'Library Review' and possible closures by Southwark Council

[ianr]

celebrationoftheyear wrote:

> Just come back from Dulwich Library this morning where I was approached by a member of staff to fill out a 'Library Review Questionnaire'.

> It didn't take long and had space at the back to put forward any comments

"An online consultation will begin on Monday 27 June. " says this Soutwark web page. It's not there yet, but Southwark does tend to be slow -- it was possible to go through the motions of entering the Leisure Centre competition some days after the official closing date. Probably best to keep an eye on this Consultations page ( hidden away within the Council & Democracy category)

[ianr]

Fresh from the Consultations page:

"The online libraries consultation form will be available from Tuesday afternoon, 28 June. The first consultation meeting is on Wednesday 29 June at East Street Library."

[Undisputedtruth]

On my way to Decathlon I went past the Canada Water library site yesterday and was impressed by the building. I hope Southwark would continue to build stunning buildings like the Michael Faraday Primary School while taking care of its older but equally great buildings.

[Undisputedtruth]

With the Canada Water library being less than a few minutes away from Canary Wharf on the tube, they could possibly, assuming the hall is large enough, run corporate events. I've organised corporate events in the past and fees were around ?9000 per day. And that was five years ago.

James - can we have the income generated ?500k broken down to its components please?

[dukesdenver]

The survey is now available here.

The link from the main consultations page doesn't work.

I'm feeling generous so I will describe the survey as 'rudimentary'...

[peterstorm1985]

You were extremely generous. I've just filled out the form and I can't see what the point of it was. The level and type of questioning is unlikely to result in any informed decision making.

[James Barber]

Hi undisputed truth,

I'd be amazes to obtain the break down of the ?1/2m but will ask.

[Undisputedtruth]

Hi James,

Good consultation requires good information but as you know this was all explained in the Tim Coates video and in particular in his recommendation number two. In the first video link Somerset County Council has a lower budget than Southwark Council by over ?1m but has generated an average of ?1.1m, ?600k more than Southwark. Obviously Southwark does not need to make cuts if they matched the income generated by Somerset County Council.

The breakdown in the requested figures should give an idea where the income is coming from. I'm also particularly interested to know why it amazes you to obtain a breakdown of the ?500k.

Hi Peter,

I suspect the council has made their decision in secret and is just running an exercise which tick the box for public consultation before swinging the axe.

Most of the questions were geared towards reducing services and hardly none were about reviewing back office functions and income generation. It's a shame because I think Southwark Council has the lost the opportunity to make sure money has been well spent and put in place a sustainable library operating model.

[Frankito]

Why don't wejustgive out Kindles to all who need them and run virtual libraries instead..? Move with the times and not with the moths...>:D

[James Barber]

I've tried iPad2 and Kindle for reading and I found it a horrible unengaging experience.

I and most people will stick with books thank you.

[dukesdenver]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've tried iPad2 and Kindle for reading and I

> found it a horrible unengaging experience.

> I and most people will stick with books thank you.

I must be the exception to 'most people' then - I really like reading on the Kindle.

I like reading books too. You can have both, you know!

[Alec John Moore]

Most technological developments result in some form of hybrid state with old and new technologies being used together or interchangably. I've go into reading on a reguilar basis again in the last 12 months. I like using the Kindle but I also bought a "coffee table" type book the other day that just wouldn't have worked even if it had been available on Kindle. Anyway, it wasn't Southwark's libraries that spurred me into reading again but a book club I found on EDF. I would like to be able to borrow the books I read but to be honest it is more convenient to download them to the Kindle or buy them (second hand usually) on the interweb.

[Undisputedtruth]

Some libraries in London offers ebooks already. Just sign up as you don't need to be a resident in their borough. The main advantages with ebooks are

1) that they cannot be stolen or damaged

2) doesn't require costly buildings and staff

3) offers convenience to the public

4) longevity (no detrimental changes with age as in normal books)

5) download from any elibraries in London

[Undisputedtruth]

I attended the public meeting at Nunhead library. The paper survey contains more information than the online one so the difference can be found on this attachment.

[Chener Books]

Someone needs to do a sanity check on the Southwark data that Undisputedtruth has provided.

John K

[Undisputedtruth]

A sanity test or sanity check is a basic test to quickly evaluate the validity of a claim or calculation. In arithmetic, for example, when multiplying by 9, using the divisibility rule for 9 to verify that the sum of digits of the result is divisible by 9 is a sanity test.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanity_check

The act of checking that something does not contain elementary mistakes or impossibilities, or is not based on invalid assumptions

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sanity_check

[ianr]

James Barber Wrote:

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> Hi undisputed truth, I'd be amazes to obtain the break down of the ?1/2m [libraries annual generated income]

> but will ask.

All the library accounts should currently be available, with maybe a bit of work, to anyone who turns up at Tooley Street. http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,699353

[dukesdenver]

Undisputedtruth Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I attended the public meeting at Nunhead library.

> The paper survey contains more information than

> the online one so the difference can be found on

> this attachment.

Flipping heck, you could use these daft figures to make a case for pretty much anything...!

Thanks for posting these, Undisputedtruth.

[Undisputedtruth]

@dukesdener,

You're absolutely right, also the attendance figures are hit and miss as they are based on RFID readings. So if you had your library card on you and went backwards/forwards by the RFID readers then it could register several visits.

The library finance figures really needs to be published. At the Nunhead library consultation, they said the income for the libraries was ?300k in total (all sources). Now compared that to Cllr Barber's figure of ?500k shown earlier in this thread. I'm not saying he has intentionally misled us, but I feel he was a victim of misinformation by Southwark's information highway.

[Fuschia]

Many people visiting, say, the toddler or baby sessions, won't take their library card

I dont and many of the attendees do not lInger to withdraw books

[Renata Hamvas]

I agree with you Fushia (school children doing homework is another group)and so I asked about this. The figures quoted are for actual visitor numbers with or without a library card, so mothers visiting with toddlers would be counted. The Kingswood consulation evening is tonight. You can fill in the form whatever library you attend, not just Kingswood. As well as the general cuts, due to cut in the council's main grant, the funds that used to come from central government for specific services eg homework clubs have ceased.

I also asked about ebooks for Kindle etc. The problem is that the costs are quite high and only for a fixed period of time eg a year for a book and then library services have to pay again. At John Harvard Library they have Blu ray, what do people think about that format?

Renata

[James Barber]

I've located the attached high level budget - and have asked for tha copy of the detailed Library budget book.

I asked about eBooks some time ago and Southwark Library officers were waiting and seeing how that developed - one of the earlier requests when I started properly on the forum.

[Undisputedtruth]

@james

thanks for the budget figures and it would be great to see a breakdown in the non-staffing costs. According to the figures, Canada Water has an income of ?308,000 and wonder if you could shed further light.

@fuschia, renata,

The main point I was trying to make was the attendance figures were hit and miss. It was the same point John Gorsuch made at the Nunhead library consultation.

[dukesdenver]

A reminder that the public meeting at Dulwich library takes place tomorrow (11th July) from 7-8pm.

[Loz]

Kindle pretty much *is* a library. I just checked and there are currently 19,407 free titles available, including most of the classics like Dickens, Swift, Austin, etc. Plus you can access other free libraries with a bit of conversion.