General Chat

Glad I do not live there - there are plans to reduce the number of libraries from 11 to 2 - one in Ryde and one in Newport. Wonder if they will provide mobile services?

Not only IOW Chris Gloucestershire is drastically cutting our libraries and asking the communiites to take them over running with volunteers. What price progress? An easy option for cost cutting. Our library is open five days a week and could be going down to 3 hours.

Ever since time began (or when I got a library ticket aged 7) I have visited library every 7/10 days. Since becoming useles around house it is weekly and 8/10 books come home with me! Speed reading is a curse! So will take note - do not move to either IOW or Gloucestershire!

I don't think we are the only counties, Gloucester is looking at other counties that have already reduced libraries. I think it is tragic, not only for book lovers who can't afford to buy but what about those who can't afford a computer? And the children who go in the holidays to listen to stories, who is going to nurture their love of reading?

Think I had better get a chain ready - to lock myself and walker to railings!!!

It's happening all over, Chris - a real shame. Local councils are having to cut their services because their budgets are being slashed.

They have tried in the past to cut our mobile library and I am quite expecting them to have another go. There is room for about two cars by the main library in Monmouth and it is a long way from the ahops and centre of town. I have also been a library member since old enough for a ticket, even when in the services I joinrd the local library wherever I was posted. Like Chris, I am a speed reader and get trough my books in bed at night, dont have time during day. I take out 9/10 every three weeks. and borrow other peoples books as well. Maybe the cheapest option would be to give us all a Kindle and we could get them refilled by the library, possibly by post?

I thought island communities got more money - I wonder what the IOW council has been doing with it's 'Island bonus'?

It's a farce. The unemployed (who certainly can't afford broadband) are told to go to the library , use their computers to look for work - I've often wondered what Jobcentres actually do nowadays - but if the libraries are so far away - who pays the bus fare?

COULD WE PLEASE HAVE SOME JOINED-UP THNKING FROM GOVERNMENT/COUNCILS?

Naaa - they live in cloud cuckoo land.

As for the social use of Libraries - seems we're getting the full force of the tory (thanks to Thatcher) view of their being 'No such thing as society'
Well, whatever society there is - Cameron seems deteremined to get rid of it.

"But" - you ask what about Camerons 'Big society".
That's easy - make millions of people unemployed - force then to do voluntary work or lose their benefit - 'Voila' a 'workforce' earning £3000 a year - no need for the minimum wage any more.

Please don't put all the blame on the local authorities - who have seen their budgets cut by about 30%. Up here in county Durham we are faced with direct job losses of about 40,000 - and that doesn't count the jobs that will go from the construction industry when the council can't afford to build schools etc.

what would you rather your council do - have your bins emptied less regularly, have your streets left un-cleaned, have old people's homes closed? Not a lot of choices left, really. Unless, of course, you're prepared to volunteer to keep your library open, in the name of the "Mac Society"

Put the blame fairly and squarely where it belongs.

Sue x

Hi Sue,
I put the blame where it belongs, but councils have a choice.
Keep two overpaid managerial hierarchy in place or close a library.

If the government had any idea/interest in what councils were being forced to do, they would create a law on offshore accounts - I'm referring to Peter Green and his ilk, and companies not payng UK tax!!

Is it a coincidence that the amount that's being cut is equal to the amount of UK tax not being paid by UK companies?