Sunday 29 May 2011

Barnet Council attempt to sneak through another Library review on the sly

Barnet Council are up to their tricks again. They have sneakily launched another Library consultation. Given the fact that I organised the petition, with 7,000 names on to oppose the cuts, and spoke at the cabinet meeting where the review was discussed, I would reasonably have expected to be notified. Of course, the last thing Councillor Robert Ramsbottom, who is leading the review wants is my opinions, or the general public to be aware of his consultation. I urge everyone who has signed the library petition to participate in this review


http://engage.barnet.gov.uk/consultation-team/library_strategy_consultation-1/consult_view

I am disgusted that this has been sneaked out in such an underhand manner. If you click on this link,

http://www.barnet.gov.uk/press_releases.htm?page=1&st=1

you will see that there is no press release announcing the review. Ramsbottom should be sacked for trying to pull a stunt like this. Sadly rumour has it that Councillor Andrew Harper wants to make him Deputy Leader.

Please fill in the survey and make full use of the comments boxes.


Of course it is up to you what to put, but I used the opportunity to say that I objected to the closure of Friern Barnet Library and to say that I object to the replacement of paid staff with unpaid (and often untrained) volunteers. Lets face it, the Councillors who are pushing this are paid for their "work".

3 comments:

tw said...

I completely agree. I also happened to use the survey comments, when I completed it, to speak against the proposed closure of Friern Barnet and North Finchley libraries and the transfer of HGS library. I also object to the use of volunteers, as it is clear that for our council this is just a way to get cheap (free) labour and push staff out of their jobs. Nothing to do with 'community spirit'.

Similarly, I wrote against 'partnership', unless these are with local voluntary sector organizations or individual residents who can offer extra activities which are outside the scope of librarians' job description. I made it clear that I object to any 'partnership' with for-profit organizations.

We should also object to combining libraries with other services as this creates noise nusance for library users who come for a quiet space of reading and studying.

However, when they speak about 'engaging with local communities' I suggested halls for meeting spaces for community groups and advertising space for local groups and campaigns.

The Art Depot 'landmark' is such a show off rubbish! It is clear that if 2 libraries will be moved there, we will lose the use of it in the original purpose of this community resource.

I wrote: We don't need ‘landmarks’; we need simple, accessible community resources near our homes. The existing local libraries are all welcoming and pleasant spaces, and they are attractive by virtue of being local and having the familiar faces of helpful and nice librarians who recognize the regular users.

Whether Rams and the likes will listen is another matter, of course...

rithompson said...

Either I'm paranoid, or that survey is worded in a way that makes the cuts to the library service seem like a good idea to many residents.

Yes, volunteering is laudable, but I get the impression that Barnet Council's plan is to have volunteers doing the bulk of the work while they get rid of trained librarians (forced retirement for those over 65, etc) and self service seems another way of making the librarians superfluous.

Reverend Badger said...

Mr Prosser: "But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months."

Arther Dent: "Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything."

Mr P: "But the plans were on display ..."

AD: "On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."

Mr P: "That's the display department."

AD: "With a torch."

Mr P: "Ah, well the lights had probably gone."

AD: "So had the stairs."

Mr P: "But look, you found the notice didn't you?"

AD: "Yes, yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."