Newspaper Availability at Grove Vale Library

[Brideshead]

Resubmitted Post

Are any other people shocked by the poor management of the new East Dulwich Library?

Officially called ?Grove Vale Library? (not Dulwich library at the top of the hill)

Let?s take the very simplest issue by way of example.

Selection of Daily Newspapers.

For literally 2 months since the library reopened after lockdown I have been asking the manager no less when the daily newspapers get resumed. For a period of THREE full weeks I was given the reason, later turning out to be totally false, that ?newspapers & periodicals are not being reinstated until the final phase of roll out of post coronavirus resumption of library services?.

Took this at face value until somebody pointed out to me that Dulwich library up the road had been providing newspapers to its customers since THE START OF NOVEMBER.

So generously giving the library manager guy a chance (to be more than fair), I mentioned to him that Newspapers were being provided again as normal at Dulwich Library.

Then manager told me that ?oh they must be reprovisioning them by mistake in contravention of library policy, so yeah Dulwich library are making a mistake?.

Days later (where still no newspapers were provided) he then casually mentions to me that ?oh actually somebody else did not send me an email to authorise getting daily newspapers again. It should have been done at start of November?.

Great! So simple problem solved? ?Well, er, no not really

He then gives a grave expression ?we used to get it delivered to us but they stopped doing it so it?s a major problem?.

Is that correct?

The grove vale library has for a long time simply purchased the papers each day. Not withstanding there are newsagents shops everywhere next door or metres away, THE EXACT NEWSPAPERS ARE ON SALE FROM 7AM EACH DAY 3 SECONDS AWAY INSIDE THE SAME EXACT BUILDING AS THE LIBRARY IN MARKS & SPENCERS.

After another two days of - you guessed it - no newspapers, I politely asked for an update from the manager about resumption of newspapers. This is due to the fact that admitted by him his Superior had even instructed him to provide this service.

He responded negatively in my opinion. This shocked me as I was very polite.

Apparently he needed ?far more than 2 days to sort out? such an evidently complicated problem of buying of a newspaper. For sale in the same building.

Wow.

As I write this as at Monday 6 December 2021 at 1245hrs, there are STILL NO NEWSPAPERS OR MAGAZINES being provided. That is an entire month & a week after Southwark Council policy is to reinstate them.

Given the WiFi / computers don?t seem to work reliably either, this means VERY FREQUENTLY that the Southwark local library has no access to up to date news. This in the middle of a rapidly escalating pandemic situation with the OMNICRON variant.

This is despite 2/3 staff sitting around literally doing nothing for hours on end.

Not much attention to missing newspapers with the whole newspaper shelf bold as brass totally empty. Day after day after day.

Wonder why each time I query the situation I am told something completely different each time.

Very frustrated by this still ongoing issue as a Southwark council tax payer.

Complaint issued to Southwark council 10 days ago but the bureaucracy seems especially slow.

Such a simple issue, seems to me OTT.

Any other suggestions so we can get the correct service we pay for & are entitled to?

Comments welcome!

(Please kindly no contributions from library staff pretending to pass off as members of the public with trolling comments, HP etc)

[sjsl]

Wow, enough already, perhaps it is time to let go. One day the newspapers will be back, relax, read a book, or go online if you really want to read them but I really can't recommend the news at the moment.

[pablogrande]

Hi Brideshead, there was a really interesting article about lack of newspapers in libraries in the Guardian this week you may want to take a look

[kford]

pablogrande Wrote:

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> Hi Brideshead, there was a really interesting

> article about lack of newspapers in libraries in

> the Guardian this week you may want to take a look

Pop to the library and read the copy there

[Brideshead]

Yeah, I know I wrote that article 😌

Funny trolling keep em coming peeps!!!

On a serious note as a breaking update the situation might be getting resolved? so watch this space!

[Siduhe]

Brideshead, is there a reason you can't or don't want to use the e-newspapers service that Southwark Libraries provide?

I hadn't appreciated that Southwark Libraries were obliged to provide free daily newspapers - rather I thought it was at the discretion of each individual library - but the free enewspaper service looks like it could be helpful for you while you are waiting for this to get sorted out.

[jazzer]

I don't get why you keep on re-submitting this thread, so you have a new thread each time, and HOW are you able to delete an entire thread, it should not be possible.

I've got to say this is beginning to grate start a thread and let it run, don't (and I don't know how you can delete a thread) as you aren't doing yourself any favours. You have raised your concerns, whether people agree with you or not.

Admin - Please can you explain how this poster is able to delete an entire thread which they started????????????

[Brideshead]

Siduhe Wrote:

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> Brideshead, is there a reason you can't or don't

> want to use the e-newspapers service that

> Southwark Libraries provide?

>

> I hadn't appreciated that Southwark Libraries were

> obliged to provide free daily newspapers - rather

> I thought it was at the discretion of each

> individual library - but the free enewspaper

> service looks like it could be helpful for you

> while you are waiting for this to get sorted out.

The library electronic version sadly is often widely different than the library searchable electronic version, even the staff agreed that this is the case. In fact even the online website version some newspapers provide (without paywall) differs quite surprisingly.

Other things are missing like sports & feature articles, extracts.

This was a surprise to me to discover this.

The library don?t have a true ?e-edition? which is exact copy of what is printed, hence the reason why you pay at least as much for this type of version online.

Granted it?s not a life & death issue? but the above is still nevertheless true 😊

[Brideshead]

Actually, councils are not obliged to provide library services whatsoever.

But if they chose to, why not keep them as good as possible with minimal/ near zero cost or effort?

[ianr]

"Public library services are funded and either run or commissioned by local government. Library authorities (unitary, county or metropolitan borough councils) have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 ?to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons? for all those who live, work or study in the area (section 7)."   —   Libraries as a statutory service, DCMS Guidance, rev.8/21 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-libraries-as-a-statutory-service/libraries-as-a-statutory-service

[ed_pete]

Brideshead Wrote:

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

>

> The library don?t have a true ?e-edition? which is

> exact copy of what is printed, hence the reason

> why you pay at least as much for this type of

> version online.

>

Are you sure ?

Southwark subscribe to Pressreader which allows you to read the printed version of most newspapers. Not all are supported but when I last looked they had the mail, mirror, express, telegraph, guardian, including weekend and sunday editions and the associated supplements and magazines.

https://imgur.com/a/C33foRr

[Bic Basher]

Stop feeding him or her.

[Brideshead]

ed_pete given this try & it?s pretty good.

bit of a strain on the eyes etc but compared to nothing it?s a 1,000% improvement.

young with good eyesight, so for me at any rate, it will work

great actually working solution, exactly what I was after from the forum.

[ianr]

> great actually working solution, exactly what I was after from the forum.

That will do extremely well, child. You have delighted us long enough.

[Brideshead]

Who says ?delighted us long enough?

Lol?

[Brideshead]

ed_pete on yesterday?s copy of the Daily Mail on said on Pressreader e-edition there is a huge blank white space on one page.

It is captioned ?Content has been surpressed for editorial &/or legal reasons?

Are we all getting it now? Such a simple task to stick the print editions, the most bought item in the most common type of shop, etc etc etc

Not to go into it all over again.

Going to attach screenshot but think it?s OTT. Not everyone will be that interested.

Anyway not to take away e-edition a great if imperfect solution ed_pete that will have to do!

[legalalien]

Mr Bennet I believe.

Brideshead Wrote:

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> Who says ?delighted us long enough?

>

> Lol?

[TittyMaster]

Listen geezer, the library has just slowly opened. Give it time everything will be back to normal from what I am told Dulwich and Grove Vale are not the same they both have their own problems so calm your tits down and relax

P.S I am not a library staff I have been going to dulwich library since 1993 and I have been visiting Grove vale library since they opened

[Brideshead]

Listen my friend

Nice try

This issue is more about being misled for three weeks followed by a rude, disrespectful & offensive response to a polite question, rather than something which (even for me) is trivial

Imagine if I was after something important? For a job interview, court case or planning meeting?

Lucky enough I can get access to the said items for free up west & get free drink with it

Regards your t!t obsession can I suggest you start a new discussion online. Somewhere. 😌.

[Brideshead]

The council have got back to me.

Long story short they are in the process of trying to source a new supplier.

Happy with the response.

Very promising 🙂

[TittyMaster]

I don?t understand why you are bitching and moaning, you can just go to dulwich which is literally just down the road, if they do newspaper just use their newspaper for the time being and stop bitching and moaning about it

Yes I have a tit obsession because I love titties you got a problem with that or are you gonna keep on bitching and moaning????

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

One is obsessed with newspapers. The other is obsessed with tits. Their shared passion? Page 3 of the Sun.

[Brideshead]

Hope you aren?t disparaging the Super Soaraway Sun dogkennel?

That really WOULD get me ?bitchin? n? moanin?? again

[tedfudge]

I have it on good information that the newspapers are going to be available at the library in question I know this as I will be delivering them on my way home from work... I will let you know tomorrow when that will be starting ....

[Bic Basher]

tedfudge Wrote:

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> I have it on good information that the newspapers

> are going to be available at the library in

> question I know this as I will be delivering them

> on my way home from work... I will let you know

> tomorrow when that will be starting ....

Unless you finish work in the morning, it's hardly going to be of any use to library users if they're not delivered until the early evening.