Concerns over local libraries

For a quarter of a century all residents had enjoyed the same sort of book service normally restricted to senior librarians and a favoured few individuals. No other library service did this, yet the cost per hear was among the lowest. In 1995 the old traditional methods returned unannounced.

Book purchases no longer aimed to provide coverage in depth on all except the most specialised topics. Many were totally ignored and interchanges between service points stopped. They had given all residents constantly changed selections from the UK’s widest ranging stock of books for use at home.

Readers could no longer select from hundreds of fresh titles each month and were suddenly restricted to a static few. Students continued to be satisfied for a short time by the former policy to supply all requested titles within very broad limits. The secret policy changes led to increasing numbers of requests and the ‘rumoured’ 5 charge to borrow a book from another library was imposed in May 1997 to stem the demand.

It should have been anticipated that unsatisfied readers would leave. Gradually this trickle increased and became a flood when rural and village libraries were savagely cut in 2005. Inevitably costs per issue rose: in just ten years 39% of readers had left while administration and building costs surged upwards.

Appalling 60-69% falls in the three most disadvantaged communities were not even noticed.

It seems strange now to recall that eighteen years ago the annual value of books were issued to branch and mobile library readers was six times more than the costs. Schools, Health and Welfare library services and Hospital ward book trolleys had also contributed to community well-being.

Is there any chance that the new Northern Ireland Library Authority might ‘Learn Lessons’ from well documented local evidence?

Yours, Jim Francis