Campaign For The Book

 

The Position of Library Services in Somerset

 

Report by Steve Barlow                                                            23^rd February 2009

 

The following is a transcript of an e mail I have just sent advising the Executive Board of Somerset County Council of a question that will be put to the Board at its next meeting.

 

Dear Steve Altridge

 

This is to notify you that three authors living and working in Somerset, Steve Barlow, Sue Purkiss and Kathryn White, wish to attend to Executive Board Meeting to be held in the Luttrell Room at County Hall at 9.30 on March 4th 2009 as members of the public.

 

During Public Question Time, speaking both as concerned residents of Somerset and on behalf of the Campaign for the Book, we wish to ask the following:

 

At the Community Scrutiny Sub Committee held on 26th June 2008, Rob Froud, as Head of Cultural Service, made the following statement:

 

“Funding for the library service is now at a point where further savings cannot be made without affecting the County Council’s statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient service within the terms of the Public Library and Museums Acts 1964.”

 

Mr Froud went on to say that in 2006-7, despite the fact that income raised by the service was 4th highest of 34 English counties, items issued 9th highest and visits per capita 3rd highest, expenditure on books was only 25th highest and net expenditure per capita was 33rd out of the 34 counties in England.

 

Despite these statements, Council figures show that funding for the Library service has not increased – that on the contrary the target figure for libraries spending, at £5.4 million (£10.37 per capita) for 2009-10 has been reduced by over £120,000 from the previous year: and that Somerset’s 2008-9 budget for books was £372,700 or 72p per capita, little more than half of what it had been two years earlier, making Somerset among the lowest spending counties in the country during the National Year of Reading.

 

In the light of these statements and figures, can the Executive Board be confident that in the coming financial year, Somerset County Council remains capable of meeting its statutory obligations under the 1964 act?

 

Thank you.

Best wishes,

 

Steve Barlow

This goes some way towards explaining the position here in Somerset. Years of chronic underfunding have left the Library Service running on empty. There are no reserve funds to dip into. The book funding for this year, according to an unconfirmed figure but from a reliable source, may be as low as 25p per capita.

 

At a meeting Sue, Kathryn and I had this morning with Justin Robinson, Deputy Leader of Somerset CC and portfolio holder for the directorate that includes the Library Service, Councillor Robinson:

• agreed that the situation with regard to libraries was serious and worrying, especially in relation to the book fund, which has suffered two consecutive years of stock reductions.
• undertook to seek book funding from such contingency funds as may become available (unlikely to be a huge amount especially as the CC was into Icelandic banks for a cool 25 million)
• stated that there had been no ‘spending pressure’ this year for libraries (such pressure had been applied for the previous two years but on both occasions it had been rejected by councillors)
• gave it as his view that shutting libraries was “not an answer” as closing 10 of the smaller branch libraries would only save an estimated £150,000, BUT
• regretted that following the County Council elections in June, he could give no assurances that the incoming administration would be similarly opposed to library closures as a means of cutting costs.

 

We agreed with Cllr Robinson that Somerset CC were to be congratulated on the refurbishment of Shepton Mallet library, which made the building and facilities much more attractive and welcoming, was achieved at a modest cost and has resulted in a sharp upturn in visits, providing a fine example of what can be achieved with imagination and affordable, focused investment.

 

SUMMARY

 

What does this all boil down to?

 

1. Somerset is amongst the worst supported library services in the country in terms of funding but among the highest for income generation, visits and customer satisfaction.

 

1. What appears to be a modest cut in funding is likely to be catastrophic given that the service is already at breaking point.

 

3.     The current administration pledges not to close libraries but there is no guarantee that the incoming administration will continue with this stance.

 

ACTION

Sue, Kathryn and I want to raise the profile of this issue, leading to a debate that will effectively pre-empt any attempt to rush through a cost-cutting programme involving the reduction of opening hours, staff cuts or downgrading, or library closures. Our experience with the Wirral shows that by the time councillors have made their minds up on these issues, it is already too late for counter arguments to succeed. We want Somerset residents to send their County Council a clear message that such measures are simply too contentious to be considered.

 

We intend to attend the Executive Board meeting on March 4^th at which the budget will be discussed, and ask the question given as stated in the above e mail.

 

We will e mail all current County Councillors expressing the Campaign for the Book’s concerns about the current level of funding in Somerset and our fears for the future if funding is not improved.

 

We will do what we can to raise awareness of the issue during the election campaign, via press releases and leafleting, encouraging constituents to ask candidates of all political parties whether they are prepared to undertake to support an increase in funding for the Library Service.

 

In all the above we will seek support and guidance from the Campaign for the Book.

Campaign Organizer Alan Gibbons has written the following letter to the Somerset councillors in support of the authors there:

The Campaign for the Book

 

  

 

Dear Councillor Robinson,

I have been informed by local supporters of the Campaign for the Book that Somerset’s library service is under severe stress. I am informed that the 2008-9 budget for books was little more than half that of two years previously and that Somerset is among the worst supported library services in the UK.

I am writing to seek assurances that the council will take action to address this situation. You are probably aware that UNESCO states that reading for pleasure is the single most important predictor of academic success in the young. Evidence from the UK, the US and Canada suggests that, in times of recession, people flock to libraries. Visits to Cumbria libraries are up by a third, for example. In one area of the USA they are up a staggering 65%.

Today, I attended a seminar sponsored by the Arts Council, the Reading Agency and the MLA in the brand new, state of the art, Newcastle upon Tyne Central Library. There was much original, forward-looking, indeed radical thinking.

In contradiction to this picture of libraries as engines of learning and culture, some councils have made cuts to their library service, the most notorious being Wirral where eleven of its twenty four libraries are set to close. I am sure that you will agree with me that this is unsatisfactory and damaging to the cultural life of our communities, especially the young, the elderly and the vulnerable.

Before your council goes down the route of service reductions there are many sources of help and advice such as the MLA and library consultant Tim Coates.

I would like to appeal to you to assume the mantle of strategic leadership to protect and develop the library service in Somerset. I would be keen to help you in this regard if you wish.

Yours faithfully,

Alan Gibbons

Author

Organizer, the Campaign for the Book