Phil Bradley's weblog

The Future of Library Services conference

It was interesting to see that libraries are to be awarded £6,000,000 to help libraries work with arts and cultural organisations and local communities. (Speech by the DCMS Minister, and Press Release). I think it would be churlish to turn the money down, but while £6,000,000 seems like a lot, in the grand scheme of things, not so much. However, my concern is that it does seem to be rather ringfenced. If libraries are going to get money, I would hope and expect that the professional library staff should be able to work with their communities to decide on the best use of it. While it may be true that in some cases a community would benefit from an arts initiative, I'm sure as many if not considerably more would find it
helpful to be in a position to assist those in their communities back into work, provide them with assistance on changing their careers perhaps, or to work with those in other need, such as improving their literacy. If we're to emphasis the importance of the local community, as the Minister wishes us to, it is disappointing that a library may well be limited in the use of the money.

There is also an initiative to look at the way in which different authorities are using their library services, and it would make sense if the local Friends of library community groups were fully involved and consulted on the effects of cuts on services - it's far too simplistic to assume that all library services should offer the same services, and I would personally be concerned that the way this may go is to go for the lowest common denominator, and try to pull all library services down, rather than improve them all to be on a par with the very best. The idea that 2 different libraries (or library services) should spend the same amount of money and end up with the same amount of bookstock is fairly nonsensical. Once again, if libraries are to be managed and financed locally - as it seems they are, having national comparisions just doesn't make sense. On the other hand, if central Government does want to have a lot of control over what libraries do, perhaps it would also make sense that they called the local authorities into account at an earlier stage to ask them why some authorities can maintain services or increase visitor numbers, while others seem unable to do so.

I'm delighted to see that young primary school students are to be given library cards. I remember that when I first got mine it was like a rite of passage. We should encourage and foster that feeling. However, it's all well and good giving a child a library card, but if they don't have access to a library, well stocked with appropriate books chosen by library professionals, it's not going to be of much help to them. Staff should be able to encourage children to make use of the library, rather than just hand out cards. To say nothing of the fact that the child should also have direct access to a library in their own school, staffed by a specially trained librarian who can work with children to increase their levels of literacy.

Then, with a grinding inevitability, we come onto the issue of community libraries. On the one hand, the role of the information professional is seen as being of paramount importance, but on the other, it seems that community libraries provide another level of provision. These are not libraries, any more than a room full of books is a library, or the shelf of books in the charity shop is a library. The library requires the active involvement of a properly qualified information professional. They are the ones who are best positioned to decide how the library can develop to assist the community, they are the ones who work with local organisations in order to develop services, and they are the ones who can, with their ethical background and skills help develop resources to help particular groups. Community libraries may well give the impression of a thriving and effective local service, but for how long? And, if they fail, will this be seen as 'proof' that the community doesn't need a library?

So yes, £6,000,000 can be used, and used well. However, it's no substitute for a well thought out, carefully maintained, professional library service. Communities pay for them, and they deserve an excellent service.

Local council social media disaster

Social media is a powerful tool, but in the wrong hands can end up as a disaster. This is something that Argyll and Bute Council is swiftly learning to their cost. A young lady in primary school, going by the online name of 'Veg' decided to blog her school dinners, and to include photographs of them. It's a chatty, fun and amusing blog, and links to a charity site and has raised almost £10,000 for a charity. However, Argyll and Bute Council are unhappy about it. They have informed her and her father that she is not allowed to photograph the meals that she is served to put onto the blog. Their justification is at Statement on school meals from Argyll and Bute Council | Argyll and Bute Council. It is full of completely overblown hyperbole and would be funny if it wasn't so sad. The final line reads "The council’s focus is now on supporting the school in the education of young people in Argyll and Bute." The logical conclusion of this is that presumably it wasn't focussing on the education of young people previously.

As a result of their total mismanagement of this situation we have learned several interesting things about the Council. Firstly, they are scared by the actions of a single primary school pupil. Despite their apparent confidence in the quality of their school meals, they are not allowing Veg to photograph them and share them with the rest of us. One has to wonder why this is the case, if they are as excellent as they make out. Secondly, rather than acting in an adult way, their immediate response is to try and block and ban her. This is not the actions of people who are in control and understand a situation. It makes them look like bullies - which is actually a much MORE interesting story in its own right. Thirdly, it shows that they have absolutely no idea about the power of social media, since this story is now going viral. There's an interesting BBC news story for example. There are thousands of tweets about this and the Council is getting bombarded with emails and complaints. (If you'd like to add your own complaints, here's a link. I encourage you to use it, since every complaint will spell out to them how important they need to be in taking into account the views of everyone in their constituency.) You can also sign a petition to get them to lift their ban as well, if you feel so inclined. They've also had the kiss of death in a tweet from Neil Gaiman: "@neilhimself: Dear @argyllandbute. It's sad to watch you turn something good into a PR disaster for, er Argyll. & Bute."

So, what should the Council have done? Well, they should have taken the blog seriously to begin with, and addressed her concerns. They should have given her something positive to blog about, and perhaps taken her through the process of creating school meals, giving her a chance to photograph a variety of them. They could have asked her to include links to their statement on healthy meals. They could have produced a positive puff piece on their website about how healthy their meals are. They could even have asked a TV chef to come in and look them over. They could have used the publicity in a positive way and had some fun with it - getting pupils or the general public to suggest new meals, created a game on how to create something on a limited budget in order to get US to understand the pressures on them to produce good food at minimum cost. They could have done a video interview with school chefs, shown the children eating at lunch time perhaps, interviewed parents who are happy with the school meals, got the children to use the concept of school meals in their lessons.

They could have acted proactively and positively, rather than negatively. As a result of their foolish actions this has become not only a national issue, it's global in reach and will be referred to in social media lessons, training sessions and books. If only they'd employed a social media officer. If only their existing staff understood social media. If only they understood the power of the media. If only they had respected the voice of a young child. If only...

Awe inspiring library initiative

Less a mobile library, more a travelling knowledge gadget van. When I was in Canada at the Canadian Library Association conference there was a passing reference to a really interesting initiative that I've followed up on. It's a rather clever van (illustrated above) called LiLi, or Library Live and on Tour. It's important to note that while it's mobile, it's not a mobile bookmobile. The van and its librarian stresses the importance of value, information and awareness, rather than issuing books. The technical specifications of the library materials on board are:

·         A pair of laptop computers with 3G internet capabilities

·         40-inch plasma television for presentations, games and digital display purposes

·         Two Kobo eReaders

·         One Sony eReader

·         One iPad2

·         One Blackberry Playbook

·         One X-Box Kinect game system

·         Custom Clarion stereo system with iPod and USB connectivity

·         Roof mounted quick release Exile XM9 marine speakers for music and PA system

·         One Line 6 wireless microphone

·         "Aooga" horn

LiLi goes around the local region (on tour) and visits places that people in the community congregate, such as farmers markets, family days and fundraisers. The librarian, (who sounds like she really rocks!) is Smitty Miller. She is quoted as saying  "We soon came to the realization that the book is only our product and if we chose to solely concentrate on the book we would be neglecting all the other services the library offers which would be a huge mistake!" Smitty is able to offer basic computer training, access to the internet, the ability to sign people up with a library card, the authority to cancel overdue fines, and yes, she can give out books, for free, which have been donated by a sponsor.

This is a fantastic concept, which works well in practice. It's a perfect opportunity to take the library directly out to the people, where they are, and by having discussions with local librarians, Smitty can really focus on exactly what each community needs. I'm not often drawn to expressions such as 'awe inspiring', but this really is. It's a tremendously exciting idea, and I can see how it would work well in the UK. It's also a lot cheaper than a traditional bookmobile. I want one!

There's more information on the Facebook page which has a bunch of photographs of LiLi getting 'her' makeover, articles on the Library Leadership blog, local newspaper car section, and there is also a short YouTube video.

 

What do you think?