has launched a new bid to save Swindon’s community libraries.
Mrs Burnham said she believes at least half of the borough’s libraries are under threat from Swindon Council’s planned cutbacks.
She has launched the petition after the council began a review into all of its spending, which is due to be concluded in September.
The following month the council is due to publish its emergency mid-term budget in response to central government funding cuts.
The council expects to have to save between £30m and £40m during the next few years.
Mrs Burnham, 61, said: “How can the council get a library strategy done and passed through the council by October?
“We know they are hard-up so we would like to have the issue debated before they decide anything.”
She said there were proven ways of saving money that have been successful in other boroughs but that these were not being considered by Swindon Council at the moment.
“These issues must be debated openly and decisions not taken behind closed doors,” she said.
“We therefore call on the leaders of all Swindon’s other political groups to support our campaign.
“We’ve seen what you receive in allowances and expenses and expect you to work hard for us.
“Before a single small library is threatened or a paid staff member lost, the library users – a majority of whom are the elderly, disabled, disadvantaged, unemployed and very young – urge you to focus on their needs and stand up for them.
“It’s not about ‘my library’, it’s about ‘our libraries’.”
Under Swindon Council’s new petitions scheme, an issue can automatically be debated at a full council meeting if there are enough signatories to a petition about it.
Mrs Burnham started campaigning in 2008 to save Old Town Library in Victoria Road.
The library was due to close completely but is now set to move to a new ‘cultural hub’ at the Arts Centre in Devizes Road.
Councillor Garry Perkins, Swindon Council’s cabinet member for arts and culture, said all areas of spending in the council were under review but nothing had been discussed regarding libraries specifically.
He said: “We are more than happy to engage with the community about this.”
Copies of the new petition can be found at Newsdesk in Cavendish Square, Top Drug in Wood Street, and Earle’s newsagents in Newport Street.
Anyone who would like to help with the petition should contact Mrs Burnham by writing to 6 Arundel Close, Swindon, SN3 1JG, or e-mail shirleyburnham mail@yahoo.com.
Comments(10)
Shirley Burnham
says...
10:05pm Fri 6 Aug 10
It would be very useful for the public to have some knowledge of how Walcott Library's has performed over the past year or so. Not the performance of the excellent community shop within the building, but the Library itself. Importantly, is there data to show that Walcott is now a substantially more cost-effective Library than it was before ?
Is it also possible to clarify for readers whether the Walcott volunteers undertake all the library's management and librarianship duties or whether any other library Library has a role in its smooth running ?
It would also be helpful to know whether Peter has found it easy to recruit and retain volunteers and what type of enquiries they are equipped to deal with.
Peter's solution to ease the budget pressure is for paid staff to be replaced by volunteers in all our community libraries. I, and others believe that there are better, more cost-effective and sustainable ways of running a good Library Service which have had considerable success elsewhere and should be considered by Swindon.
Bobby Bee
says...
12:36pm Sat 7 Aug 10
This has obviously been a success in this particular library but only because it operates under the umbrella of Park Library.
Surely he cannot be suggesting that all other libraries follow suit?
To gain a few volunteers is excellent: to expect all other community libraries to do the same is totally unrealistic.
Librararians are extensively-trained people to deal with a mass of enquiries from the public.
If their experience counts for nothing then why not have volunteers for other occupations?? Doctors, teachers , dentists and chiropractors are the ones that most readily spring to mind. ....
How ridiculous would that be??
Grimwald
says...
4:53pm Sat 7 Aug 10
Shirley Burnham
says...
7:58pm Sat 7 Aug 10
The concern is that Peter seems to be recommending that all Swindon's libraries go down the same route. I suppose we would like to hear from him as to whether he suggests this for purely ideological reasons, or whether he is able to respond to comments that have been made here which call his proposal into question.
Retired at last
says...
9:35pm Sat 7 Aug 10
If libraries are not being used enough, then close them. If people want to keep them open then they can fund it 100% themselves. I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep if all the libraries in Swindon were closed - how much would that save?
Shirley Burnham
says...
7:31am Sun 8 Aug 10
Retired at last wrote:You will be pleased to know that but a very few Pence of your council tax is spent on the library service.
Well, I'm getting a bit fed up subsidising failing and underused facilities in the town out of my council tax. If libraries are not being used enough, then close them. If people want to keep them open then they can fund it 100% themselves. I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep if all the libraries in Swindon were closed - how much would that save?
Perhaps you may not have considered that any savings from closing a community library would be negligible, compared with the costs that accumulate as a result of that community's cohesion and well-being having been undermined. The satellite libraries are also useful to the council in a number of ways, as a means of having a presence and information point in a community. The benefits are shared.
Libraries are well-used in Swindon and that is not the reason that they are now under threat.
Some residents would lose little sleep if an economy was made by suspending the publication of 'Swindon News', for example, until the council's finances are in a better state -- or other extravagances that are a burden on the public purse and seem to provide no measurable benefit to residents, unlike libraries.
Retired at last
says...
7:51am Mon 9 Aug 10
.
A bit strong I think. I do not believe any community in Swindon is held together by a library. I also think far more would be saved by closing them than you let on. Sacking all the staff would save quite a bit for a start. Either selling off the land the libraries are standing on or renting them out for commercial use would also save on heating, lighting etc..
.
As to the other 'extravagances', yes, get rid of all of them as well. I'm really fed up of do-gooders and social engineers in this town recklessly spending my money.
Bobby Bee
says...
2:50pm Mon 9 Aug 10
I would be interested to hear his response.
Peter Mallinson
says...
5:27pm Tue 10 Aug 10
The staff at Parks library do visit Walcot once a week for about an hour, this is to do work involving confidential details that we are not allowed to access.
We do not stamp books there is a machine to issue and return books.
The amount of use of the library for issue of books is about the same as it has always been. There is also the IT facility to consider.
We do not claim to hold the community together, it is just another facility to use.
Just to give some idea of what we pay for.
1. The insurance
2. The cleaning
3. The Heating and Lighting
4. The Telephone
Apart from one hour/week from Parks library we have a telephone link to the Central library for the issue of pin numbers. We also can call on the IT department for assistance with software.
If full time staff (two min.) were in attendance all the above would still have to be paid along with two salaries.
Finally, I am not saying that all libraries should be run on the same model that's up to communities to decide, what I am saying is that it is better to run a library with volunteers than to close it.
In these hard financial times anything that helps to keep costs under control should be encouraged.
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Campaigner Shirley Burnham has started a petition against possible cuts to Swindon’s libraries
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Peter Mallinson says...
5:40pm Fri 6 Aug 10
I work as a volunteer in the Library and shop in Walcot alongside our other volunteers from 9.30am to 1.00pm for 5 days a week. I also as a cabinet member attend 3 or more meetings at different locations in Swindon 5 days a week.
Many other members have similar working patterns doing full time work and then their council work.
I ask that you appreciate this effort and understand that members do work hard for their allowances.
On the subject of libraries, with the present economic situation it is essential that we spend according to our income. What is missing from Shirely's letter is any mention of community support in manning the small libraries.
If we in Walcot can do it and we have for more than 15 months then so can other communities.
It is easy to complain and say it is up to the council but why not roll up your sleaves and give practical help.
Garry Perkins is correct in saying "nothing specific has been discussed" so how about some discussion from communities about helping to run libraries.