Save Headington Library

Save Headington Library group.

2011-10-02T19:49:00.000+01:00

Dear all,

Here is an update from the Save Headington Library group.

As you know, the Group has encouraged all those who have attended our meetings or signed up to our membership list to send in individual responses to the County's consultation on the future of the library service.

The Group has also sent suggestions to the countywide Save Oxfordshire Libraries Group and these have have been incorporated into the SOL response (please see attachment)

Oxfordshire County Council has received around 3,500 responses to date, in addition to the detailed submissions from a number of Library Groups, Town and Parish Councils and other organisations.

What happens next?

All these responses will now be evaluated and drawn together into a report by an independent organisation. A reference copy will be available in each library and a copy will be published online at http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/libraryserviceconsultation in advance of the County Council’s Cabinet meeting at 1pm on Monday 12 December 2011. The Cabinet will consider the report on the outcomes of the consultation and will agree the way forward for the library service and its savings targets for 2012/13 to 2014/15.

Information about Cabinet meetings including agendas, minutes and reports is available at http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/meetings

Information about how you can address this Cabinet meeting is available at http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/get-involved-meetings

It is unlikely that we shall send out any more updates until 5 December 2011 when the report should be made publicly available.

Best wishes and many thanks for your continued support.

Response from Save Oxfordshire Libraries to Oxfordshire County Council’s Library Service Consultation.

2011-10-02T19:48:00.000+01:00

Response from Save Oxfordshire Libraries to Oxfordshire County Council’s Library Service Consultation.

Save Oxfordshire Libraries (SOL) is an alliance of campaigning groups supporting libraries across Oxfordshire. At present, we represent 20 libraries, including some described as “core libraries” within the Council’s current proposal. There is a wide range of formal organisation within the groups, ranging from registered charities, to long-standing Friends Groups and some recently organised groups that have no formal status but are nevertheless recognised by their local communities.

Executive Summary.

Insufficient information has been provided for the public to make an informed decision on the proposals in the consultation. The Quantitative Analysis lacks intellectual rigour.

The proposal that half the county’s libraries should be partly staffed by volunteers is unworkable, inequitable and not cost-effective.

Some savings have already been made but there is still scope for reductions in staff at management level and sharing of services with other authorities. Oxfordshire’s service appears inefficient compared with other counties: work needs to be done on understanding the reasons for this.

The current proposal is unfair to rural areas. A more equitable solution should be found.

A full Service & Community Impact Assessment (SCIA) must be completed before any vote on the proposal.

Officers are now defending the proposal by claiming that making more equitable savings would undermine the principle of a “comprehensive” service, referring to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council as supporting them on this. But they contradict themselves by saying they have not sought endorsement for the proposals from the MLA.

The Quantitative Analysis.

The document setting out the analysis which has been used to underpin the proposal is fundamentally flawed for the following reasons:

1. The criteria used for deciding what statistics should be fed into the analysis are said to derive from the Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) report “What do the public want from libraries”, November 2010. However, the passages from that report which are said to be the sources of the criteria are not quoted in the consultation document, and have still not been made available for public scrutiny. Indeed, when officers have suggested which passages are relevant, these have proved to be vague suggestions about why people might no longer use a library; and in some cases, different passages have been quoted to different questioners.

2. The Analysis document as originally produced failed to provide any references that would enable the public to go back to the sources. This practice is intellectually sloppy[1], but also fails to adhere to the Council’s own promise in "Ask Oxfordshire Strategy" (July 2011) to "provide sufficient information to allow people to give intelligent and considered responses" (p.10)

3. While some references have since been produced (more than a month after the original publication), no attempt has been made to reveal the limitations of the data used – limitations which are always given in good statistical analyses, and have indeed in this case been acknowledged in some cases on enquiry: e.g. whether the study in question is sufficiently “powered” to answer questions about small areas of the county.

4. There are no “confidence intervals” for any of the data: a fundamental requirement for all statistical analysis. Indeed, the public are warned by newspaper columnists to beware of articles about statistics that fail to recognise the importance of including confidence intervals[2]

Since there have been many people and groups who have picked up flaws in the detail of the analysis, we shall not reiterate them here.

Proposal to replace staff with volunteers.

The header for this section goes to the heart of the matter: none of us would wish to devalue the role of volunteers, but they should always be supporting employed staff not acting as a substitute for staff. When OCC approached Oxfam for advice on staffing libraries with volunteers, Oxfam said: “you need to invest in infrastructure, you need to invest in the services, you need to have skilled people and then you supplement that with lots of great skills with people who want to volunteer”.[3]

Volunteers could enhance the service provided in libraries where the staff complement is sufficient to ensure that at least one member of paid staff is always there: that would enable a volunteer to offer their particular skills without being required to offer ALL the skills of a Senior Library Assistant – as set out in the draft “job description” for volunteers that has been circulated to some library groups but is not publicly available. If there were only a “buddy” on the end of a phone several miles away, all responsibility would at times fall on the volunteer(s): this would be particularly crucial at busy times of the week, which appear to be the same times for every library.

The other fundamental point about volunteering is that, by definition, it has to be voluntary: that would seem to be self-evident, but what we are being told at present is that we have to volunteer if we want our libraries to stay open. That is tantamount to blackmail and certainly not likely to persuade people to offer their services.

To take up the matter of the “job description”[4]. At the meeting between SOL and OCC representatives on 6 September, it was stated that the document had not been made generally available because it has not been finalised. This means that members of the public could volunteer without having any idea what they were signing up for. While we are not suggesting that OCC is deliberately deceiving the public in this matter, failure to inform potential volunteers of what their role might be, means that they are in effect deceived. In our experience, people who were considering being a volunteer have decided to offer their time elsewhere once they have seen the document. Of course, we can see why all the roles of a Senior Library Assistant might need to be in the job description: if the only person in a library is a volunteer or volunteers, someone has to cover all the responsibilities of current staff. This reinforces our case that volunteers should only be used in the presence of a paid member of staff. Moreover, the proposal runs counter to principles in the Charter for Strengthening Relations between Paid Staff and Volunteers[5], which is recommended by OCVA:

The involvement of volunteers should complement and supplement the work of paid staff, and should not be used to displace paid staff or undercut their pay and conditions of service.

And the fact that volunteers are being introduced in order to cut costs is contrary to another principle in the document:

The added value of volunteers should be highlighted as part of commissioning or grant making process but their involvement should not be used to reduce contract costs

Indeed, the current proposal does not follow OCC’s own guidance on volunteering (Valuing Volunteers 2011) which states that ‘OCC does not regard volunteers as unpaid employees’. This same guidance makes it clear that consideration needs to be given to whether ‘the role requires expert knowledge’. Valuing Volunteers also reminds service managers that they ‘need to consider which member of staff will step in if a volunteer is not available’.

The proposal for recruiting so many volunteers over the next 3 years is unworkable. OCC has declined to make an estimate of the number that will be needed. We have, therefore, had to make our own estimates. This has been made very difficult because of the inconsistency of the information from which we have needed to work. We have been told, variously, that the proposal is to cut 1/3 or 2/3 of the basic staff budget for each library concerned. The consultation document, on the other hand, says (p.10) “one third volunteers and two third paid staff” or vice versa, and verbally it has been made clear that this implies proportions of current paid staff hours, not the opening hours of the library. Where there is currently more than one staff member, on different salary grades, the effect on the staffed opening hours would vary according to where the largest element of the cut fell: on the higher or lower paid worker, or workers. This is further confused by the fact that there is no uniformity across libraries about the proportion of hours in contact with the public compared with non-contact hours.

Our estimate is that the number of volunteers needed in libraries (taking into account the need for slack in the system and various regulatory requirements) is between 600 and 1,200: a spreadsheet is provided with this document that gives a figure over 1,000. The uncertainties arise from the factors explained above and in what circumstances volunteers would have to work in pairs. We would point out that Age UK Oxfordshire, which has been recruiting volunteers for several years, has still only reached the figure of 400.

We find it both illogical and unfair that OCC’s proposal is trying to impose the provision of the most volunteers on the smallest communities. These are rural areas where people are already volunteering for many other projects, and indeed some projects (such as youth centres) are struggling to find sufficient volunteers. Many library groups[6] have stated that they do not believe there are enough people in their area with the capacity to commit to volunteering in a library. The Council admits that it has done no research to support their contention that volunteers would be available for libraries to the extent needed by the proposal.

The Council wants to make Friends groups shoulder the responsibility for ensuring that their local library has volunteers available to keep the library open – groups do not want this imposed responsibility. Groups would need to decide who was and was not suitable to be a volunteer, presumably after taking references, which is the normal practice for recruiting volunteers. Saying “no” would be the difficult part. Groups would need to have someone available at any time to take messages form volunteers who were unable to fulfil their arranged hours, and then find a replacement: an unreasonable burden on people’s time.

We wish to point out that there is NO recognition anywhere on the Council’s website of the level of support currently provided by library Friends groups. While the contact details of some (but not all) Friends groups are listed with the individual libraries, nothing is said about how much Friends groups currently contribute: neither their moral support nor their financial contribution. Friends groups already contribute to enhance the services provided by their local library: while some manage to raise only enough to buy extra books, others actually pay for some of the staff hours. If the Council fails to recognise either in words, or in the libraries budget, what Friends groups contribute now, how can they expect people to contribute more?

The Council has not done an estimate of the costs of the various forms of training required and appointing a central co-ordinator for volunteers. The excuse given is that they do not know how many volunteers there will be, but a budget is not a budget if it has a column for indicative savings but no estimate of the costs that will need to be set against those savings. Therefore, SOL has attempted to do it own estimates, recognising that some of the training will be done in house. We were told in our meeting of 6 September that our estimates are too high, but in the absence of figures from the Council, we contend that the proposal is not cost-effective. The total figure in the indicative savings table sent to SOL by OCC is £336,297.93: this would be the amount saved in the Community Plus and Community Libraries by March 2015, and would be gradually introduced over 3 years. Karen Warren, acting County Librarian, has said that the cost of the co-ordinator will be 50k-60k p.a. (including oncosts): this information should be made public – there is no mention of a co-ordinator in the consultation document. We estimate that training courses in first aid, health & safety, fire safety and induction courses into how to work in a library will entail an annual cost, in round figures, of about £170k [7]– this assumes a uniform recruitment level over the 3 years, so in practice the cost could be higher or lower in any given year. Add on the cost of the co-ordinator and this becomes £230k per year. (These figures omit the cost of CRB checks of about 11k every 3 years, which OCC insists the Friends groups must fundraise to cover. Note that OCC has not given the source for their assertion that the checks can be carried out for £11 per person: this must be rectified. It is also unclear whether OCC will be liable for an additional £33 on top of the £11 to meet the full cost of “enhanced” CRB checks.) The overall effect would be to bring the saving down to no more than £100k per year (£70k if OCC has to contribute to the CRB checks): we contend that this level of saving is not worth the potential damage to communities if the volunteer system fails.

Scope for cost savings elsewhere?

Save Oxfordshire Libraries recognises that OCC has made efforts to reduce the costs of the library service by removing 6 posts at senior management level, has reduced front-line staff in those libraries where self-service machines have already been introduced and plans to halve the staffing in mobile libraries. However, the service still appears to be very heavily staffed at middle management level. There are currently (information from OCC) 32.11 FTE in Management & Professionals and 22.41 in Service Support, against 147.96 front-line staff. Those proportions appear unbalanced with a back office to front-line ratio of more than 1:3. Instead of spending money on consultants to analyse the consultation responses, it would have been better to do more analysis of the staff structure to see where more savings could be made. Executives within the SOL alliance would have been prepared to offer free assistance with this, but information about staffing and finance was only released in September: too late for us to do detailed analysis.

Reduce management numbers at front-line level? We are informed that at least one librarian was told 2 years ago that if she wished to keep her job, she needed to accept a demotion from Library Manager to Senior Library Assistant – and consequent reduction of salary. She was told that there were plans to do this in other libraries, but so far it has not happened. We are told by individual libraries that they believe there would be no damage to the service if Library Managers were shared across 2 or even 3 libraries.

Oxfordshire’s service appears inefficient compared with other counties. Using CIPFA data, we find that in 2010-11 Oxfordshire ‘s library service, with a population of 639k spent £2.4 million on Service Support and £3.1 million on Other Expenditure; whereas in 2009-10 Staffordshire, with a population of over a million spent only £713k on Service Support and under £2.2 million on Other Expenditure. (The years are different because OCC failed to complete its CIPFA return in 2009-10.) So OCC spent over 2 million more in these areas than Staffordshire with its larger population. OCC’s high central cost mean that the per population cost is £8.58 compared with £1.58 per population for Staffordshire. Similar examples could be adduced by comparisons with other counties.

Oxfordshire could do much more to reduce its cost base by sharing back-office or full service functions with neighbouring local councils. The recent MLA report [Future Libraries 2011] indicates that up to 25% of library costs can be saved in this way. In June 2011 Ed Vaizey, Minister for Libraries, endorsed the merger between 2 library services and stated ‘ we really do need to see much more of this type of merger, saving back-office costs to save the front-line.’ We note that the section of Northamptonshire County Council’s website about their library service talks of “provid[ing] services to other authorities that save them money and generate income for us”: this is clearly an opportunity for OCC.

The current proposal is unfair to rural areas.

In formulating their proposal OCC “determined that, all else being equal [our emphasis], the most appropriate areas for library sites would be those places where the highest numbers of people already either live, work or study etc.” But in Oxfordshire all else is not equal. Oxfordshire is the most rural county in SE England, with 78% of the land under agricultural management[8]. It is unusual in so far as almost half of its population live in rural areas[9]

Increasing recognition is given to the challenges faced by many people in rural areas where services are declining in number and access becomes more difficult because of distance, relative unavailability of transport and expense.[10] Age Concern has reported that nearly half of our rural areas are in the worst 10 per cent of the country in terms of access to services, such as GP practices and supermarkets.[11]

Among the criteria that OCC used in the previous proposal, was one defined as, ‘evenly spread geographically’; the inclusion of this criterion indicated that the Council recognised then that there was a need for (at least some) libraries to be fully funded in areas at some distance from town libraries. This criterion of geographical spread has been dropped this time around: presumably, it did not fit with the Council’s emphasis on catering for the ‘highest number’. Consideration of where libraries are currently situated and the broad ‘catchment’ area of many rural libraries would enable a plan more in line with the population spread of Oxfordshire.

It should be noted that the Council’s own graphs posted on their website in February of where “active users” come from to use libraries shows that many people choose to travel 2 miles and even further to what they regard as their local library – if anyone had actually asked users the reason for this, instead of using a speculation about how far people might be willing to travel, they would have found, as library groups did when talking to the people signing petitions in favour of keeping a staffed library service, that people in rural areas use the library that is near the Post Office, near the village shop (not supermarket), near the local school, or in the same building as a community activity. In short, the local library is an essential element of what constitutes the hub of a community.

Council officers have used some strange arguments to justify their proposal, such as: “Cuts to larger libraries would devastate the library service”. This is not logical. The Council are keen to use volunteers in the rural libraries and do not mention that their use there would devastate these libraries. Given that many of these rural libraries would be almost wholly dependent on volunteers to keep going, surely the claimed negative impact of volunteers would be greater in rural than larger urban libraries.

Service and Community Impact Assessment

An Initial Service & Community Impact Assessment for the previous proposal was carried out December 2010 and published among Council papers in January 2011. At its meeting with OCC on September 6^th2011, SOL was told that the Council intends to carry out a full assessment for the current proposal, as required by law. While the initial SCIA included details of alternatives that had been considered up to that point, we do not know what other options were considered before the new proposal presented at the end of May. The December document considered how to mitigate the effects of greater isolation for older people, children and those who have limited access to transport. We trust that the new SCIA will cover the same considerations and more, including what would happen if our prediction is correct that the number of volunteers demanded will not be available to maintain the library service in some areas. We also trust that the new SCIA will be complete before there is any question of seeking Cabinet approval for the new proposal.

The Council’s new defence, which is NOT in the consultation documents.

Faced with so many criticisms of the consultation documents and the proposal, OCC is now relying on “hearsay” reporting of dialogue with the MLA to underpin rejection of any attempt to suggest alternative proposals. They claim that any suggestion that volunteers might be spread more evenly across the libraries would undermine the provision of a “comprehensive” service, and that the MLA agree with this; except that they also say they have not sought endorsement from the MLA![12] Attempts to use Freedom of Information requests to find out what was said between OCC and the MLA are blocked by claims that there are no minutes of the meetings. (We have now been told that they gave draft copies of the consultation documents to the MLA in May, but nothing more.) On top of this, they make threats that the Secretary of State could intervene if they do not stick to their version of a “comprehensive” service, even though they know that legal cases are still ongoing which seek to produce a clearer definition of “comprehensive”.

This intransigent stance means that no attempt can be made to design proposals which would be fairer in the sense of having equal impact across the county.

_______________________________

Throughout the consultation process, Save Oxfordshire Libraries has sought to work in co-operation with the Council to design better proposals. Within the groups represented by SOL are people with all the range of skills needed for this task: the equivalent of a consultancy firm offering its services at no cost. We trust it is not too late.

Contact details for Save Oxfordshire Libraries: c/o Dr Judith Wardle, 21 Common Road, North Leigh, Witney OX29 6RD. Tel: 01993 881880. E-mail: judith@cittern.demon.co.uk.

This response is endorsed by groups from Adderbury, Bampton, Benson, Botley, Burford, Charlbury, Chinnor, Goring, Grove, Headington, Hook Norton, Kennington, Littlemore, North Leigh, Old Marston, Sonning Common, Summertown, Watlington, Woodcote, and Wychwood. Individual library groups will also be making their own submissions, with particular points appropriate to their local circumstances.

[1] Assignments written by first year undergraduates would be rejected if sources for references were not given in one of the standard formats.

[2] For a straightforward explanation of “confidence intervals” see Ben Goldacre’s piece in the Guardian of 20 August 2011.

[3] BBC Oxford News 19 June 2011.

[4] “Volunteers in Proposed Community Libraries”, OCC August 2011 – author not stated.

[5] Agreement between Volunteering England and the TUC, 2009.

[6] For instance, at their meeting with OCC on 20 June, Burford Friends stated “Those that already volunteer in Burford are sitting in this room, and we simply cannot take on more volunteering commitments.”

[7] Taking the cheapest sources we could find: training in First Aid would be £203 per person every 3 years, Fire Marshalls £93 per person every 2 years, Health & Safety £93 per person every 3 years, and induction courses by council staff £82 per person, per day. Provision should be made for a turnover in volunteers of at least 10% per year.

[8] Oxfordshire Partnership report ‘Oxfordshire 2030’.

[9] This compares to 19.3 % for England as a whole DEFRA ‘Rural Communities’ http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/communities/

[10] Rural Framework for Oxfordshire 2007 – 2010. ‘Rural areas in Oxfordshire rank relatively poorly on national measures of access to services, such as health, education and retail compared with other rural areas in the South East’.

[11] Indices of Deprivation 2007 quoted in Age Concern’s ‘Tale of two Counties’ 2010

[12] In answer to questions from SOL, the Council replied on 5 August, “the county council has been in dialogue with the MLA throughout the development of the proposal that is the subject of the current consultation. The council has not however sought their formal ‘endorsement’ and hence it is not documented.”

The future of Headington Library is not yet secure

2011-09-05T22:30:00.000+01:00

Save Headington Library Group

The County has bowed to popular pressure and has reconsidered its library proposals

Instead of cutting half of all the county’s libraries, it has now proposed to keep all of them open and will introduce a self-service system throughout.

It has completed some research into how many people live, shop, work or study within a one mile radius of each library, and has ranked the results in 5 league tables: Headington is in Group 2 and Old Marston is in Group 5

County is now proposing to keep Headington Library open for the existing number of hours and it would continue to be run by county library staff

It proposes that Old Marston Library becomes a community plus library, phased in over a three year period, which means it would be run with two thirds volunteers and one third paid staff

The Save Headington Library Group welcomes the change in the County's proposals as this would mean that existing services at Headington may be saved if the results of the consultation are favourable. But other rural and small libraries will see cuts in services as they will have much less county staff support and you may wish to highlight this in your comments

In filling in the questionnaire, we suggest everyone takes care with the questions about volunteering. It is possible that the county officers may use the number of people willing to volunteer as evidence that less county library staff are needed across all the libraries in the county when they summarise the results of the consultation. You may decide to leave this section blank

If you would like to comment on these proposals and would like a hard copy questionnaire to send back to the County, then please contact the Save Headington Library group or pick up a copy from Bury Knowle Library. To fill in the questionnaire online, please go to http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite/councilservices/libraryserviceconsultation

We are members of the bigger Save Oxfordshire Libraries group. Their committee is asking the County Officers for more information about the proposals, particularly about the way in which they will be funded, what volunteers will be expected to do and training and health and safety issues around volunteering, and whether the county is still considering outsourcing the library service to an American company

Save Oxfordshire Libraries group is hoping to put forward some alternative options for the County Council to consider which would mean running all the libraries with county staff, not with volunteers. They will hold a meeting with all members to discuss this in early September

Please do send in your comments on this consultation by 30 September 2011 to make sure Headington Library services continue to be provided by paid library staff

Chinnor Library Group

2011-09-04T09:49:00.000+01:00

Report from Richard Sherwood on his meeting with representatives of Oxfordshire County Council at County

Hall, Oxford on 23 August 2011.

The meeting started at 10.00 and finished at 12.00

The meeting consisted of OCC answering questions which had been submitted earlier with discussion

following up on answers given.

The Council was represented by

1 Karen Warren, Acting County Librarian (Social & Community Services)

2 Simon Kearey, Head of Strategy & Transformation (Social & Community Services)

3 Desmond Fitzgerald, Policy & Review Officer (Chief Executive's Office)

4 Richard Oliver

5 Howard Cox (Environment & Economy - Planning Implementation)

6 Darrell Marchand (who dealt with questions about electricity)

7 Carole Stow, Consultation & Involvement Manager, Chief Executive's Office

It was not clear why Mr Fitzgerald was present as he said nothing and was not referred to by anyone else.

He left at an early stage.

Mr Kearey lives in the Chinnor area and uses the library.

Some of you will remember Ms Warren speaking at the meeting at Watlington Church. She is very wellinformed

and had obviously done her homework.

Mr Cox and Mr Oliver left the meeting after we had dealt with section 106 aspects.

Questions are in bold. Each is immediately followed by the OCC answer. Where a passage is in quotes it

indicates a reasonably fair and accurate report of what was said. My comments are italicised. The accuracy

of this report would undoubtedly be better in places if I had been accompanied by a shorthand writer. “FoI”

refers to a Freedom of Information request submitted in June 2011 to OCC by Richard Sherwood and Becky

Crockett

Electricity

1.1 Is electricity supplied by a single supplier for all libraries?

Yes. It is bought through specialist brokers who act for more than one local authority. It is considered that

buying in bulk enables price reductions to be negotiated. The present arrangement was for four years and

lasts until 2012. In effect the price is reviewed annually. The price achieved on each review depends on

electricity prices generally.

Rates prevailing at the moment are certainly lower than I pay for electricity at

home.

Meter readings are taken by staff monthly.

It is not clear how well this works because OCC acknowledged

that some of the big variations between the spreadsheets for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are due to estimated

readings.

When was the price last negotiated?

See above

Given the recent large increases in energy prices will the Council consider investigating an

alternative supplier?

This will happen in 2012

1.2

What is meant by an “energy survey”, the expression used in reply to FoI question 1.5?

The question was: ”Has any investigation been made of installing a more efficient system? (See for example

the costs of gas at Goring.) If so what was the outcome? What would have been the estimated installation

and commissioning cost?”

Karen Warren read rather rapidly from a manual the gist of which is that it is an assessment of each property

against benchmarks. The benchmarks seem to be those obtained from within OCC and from other local

authorities. Apparently it does not involve actually looking at each property. Ms Warren gave an example of

what they look at: energy efficient lighting is up to 70% cheaper than the old-fashioned type and they

consider whether the installation expense would be justified to achieve a saving. “There is no capital

available for energy investment.”

No reason was given for having done no survey since 2001 except that

they do not do it very often!

1.3 When were costs of supply to Chinnor library last considered? Was any change of supplier

made following that?

See 1.1 above

1.4 Given that Section 106 funds are, and further such funds will become available, will the

Council address the question of installing a modern gas-fired space-heating system at Chinnor?

Section 106 monies will be used to install self-service across the County. Ms Warren said that each unit

costs £6787 and they consider that Chinnor needs two. However such an installation usually requires some

“remodelling” of the library layout. In answer to my question about the cost of this Ms Warren said that the

total self-service installation including remodelling is expected to be £40,000. This is about improving service

not cutting staff.

This means the remodelling would cost over £26,000. No details were offered showing how

this figure had been calculated. The nearest I got to an explanation is that they usually find that other things

can be done at the same time and might, for example, install movable shelving to enable the room to be

used for other purposes as they are anxious for libraries to be made available for other uses.

1.5

Will it also consider using such funds for improved insulation at Chinnor?

See 1.4 above

1.6

Why is Chinnor Library made to bear the whole cost of electricity to a building which it does

not exclusively occupy?

The explanation is that other users are “re-charged” when the amount is significant. These re-charges do

not appear separately in the spreadsheets.

I can understand that the administrative cost of re-charging for

small amounts is not justified, but I do not understand how the more significant amounts are covered.

In some cases sub-meters are installed to measure use by other occupiers.

1.7

Are there other libraries where the same “arrangement” applies?

Yes. Not all libraries are the same because some are in premises owned by the Council (as is Chinnor);

some are in rented accommodation with private landlords; and some, e.g. Neithrop which is part of Cherwell

District Council's Leisure Centre, with other local authority landlords.

One point which emerged here is that

OCC does have to pay the equivalent of business property rate on its premises. It is not entirely clear how

this is reflected in the spreadsheets and presumably it is re-charged in some way.

1.8

Were energy efficiency improvements considered when funds were more readily available?

This only happens when other works are being done. This is what happened when “one of the primary

schools in Chinnor” had work done recently and the opportunity was taken to connect gas and install more

economical heating.

2 Contract Cleaning

2.1

Has the Council ever considered putting the cleaning contract out to tender? If so what was

the result?

Apparently not in the sense that most of us understand

. QCS have to propose charges but no mention was

made of it being put in a competitive situation. The situation may be reviewed in 2012

2.2 Does QCS employ its own labour force or does it act as an agent in letting out cleaning

contracts?

QCS is a very odd animal. Those at the meeting were not even sure what the letters “QCS” stand for,

although Simon Kearey thought it might mean Quality Contract Services. OCC call it a “traded service”.

This seems to mean that departments of OCC do not get their cleaning done “free” but are charged in some

way through the accounts, as we see from the spreadsheets. The staff are paid by OCC. Whether this is

cost efficient is not clear. No claim was made by OCC in this respect.

Westgate Site

The presence of this column in the spreadsheet for 2009-10 was described by OCC as “an accounting

arrangement favoured by a particular management accountant”.

(see 3.7 below)

3.1 What use is made, and by whom, of the ground floor?

This floor consists mainly of foyer, lifts, staircase, security office, with no separate offices as such.

3.2 Are there any floors above the second floor? If so, what use is made of it, and by whom?

3.3 Is there any space on either the first and second floors which is not used by the library?

“The roof space contains airconditioning machinery etc.”

3.4 What contribution is made by the Learning Centre to building costs?

“Oxford Spires are re-charged”

3.5 What contribution was made by Oxfordshire Studies?

“This is managed by County Property Services”

3.6

Who uses the office space?

“Community Services”

3.7

Why were separate costs shown for this site if is really the Central Library?

“This was an accounting arrangement favoured by a particular management accountant”

4 Mobile Libraries

Why do the costs for these not appear in the spreadsheet? (Their absence gives an extremely

skewed and very misleading impression of library operating costs)

“Because the OCC proposal is about the branch network. We are trying to make it cost effective.” Ms

Warren then said that with the original proposal (closing 23 libraries) the mobiles would have been expected

to do much more.

This does not address the point that the proposals affect the entire service and one cannot ignore the mobile

costs.

5 Staffing Costs

5.1 “The Consultation documents do not quantify the savings which the Council expect to make by

reducing staff time by one third or two thirds depending on branch.

What savings does the Council expect to make in each affected branch?”

“These are indicative savings”.

This seems to mean that the Library Service was asked by County to

calculate one third (or two-thirds as the case may be) of the staff costs of the community libraries, just to

provide a budget figure showing what the service would lose.

“The actual anticipated savings have not yet

been costed.”

5.2

There are similarities between the visitor figures for Chinnor and Neithrop branches. Why are

staffing costs at Neithrop (£28,785) so much lower than Chinnor (£42,355)?

Ms Warren disagreed that Chinnor and Neithrop are comparable because the number of issues differs

(Chinnor about 45,000 and Neithrop about 30,000).

She said that they are “holding vacancies” at places like Neithrop.

This seems to mean that they are

not filling vacancies pending the consultation and are covering by moving staff around.

Some of the staff are

temps.

“This is to do with re-charges”.

Soon after the meeting Ms Stow sent me details of the floor areas of Chinnor and Neithrop:

Chinnor - 150 sq metres

Neithrop – 74 sq metres

This clearly demonstrates that these libraries are dissimilar in size as well as in respect of issues.

Premises Costs

Comparing Chinnor and Neithrop, Chinnor has costs of over £4,000 but Neithrop has none at all.

What is the explanation?

“Neithrop is rented from Cherwell District Council. The building includes the Leisure Centre. The business

property rate is included in the re-charge”.

The amount of the re-charge was not supplied.

2.3 Use of non-library areas of Chinnor building

Given that the library service is struggling to reduce its operating costs will consideration be given to

charging other users (whether other parts of the Council or otherwise) for their use of the building?

OCC made reference to the possibility of Chinnor Parish Council taking over the space not used by the

library.

In the Consultation Introduction, paragraph 1 states that the “only route available to us was to

withdraw funding from a significant number of our libraries”. What other routes were investigated?

What was the outcome of any consideration of these?

“Hours cuts would have left some libraries unviable, particularly as, pre-Christmas, we were looking at a

50% reduction to achieve the savings then required”.

The Consultation Introduction says that the Council wants to “encourage use of library

buildings as community space” but does not say on what financial terms. What terms does it

have in mind? If no terms are in mind why has this not been considered, particularly as the

Council is anxious to reduce the net cost of running the service?

“It is not always practical to re-charge.

“Previously we could not use unoccupied areas as community space because our insurance did not cover it.

Cover is now being changed so that we can.”

The Consultation says “Property costs are relatively low”. Has the Council enquired why this

is? Is it because they have not been maintained properly, a reflection of bad management?

“This is compared with the country as a whole.

“There is a mix of properties. Some are small. Property management has been outsourced”

A lot of the properties are OCC-owned which means that no rent has to be paid.

(No mention here of recharging.)

9.2

“Why are employee costs “relatively high” (as stated in the Consultation)? Relative to what?

How do top level employee costs compare with the comparators(s)? What does the Council

intend to do about this?”

“Oxon is an expensive to place to live. Unlike some authorities with a small number of large libraries, we

have 43 and it is more difficult to achieve staff savings.”

“ We are revising our management support structure and hope to achieve a saving of 16%”

This is the first

indication I have seen of any attempt by OCC to reduce operating costs otherwise than by reducing paid

branch staff.

9.3 “It is not clear whether the Council considers that the library service currently meets

needs. What is its view?”

Ms Warren said “OCC constantly pushes its services re meeting needs”.

This does not actually answer the

question.

10.1

“Is it necessary for the service to include films now that they are so readily available for hire

from other sources? See Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.”

“It was an income generator and has protected the library service. It still generates income. It attracts

people into the building. We cover a market that no-one else serves.”

No figures were produced to support this statement. David Cannon has previously said that the information

in the spreadsheets is insufficient to judge whether this yields a net income after all expenses have been

paid (for example no purchase costs are shown, only hire charges and sales.

10.2 “Why is no information given about the working of that part of the library service which

the public never sees? (A proper consultation would contain enough information for the

public to make informed comment).”

“The Holton site is not included in the statistics. The consultation is about the branches. The item M32000 in

the spreadsheets covers area managers.”

It was assumed that I knew what the Holton site does. I don't. Is it the main book store?

10.3 “Why is no information given about what section 106 funds the Council holds for each

district having a library and might reasonably expect to hold?”

A list of these agreements covering the whole county was handed to me. There was insufficient time to

consider it at the meeting.

Since the meeting I have considered the list and have the following comments:

The agreements vary in date from 2001 onwards. Some, like the St Andrews School Chinnor agreement, will

never yield any money because the permitted developments will never be carried out. Some are related to

multiple planning permissions on the same site.

The list discloses something which has not previously been disclosed about Chinnor library contributions: the

agreement for Land rear of nos 7,9 & 11 Oakley Road "allows for the money to be used for non-library

infrastructure". It does not specify what these infrastructures might be. The amount involved is £1,808.83. It

has already been received but is yet to be spent. I intend to ask OCC if they have any plans to use this other

than for the library. Quite a lot of agreements in the County have this provision and some actually say what

the alternative possible expenditures are e.g. a site in Peppard Common which allows expenditure on "local

education/library/waste management/museum resource centre and social & health care required or any

alternative which achieves a similar benefit".

The total potential amounts receivable by OCC are enormous, but the list includes cases where planning

permission has been refused (and therefore no money will ever be paid) so at first sight it can be a bit

misleading. In the SODC area £205,751 has been received of which £173,167 has been spent. The list does

not say what it has been spent on.

10.4 “Does the council have any specific proposals for how such funds will be used in

Chinnor?”

See elsewhere in this document.

10.5 “What methods do the Council use to compare performance variations between

branches?”

“A comparison is made between branches on a monthly and quarterly basis.”

Different officers are involved with each of these reviews.

10.5

“What lessons does the Council consider can be learned from such comparisons?”

“Lessons learned in one branch are applied to others.”

Revised structure chart: I note that there is a Building Superintendant for Central Library but

the chart does not expressly indicate where responsibility lies for other building e.g. Chinnor, and for

services such as energy. Where do they lie?

“Central Library is a very big building and due to the complex nature of the site a superintendant is

necessary. Responsibility for these aspects in relation to other libraries rests with the appropriate

departments of OCC e.g. Property Services.”

Richard/documents/library/Meeting OCC 23.8.11 Notes for SOL

Save Headington Library Group are holding a Public Meeting on:

2011-06-15T23:25:00.000+01:00

Library Service Consultation

Save Headington Library Group are holding a Public Meeting on:

Wed 22^nd June 7.30-9pm

St Andrew’s School, London Rd, next to the Co-op.

Please come along if you would like some questions answered, or to pick up a feedback form. The feedback form is our opportunity to let Oxfordshire County Council know how much we value our library service. You can also fill it in online: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/libraryserviceconsultation (Have your say)

contact saveheadingtonlibrary@gmail.com for more information.

We Need This Money Ourselves

2011-05-23T09:47:00.004+01:00

MPs are going to vote in Parliament on the allocation of billions of pounds to bail out the failing economies of the euro-zone. Greece, Portugal, Ireland...who next, Spain?
Write to your MP and tell them to vote against the bail-out. Write to your MEPs too and protest about it. This is an intolerable burden on our debt-ridden economy. The more money we give away, the less there will be left for front-line services in this country, which includes libraries along with helping the old, sick, unemployed, and homeless.
Why should we bail out countries like Greece where nobody pays their taxes?
For the past two decades, we have been subsidizing Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain to the tune of billions via the EU structural fund. If your MP or MEP makes excuses for this, ask them to talk some economic sense for a change!

One in four Tory councillors oppose localism

2011-04-12T19:42:00.000+01:00

12 April 2011 | By Barry O'Sullivan

CBRE survey also reveals only a third of Liberal Democrats support the Localism bill

Nearly a quarter of Conservative and one-third of Liberal Democrat councillors do not support the localism bill according to a survey by CB Richard Ellis. Unsurprisingly only 6% of Labour councillors are in favour of localism.
The results of the survey were unveiled at last week’s CBRE Government & Infrastructure conference in London. Opposition to the bill is expected to grow after next month’s local elections with a big swing towards Labour expected.

Read more: http://www.building.co.uk/news/breaking-news/one-in-four-tory-councillors-oppose-localism/5016599.article#ixzz1JKpA8r6W
building.co.uk
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
or http://www.cbre.co.uk/uk_en

Buckinghamshire Library Cut Backs!

2011-04-12T09:37:00.002+01:00

A new future for Libraries in Buckinghamshire

Date: 11-04-2011

Today (11 April) Cabinet agreed a new model of delivery for 14 libraries in Buckinghamshire, following a comprehensive consultation.
This development comes at a time when budget pressures mean that all council services are being challenged to find new ways of delivering services. The County Council believe that increasing community involvement and tailoring services to the needs of the community is the best way forward to ensure a sustainable future for all 26 libraries in Buckinghamshire.

The new ‘county and community’ model for Buckinghamshire libraries will see the development of 14 community partnerships with local community groups, Parish Councils and partner organisations phased over the next two years. These libraries will be supported by nine larger county libraries and the increasing development of the virtual library and e downloads.

The nine county libraries are based in areas of high population; Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Beaconsfield, Princes Risborough, Buckingham, Hazlemere, and Marlow.
The 14 community partnership libraries are Castlefield, Chalfont St Peter, Farnham Common, Flackwell Heath, Gerrards Cross, Great Missenden, Haddenham, Iver Heath, Ivinghoe, Long Crendon, Stokenchurch, Wendover, Wing, Winslow.

There are a range of ways a community partnership could take shape; sharing premises with other local businesses and organisations, increasing community volunteering and fundraising, and self-managed, community-led libraries. The model is flexible and will be tailored to each local community with the ideas and development led by local residents and organisations.

The Council is committed to provide continuing support for theses libraries to ensure they are sustainable and affordable for the future. The Council will continue to provide library loan stock, IT provision and connection to the county network and public PCs, online resources and resource grants to support some of the running costs.

Bourne End, Burnham and Micklefield libraries have been supported by £1.5 million from the Big Lottery. This support has enabled us to redesign and build new community facilities at each location. A key priority in the improvement of these libraries has been involving the community to build a space for people to use for local events and activities alongside mainstream library services. These libraries will be reviewed at the end of 2011.

The Council will begin planning a phased implementation for the 14 libraries with the anticipation that the first phase will begin in Oct 2011. The library service has to make savings of £688,000 over the next three years. Of this £488,000 will be saved through this new model.

The council will continue to provide a home library and mobile service to ensure that excluded and isolated residents can access library services.
Patricia Birchley Cabinet Member for Adults and Family Wellbeing said, ‘We are positive that with our flexible approach the ‘county and community’ model can be moulded to the different needs of the local communities involved. We are passionate and committed to working with communities to enrich their local service and take this opportunity to make a positive difference to their community.’

Source: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/bcc/news/new_future_for_libraries.page ?

Save Oxfordshire Services

2011-04-11T14:13:00.001+01:00

Skill Up! Cuts Down!

Sunday 8th May

10am - 6pm

East Oxford Community Centre, Princes Road, Oxford, OX4 1DD

To beat the cuts down we need the skills to make us effective campaigners.

Whether you are just starting to take action or are a veteran activist looking for new ideas this day is for you.

The day will include sessions on:

Media: get your voice into the news

Lobbying: how to influence government

Direct Action: media stunts and more

Understanding the economics: gain confidence communicating about the economics of the cuts

Meetings: how to make them more fun and more democratic

Campaign strategy: what do you want to achieve and how to get there

We also hope to include further sessions on social media, making your own video and protest law. Look out for details online as they emerge.

Please RSVP to sos.training@ox4.org letting us know which sessions you would like to attend and any special access requirements you have.

Korky Paul to award prizes:

2011-04-06T23:27:00.002+01:00

Korky Paul to award prizes:

Presentation of about 50 prizes to school children who participated in the Save Headington Library writing competition by Korky Paul at 1pm on 16th April. http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/
Organised by Christine Trueman and Lynda Hayward:

1.00pm
16th April
Headington Library

Christine is organising an Easter bonnet competition with Easter egg prizes at 12.00pm on the same day.

County tears up library closure plan

2011-03-24T10:46:00.000Z

County tears up library closure plan

8:00am Thursday 24th March 2011

By Reg Little

COUNTY HALL is abandoning controversial plans to end funding to almost half the county’s libraries.
Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell told The Oxford Times that the proposals had been “torn up”, with the council preparing to “rethink” its library policy.
The planned funding cuts led to months of protests over fears that many local libraries would be forced to close.
Mr Mitchell pledged that council officers would now be working with local communities on “a library-by-library basis” in an effort to avoid any closures.
In November, the council said it would stop funding to 20 of the county’s 43 libraries.

But in what will be seen as a major U-turn, Mr Mitchell said the council now wanted to begin working with local people “with the slate clean”. http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8927997.County_tears_up_library_closure_plan/

I would call that Success

2011-03-24T09:50:00.002Z

Following an extra provision of funding from the Government,
Oxfordshire County Council has finally, rather grudgingly, announced
that the twenty threatened libraries are to be spared and will be
allowed to carry on relying on a reduced staff eked out by community
volunteers.
It is the best outcome we can reasonably expect.
This happy news was announced today on Radio Oxford and it is also in
the Oxford Times.
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8927997.County_tears_up_library_closure_plan/

We can now wind up the online petitions since the campaign can be
regarded as a success!

Time for a party, perhaps?

I know it is not ideal in every way and I am not excusing the way the Council will be making librarians redundant, but under the present dire economic circumstances - and with our existing County Council - it really is the best outcome we could get.

Keith Mitchell's latest Library Missive

2011-03-23T22:52:00.002Z

Released today to county councillors

Personal Statement from Cllr Keith Mitchell CBE, Leader of the County Council

I have personally received a wealth of letters and e-mails about libraries. I recognise that people feel very strongly about this issue.

I want to reassure people that the County Council is looking at all options and has an open mind about the outcome of the consultation

I want the Council to work hand-in-hand with local communities to find a way to keep libraries open in Oxfordshire and to forge ahead with creating a modern library service that is comprehensive and efficient.

I want to see libraries remain open but this can only happen if, in some places, volunteers step forward to help to run them. We have seen how effective a Friends Group can be and believe they should form an essential component of every library service provided by the Council. In the coming year I want to work with every community that does not yet have one to establish a Library Friends Group to work with our staff to agree the best way forward for that library.

In places where the Council provides a full library service I hope that costs can be kept down by encouraging volunteers to supplement Council staff and by increasing the use of self service.

In some places there are lots of community buildings and I want the Council to work with local people to see if we can make better use of these facilities, particularly where the current library building is not very suitable.

In those places where the Council cannot afford to provide a full library service, I want the Council to give ongoing access to important local library facilities. More specifically, I believe we should continue to provide free access to a suitable library building, to our book stock; to the library stock management system and the expertise of qualified librarians.

I have already announced that an additional late government grant has enabled us to put a little more money back into the service, giving the opportunity to rethink our strategy and to take longer over consultation. As part of the consultation, I want the County Council to have a dialogue with local people library-by-library. The consultation into the future of the library service will begin in mid-May. The consultation will run until the end of September to give plenty of time to hear people’s views and to consider options. However, we still need to make some savings.

No decisions have been taken. Officers are working hard to rethink the process, complete the needs assessment and put together a consultation document.

It is not appropriate to say any more at this time. Further information will be available in the consultation document.

Keith R Mitchell

Cllr Keith R Mitchell

Leader of the Council

Neil Clark comments on Library issue

2011-03-13T18:26:00.003Z

Comment is free

Don't privatise our libraries | Neil Clark

guardian.co.uk, 12 Mar 2011

Neil Clark

Neil Clark: The government's cuts threaten the future of much-loved public libraries. But we should be wary of its zeal for privatisation too

Campaign for Books launches library closure challenge

2011-03-11T20:02:00.000Z

Campaign for Books launches library closure challenge

02 March 2011

Campaign for the Book has launched a legal challenge to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport’s failure to comply with his duties under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act.

The 1964 Act requires the Secretary of State to “superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities”. It requires each local authority to “provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons” and places a duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that such provision is maintained.

The current, widespread proposals to close vast number of public libraries across the UK, demonstrates the Secretary of State’s failure to comply with this duty. And the guidance issued by him to local authorities about their duty to “provide a comprehensive and efficient” library service is inaccurate and misleading.

Saving public libraries

Campaign for the Book organiser Alan Gibbons said:

“I have asked Leigh Day solicitors to pursue the Campaign’s concerns over the possibility of a large scale withdrawal of funds from public libraries. I think it is vital that the Courts examine the legality of the Secretary of State’s approach on the provision of libraries in England and Wales. He has a duty to ensure that councils provide a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ service. I believe that he is failing in that duty.”

The Campaign for the Book is an umbrella body that attempts to raise the profile of reading for pleasure and supports libraries and librarians.

Richard Stein and Rosa Curling of Leigh Day & Co Solicitors, who are acting for Campaign for the Book said:

“The duties under the 1964 Act require the Secretary of State to investigate and compel, if necessary, local authorities, to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service in their area. The current cuts to public libraries across the country demonstrate that he is failing to do this.”

Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.

Campaigners decide to reject Big Society money

2011-03-11T00:36:00.000Z

CAMPAIGNERS from 16 of Oxfordshire’s 20 threatened libraries have said they will not apply for cash to run the branches themselves.
Library groups have formed a new county-wide alliance, Save Oxfordshire Libraries, which has written to County Hall saying they do not want Big Society money to run a “do-it-yourself service”.

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8893773.Library_groups_reject_cash_offer/

Consultations, the good, the bad and the ugly?

2011-03-10T18:40:00.002Z

Some of you may be interested to read the article in the Society section
of yesterday's Guardian about good and bad consultation. When OCC
eventually produces the one on libraries, we need to be sure they really
are taking all necessary factors into account -- and that they don't
appear to have decided the outcome before they consult (they now CLAIM
to have an open mind).see also http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/08/forests-sell-off-public-consultation
--
Judith Wardle 10 March 2011

Oxford Central Library Re-opens

2011-03-10T13:07:00.001Z

Monday 7 March 2011 Oxford Central Library has now re-opened and includes on the second floor a selection of printed local and family history books and access to the full range of computer-based resources (Ancestry Library, FindMyPast, Oxfordshire parish register and census transcripts and indexes). Oxfordshire Family History Society will continue to provide volunteer advisers at specific times.

It looks now like an upmarket bookstore. All it needs now is its own coffee bar like Starbucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The self service machines are just like the ones at the co-op, but will not handle audio books or dvds at present. I expect, they will like at the coop need someone to be on call all the time.
http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/

Korky Paul will award prizes in Headington library

2011-03-09T22:09:00.001Z

Korky Paul will award prizes in Headington library

on Saturday 16th April at 1pm (writing comp)
Hope you can be there!

Big Society Background Data

2011-02-28T18:10:00.001Z

Background information

This page contains usage and property background information for all libraries in Oxfordshire.

In the table below there are links to information on the 43 libraries currently run by Oxfordshire County Council. This may be useful for communities developing a community proposal particularly in thinking about the shape, size and scope of your proposal.
You can find out more about current library use, and information about the library property including site plans. Click the links in the table to view the documents:

View key to profile data (.pdf, 10Kb)

Library	Usage	Property
Abingdon	Library profile data	Library property data
Adderbury	Library profile data	Library property data
Bampton	Library profile data	Library property data
Banbury	Library profile data	Library property data
Benson	Library profile data	Library property data
Berinsfield	Library profile data	Library property data
Bicester	Library profile data	Library property data
Blackbird Leys	Library profile data	Library property data
Botley	Library profile data	Library property data
Burford	Library profile data	Library property data
Carterton	Library profile data	Library property data
Central Library, Westgate	Library profile data	Library property data
Charlbury	Library profile data	Library property data
Chinnor	Library profile data	Library property data
Chipping Norton	Library profile data	Library property data
Cowley	Library profile data	Library property data
Deddington	Library profile data	Library property data
Didcot	Library profile data	Library property data
Eynsham	Library profile data	Library property data
Faringdon	Library profile data	Library property data
Goring	Library profile data	Library property data
Grove	Library profile data	Library property data
Headington	Library profile data	Library property data
Henley	Library profile data	Library property data
Hook Norton	Library profile data	Library property data
Kennington	Library profile data	Library property data
Kidlington	Library profile data	Library property data
Littlemore Oxford Academy	Library profile data	Library property data
Neithrop	Library profile data	Library property data
North Leigh	Library profile data	Library property data
Old Marston	Library profile data	Library property data
Sonning Common	Library profile data	Library property data
Stonesfield	Library profile data	Library property data
Summertown	Library profile data	Library property data
Thame	Library profile data	Library property data
Wallingford	Library profile data	Library property data
Wantage	Library profile data	Library property data
Watlington	Library profile data	Library property data
Wheatley	Library profile data	Library property data
Witney	Library profile data	Library property data
Woodcote	Library profile data	Library property data
Woodstock	Library profile data	Library property data
Wychwood	Library profile data	Library property data

If you would like further information on these services please contact the bigsocietyfund@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

The art of Librarianship

2011-02-27T19:55:00.000Z

I suggest you read this insightful feature into the art of librarianship. http://scrawler.co.uk/sm1/?p=505&cpage=1#comment-587

Perhaps pro library campaigners need to take a leaf out of the pages of UK UNCUT? http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/

Future campaigning opportunities

2011-02-26T19:35:00.000Z

Future campaigning opportunities - I see there are several literary festivals being planned in the area over the next few months.

We should approach the organisers of such events to see how we can participate and generate new news stories and media attention.

· The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/The-Sunday-Times-Oxford-Literary-Festival.html

· The Independent Woodstock Literary Festival http://www.woodstockliteraryfestival.com/

· Henley Literary Festival http://www.henleyliteraryfestival.co.uk/

· Thame Arts and Literature Festival http://www.literaryfestivals.co.uk/thame.html

· King's Sutton (near Banbury) Literary Festival http://kslitfest.co.uk/

· Kennington Free Literary Festival http://sylviavetta.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/booklet.pdf

· No doubt there are many more……

Make the first Saturday each February National Library Day

2011-02-25T20:11:00.001Z

Dear all,

Many of you have welcomed the call to make the first Saturday in February National Library Day. Encouraged by the response I want to put this on a formal footing.

I want the largest possible support for this initiative from individual library users and members of the public, authors, teachers, librarians and their professional bodies, councilors, MPs, publishers, trade unions, reading agencies and local campaign groups.

Why do we need this day? 522 libraries (462 buildings and 60 mobiles) are currently under threat of losing funding out of 4517 in the UK. School libraries and School Library Services face similar pressures. Libraries provide books and ICT access free of charge. They promote social cohesion. They raise literacy levels. They help children become successful adults. They help vulnerable people into work and education. They provide a meeting place and a community hub. Some elected representatives are unaware of the importance of the public library service and School Library Services. Some governing bodies underestimate the value of school libraries. This case needs to be made. A specific celebration of British libraries will raise their profile and help ensure their survival in very difficult times.

Some FAQs.

*can’t we just combine it with World Book Day or International Library Day? Our libraries are facing pressing challenges. We need a specific day to celebrate them. Of course we will be involved in these other events. Most of us already are!

*aren’t some libraries a bit tired and backward-looking? Of course some libraries are more successful than others. Some have better buildings and more books. Some have integrated ICT better. But we can’t develop the libraries of the future out of the libraries of today if they are already closed. We can’t bring the poorest up to the level of the best if they have become an empty building.

*why hold it in February when it is cold and icy? The call for National Library Day emerged from the Save Our Libraries Day on February 5^th when 110 Read Ins generated huge media interest. The day will celebrate libraries at a time when local authorities are considering their budgetary decisions.

*isn’t it just another protest? Save Our Libraries Day was a postitive and peaceful celebration of libraries. National Libraries Day will have the same character.

I appeal for the widest possible support for this initiative. If you agree email me. If your organisation needs to put it to its decision-making body, give me an idea of the time-scale.

Yours faithfully,

Alan Gibbons

Organiser,

The Campaign for the Book

aagibbons@blueyonder.co.uk

mygibbo@gmail.com

Media coverage of the call in The Bookseller:

Gibbons proposes National Libraries Day

24.02.11 | Benedicte Page

Author and library campaigner Alan Gibbons is proposing that the first day in February be made National Libraries Day every year, following Save Our Libraries day, the co-ordinated protest against library closures which saw 100 events taking place on 5th February.

Gibbons said he had received many emails in the weeks since the mass protest suggesting that there be “a chance to celebrate our libraries” each February.

The children’s writer, who runs Campaign for the Book, and has been a leading voice in the protest movement against widespread library closures, added he intended to win the backing of others including professional bodies, trades unions, authors, celebrities, reading organisations, literary societies, readers and campaign groups.

Gibbons asked those keen to support the idea of a National Library Day to contact him via email at mygibbo@gmail.com .

Oxford book news

2011-02-25T13:42:00.006Z

£1 Book author Michael Lawrence at the Bookfeast Oxford Literary Festival On 15 March 2011 to 15 March 2011

Description Michael Lawrence, author of one of the £1 World Book Day 2011 titles, will be a key component of the Bookfeast Oxford Literary Festival Schools Programme.

Region Oxford

Venue Museum in central Oxford - TBC

For further details see http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Oxford-Interviews.html
http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/The-Sunday-Times-Oxford-Literary-Festival.html

Gloucestershire and Somerset are to be taken to judicial review

2011-02-24T23:24:00.000Z

BBC News - Library cuts in Somerset and Gloucestershire ...

The application for judicial review is expected to be launched within a few weeks ... of proposals by Somerset and Gloucestershire county councils to cut ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12546601 - 62k - Cached

High Court challenge launched over library cuts in ...

Book Publishing Industry News. Regular news updates from The Bookseller's news desk. The latest press reports about the publishing sector and updates from the City

thebookseller.com/news/high-court-challenge-launched-over...

http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/Headington-Library.html

Government offers County More Money for Libraries

2011-02-22T17:26:00.002Z

The government has offered the County Council some extra money which they can use to save some of the twenty threatened libraries, according to today's Oxford Mail.
There is, now, some hope in this campaign.
Some people have criticized David Cameron for "nimbyism" attributing his concern for Oxfordshire's libraries to the fact that he lives in Witney. But why be ungracious if there is a ray of hope for saving this essential public service?

What is Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust?

2011-02-21T00:09:00.001Z

What is Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust?Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust (WLCT) was formed in 2003. The organisation is a charitable trust working on behalf of Wigan Council to manage and support Leisure and Cultural facilities, initiatives and events for over 300,000 residents across the Wigan Borough.
WLCT is sustained by a combination of external funding and income generation, including an annual grant from Wigan Council. The Trust is a registered charity and a social enterprise, which means that any surplus income generated must be invested in improving facilities and services for the people of the Borough. http://www.wlct.org/index.htm

Maybe we could turn Oxfordshire Library Service into a trust?
What do others think?

From an idea suggested by Philip Hunt

News Roundup 20 February 2011

2011-02-20T13:18:00.002Z

· David Cameron's 'big society' may seem a big joke – but don't be fooled | Ally Fogg

guardian.co.uk, 20 Feb 2011

· Books

Library cuts will deny our children the glorious addiction of reading

The Observer, 20 Feb 2011

Chris Boffey

Seven out of 10 library authors are children's writers

February 18 2011 | Harry Wallop | Culture Telegraph

Business Club - British Library - Business and IP Centre ...

Finance

Business Club - British Library - Business and IP Centre. Turn your business idea into a success story. The British Library Business and IP Centre at St Pancras, London can help you start, run and grow your business. Telegraph

British Library and CMI

Major competition launched to find UK’s best management writers

A nationwide search began today to find the UK’s best management books with the launch of the inaugural Management Book of the Year competition. Telegraph

Campaign for the book

2011-02-20T12:53:00.000Z

Press Release from Campaign for the book:

Oxfordshire grants libraries a reprieve:
What about all other similar councils?

Oxfordshire has granted a temporary reprieve to its twenty libraries threatened with withdrawal of funds and possibly closure. Library users and campaigners across the country will now ask: why not us?

Campaign for the Book organizer Alan Gibbons said:
“Everybody will welcome Oxfordshire County Council’s recognition that its closure programme is incompatible with the requirement of the 1964 Libraries Act that it provide a ‘comprehensive and efficient service.’

“But what is the difference between Oxfordshire’s situation and that of areas such as Gloucestershire, North Yorkshire, Somerset, Lewisham and Suffolk? To show fairness, Culture Ministers Jeremy Hunt and Ed Vaizey must now intervene and call a moratorium on library closures. They could now face a series of legal challenges.”

Oxfordshire’s change of heart comes just two weeks after the enormously successful Save Our Libraries Day which saw 110 Read Ins across the country attended by up to 10,000 people.
Alan Gibbons said: “In Oxfordshire the public turned out in force, supported by authors such as Philip Pullman, Mark Haddon, Colin Dexter and Mary Hoffman. I call on library users and campaigners to redouble their efforts. Concerted action can force elected representatives to change their minds.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nimby-cameron-accused-after-his-council-halts-library-closures-2220128.html

The TUC have called a national demonstration on March 26th this will be an opportunity for all library campaigners around the country to come together and voice their opposition to library cuts and closures. So far there are 15 coaches going from Oxford and this is likely to grow. To book your seat call 07890081211 or email me back.

Best wishes
Julie

Where Has all the Money Gone?

2011-02-20T09:35:00.003Z

The County Council must take the blame fairly and squarely for their failure to run the budget in such a way as to meet their legal obligation to provide a library service.
Their controversial introduction of the 20 mph speed limit throughout Oxford cost £300,000 to implement.
Now a report from the Oxford Institute of Advanced Motorists says that the result has been to reduce speeds by less than one mile per hour! (See Friday's Oxford Mail). The IAM also refutes the claim that the new speed limit has led to a reduction in accidents.

I am told that the Cogges Link Road scheme in Witney if postponed would yield enough money to fund all of our libraries and then some. The contracts handed out by the County Council are worth more than £3 million.

Of course there is another problem in that Oxford City is subject to the power of the County, despite great differences in voting patterns and population. If it is unsatisfactory for Oxford City to be governed from elsewhere, how much worse is it for the UK to be governed externally by the EU? It's the same problem on a bigger or smaller scale.

I think Oxford City should run its own local affairs, with an elected mayor, and some power should be delegated even further down to the grass roots, to civil parish councils. The latter could certainly run libraries funded by our ever-rising council tax.

Learn to Discover your family history on-line

2011-02-18T00:08:00.000Z

READ AND WEEP!!!

2011-02-17T18:30:00.001Z

The Fund to help local communities set up Big Society plans is launched today, 16
February.
Today Oxfordshire county council has officially launched its Big Society Fund,
which will allow local people to bid for start-up funding to help them take
responsibility for providing services in their community.

The council is keen to create an environment in which it is as easy as possible
for communities to do things for themselves, and the £600,000 Big Society Fund
is a part of this.

How can communities use the money?
Communities can make bids for start-up funding for service provision they may
wish to undertake in their local area. This could include taking on
responsibility for libraries and youth services, day opportunities for older
people or even community transport.

The council is keen to work with communities to embrace a new era and a new way
of working at a time when there is less money to spend across the public sector
throughout the UK. We will require a viable business case from communities, but
are determined to work closely with people to advise them on the process of
putting together such a document.

More information about the fund can be found at
http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/bigsocietyfund.
Queries can be directed to BigSocietyFund@...
We will continue to develop the site to provide more information about the
opportunities as more details are confirmed.

Feel free to cascade this information through your organisation. We'd be happy
to have further conversations about communities in your areas where proposals
are emerging and possible support to them.

Kind Regards,
Kind Regards,
Claire Phillips
Senior Performance and Review Officer
Chief Executive's Office
Oxfordshire County Council
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Tel. 01865 323967

Black Day for Oxford's Libraries

2011-02-17T16:18:00.002Z

It seems that not enough members of the County Council listened to our petitions as they have still voted for the disastrous proposal to close down twenty libraries.
If the views of thousands of people are not enough for them, then I think that taking legal action may well be the next step.
We pay our council tax, and then we are told that the money has all been squandered on such unnecessary things as outside consultants who charged the County £50,000 to set psychometric tests. That is just not good enough. The law says we are entitled to a library service and the County is not entitled to defy laws passed by our own parliament with the consent of the people.

On-line petitions to re-open

2011-02-14T12:31:00.006Z

The County Council administration has today informed me that they are willing to re-open both the online petitions against library closure.
The first one refers only to Headington Library in Bury Knowle Park:-
http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=10

the second refers to all Oxfordshire's threatened libraries:-

http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=11

The Council is granting another couple of months for these. They will both be re-activated shortly. So if you did not sign either these or the paper petitions, or know anybody who did not get a chance to do so, and would like to, please pass on the word.
The petitions draw attention to the statutory obligation of the County to provide a library service, and the illegality of closing the libraries. This would also rule out private options since the County would not be fulfilling its legal obligations by proposing such an alternative.
It seems to me that transferring money from other parts of its budget is the County's only legal option. It simply has no other.
You will have to copy the addresses into your browser address bar to find the webpage.

NB I believe that tomorrow (Tuesday 15th Feb) is the day of the County Council's budget meeting and there may well be some citizens who wish to turn up at the Town Hall in the morning and make their feelings and views known in a peaceable and civilized fashion.

Should our library service be privatised?

2011-02-13T14:37:00.002Z

In many parts of the United States, the operation of local libraries is being privatised by local government. The question is should Oxfordshire follow the same route or examine other options such as mutualisation and merging with other local library systems such as Gloucestershire and both Oxford's universities to achieve greater savings on administrative costs etc.

Even in America there has been reported opposition to privatisation proposals.
To read more see:

County Council formally acknowledge receipt of petition

2011-02-11T22:13:00.000Z

County Council formally acknowledge receipt of your petition, submitted to Council on 11 January. It was made available to councillors as part of the early comments on the emerging library proposals. This was made available before the Cabinet meeting in January that made recommendations to Council for the budget. The petition will also be considered again alongside responses to any formal consultation process in relation to the library proposals

Saving Libraries is a Long-term Project

2011-02-06T10:19:00.001Z

It is heartening to see so much support for the current campaign to save Headington Library.
Over the past seven years I have been running Friends of Bury Knowle Library, it has often seemed as if only a dozen people cared.
Few if any local councillors were sympathetic or seemed interested in the issue. Many of them approved the suggestion by the City Council to move the library into a shop (to make it more accessible - not of course that they want to sell the valuable premises in Bury Knowle park) and it seemed amazingly difficult to get listed building permission to put in a simple ramp to help disabled people get in. Talking about that went on for years. The prevailing view seemed to be that preserving a Victorian style window here or there was far more important than keeping our library.
We adopted the name Friends of Bury Knowle Library to make it clear that we not only support maintaining a library but believe it should remain where it is in Bury Knowle House.
There are many other issues. Over the past ten years, the county library stocks have been steadily reduced. Older books, most of them expensive hardbacks, have been hastily sold off for a pound or even less, and replaced with videos which can legally be rented out. They begrudge even the cost of keeping books in store when they have not been recently requested. I saw the works of Simon Schama and Antonia Fraser being sold off at jumble-sale prices. When I protested, a librarian picked up one of the books, pulled roughly at its binding and said, "There you are, you see, it's falling apart."
About five years ago, there was an expensive refit of the interior of Bury Knowle library. It was re-decorated and the shelving was all replaced. But there are very few shelves and the design was altered to accommodate fewer books. The same is true of the alterations to the Central Library in Westgate.
Is a library just a building or does it need books?
Another important issue is the quality of librarians. There is no substitute for trained, experienced, professional librarians. When I first moved to Oxford, one of my friends, a graduate, worked at Bury Knowle and was able to pay a mortgage on a small house in East Oxford with the salary. I think she had a lodger in the house but she was definitely on the house ladder. A couple of years ago, I saw an advertisement put out by the council for part-time library helpers, who needed to have only five GCSEs, and would get a very meagre wage. I expressed my concern about this. It appeared to me that library work was being down-graded from a career into low-grade casual work. I was told to mind my own business and not try to "jump up" and make myself a library manager.
In my view, libraries always seemed to work best in the past when they didn't have managers - just proper librarians.
I am hoping that the County Council will see sense and recognize its legal responsibility to maintain a full and comprehensive library service, as required by the 1964 Act. If they try to evade it, I support taking court action, though how it will be financed is yet unknown to me.
Be that as it may, I hope that as a result of this campaign, many more people will become aware of the variety of ongoing threats to the library service, and will get involved with Friends of Bury Knowle Library instead of waiting for a crisis to galvanize them.

Headington Library Read In Saturday 5 February 2011

2011-02-05T21:43:00.000Z

Several of Headington's finest writers participated today in an event staged by Save Headington Library Group as part of its campaign to fight against the proposed closure of Headington's only local library.
Amongst the writers who participated included novelist and artist Brian Aldiss, Mail on Sunday columnist and writer Peter Hitchens, Mark Thompson, David Boyd Haycock, Mini Grey and Helen Cooper.

http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/

Letter Writing Templates

2011-02-05T18:01:00.000Z

Letter Writing Campaign

We are currently running a letter writing campaign. We hope you will consider writing Cllr Mitchell a ‘proper letter’ to complain about the proposed library cuts. Emails are quick and simple to reply to, letters are not. All letters will need a response. We have prepared some letter templates which you might like to use. Letter collection boxes will be found in the foyer of the Library and the Reception at Windmill School if you wish to save the postage. The letter boxes will be collected on Sat 12th Feb. for a mass presentation at a Council Meeting. Please share this with your friends. Thanks for your support Lynda

Here below a variety of letter templates on which to base a letter to Chris Mitchell County Council Leader of Oxfordshire. They include those writing from the perspective of a young family member, elderly, disabled etc.

Collection boxes in St Andrews and Windmill School foyers until Fr. 11th Feb

Headington Library until Sat. 12th Feb.

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

Your changes to the library services in Oxfordshire mean that as a Headington resident I will be expected to travel to Oxford to use the Central Library. I have mobility problems and journeys into Oxford are something I rarely do. Headington is a wonderful place to live because the bank, post office, supermarket and library are all within such close proximity of each other.

I am sure it was not your intention to cause older people and the disabled distress but that is what your decision has done. I will no longer be able to access books independently and I will no longer be able to benefit from the company and contact the library provides. I know this will cause stress to me and to others. Can you explain how you are going to address my concerns and what your reasons were for targeting Headington?

Yours sincerely,

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

As a holder of an over 60s FREE bus pass I am concerned about the number of over 60s who are now going to be making additional journeys into Oxford to use the Westgate Library. This measure seems to be saving money which will then be handed over to the local bus companies. Has any assessment been done into the number of library users who are over 60.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

Can I please urge you to reconsider withdrawing funding to Headington Library. The cost of public transport to Oxford will be too expensive for my family to use the Westgate library on a regular basis. Travelling into Oxford with a pushchair is time consuming and difficult, often we cannot get on the bus when it stops in Headington because there is already a pushchair on board. Will you be instructing the bus companies to carry more pushchairs per journey? We currently use the library after we have finished playing in the park, it provides us with a pleasurable FREE family outing.

Yours sincerely

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

I regularly use the library with my toddler when we have been to the park. We Like to sit and look at lots of books and choose the ones we will take home. When the library closes can you please explain what provision you intend to make to ensure that pre-school children will be able to get access to books?

Yours sincerely

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed closure of Headington Library.

In the press it has been stated that you have made assessments of local needs. I cannot believe that any sections of the Headington community could possibly have thought that travelling to Oxford on public transport or by car was a viable or affordable alternative to using our local library.

Can you please provide me with information concerning the individuals and groups who took part in these consultations.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

It is my opinion that the proposed changes and restructuring of the Oxfordshire Libraries has been done without due concern for local communities. Especially a large community like Headington with it’s well used library.

· Social impact on communities loosing there libraries does not justify the financial saving

· No consideration has been given to the needs of sections of the community living in deprived areas and the housing expansion in areas like Barton

· No travel impact assessment have been carried out about how older people, disabled, children, young families and the unemployed are going to use and afford transport links to the Westgate

· The Council have displayed a lack of logic around why some libraries have been recommended for closure and not others.

· Closure of Headington library would mean not only a loss of books but the removal of the only FREE access to computers and the internet locally

I would appreciate your comments on these matters.

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

Yours sincerely,

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

Oxford and Oxfordshire have a diverse population. For many there is an excellent quality of life with access to good housing, schooling, leisure and employment opportunities. For others there is unemployment, low skills level, poor housing, anti-social behaviour. The restructuring will mean it is harder for people to escape their social class and have aspirations for the kind of advancement that reading can provide for them.

Closure of libraries would mean not only a loss of books but the removal of FREE access to computers, internet and information necessary for up skilling people so they can enter the work place, in homes where there are limited resources.

The elderly, disabled and unemployed will have their convenient access to FREE books removed, little consideration being given to the most vulnerable in our communities

Children (of a certain age) can have independent use of local libraries which they will not have when local libraries close

Additional travelling costs and time will affect library use when local libraries close

Adequate library provision at a local level is key to improving educational opportunities and raising standards. The plans show little regard for the needs of children who are already suffering because of the educational cuts, which are having an impact on resources in schools, in our area with its poor educational attainment

Libraries play an important role in supporting learning and reducing barriers to learning particularly for those pupils who come from disadvantaged backgrounds

Can you please address these points and explain why you have chosen to make the most vulnerable in our community the biggest losers?

Yours sincerely,

Cllr. Keith Mitchell

County Hall

New Road

Oxford

OX1 1ND

February 2011

Dear Cllr. Mitchell,

Re: Proposal to cease funding Headington Library

· Social impact on communities loosing there libraries does not justify the financial saving

· No consideration has been given to the needs of sections of the community living in deprived areas and the housing expansion in areas like Barton

· No travel impact assessment have been carried out about how older people, disabled, children, young families and the unemployed are going to use and afford transport links to the Westgate

· The Council have displayed a lack of logic around why some libraries have been recommended for closure and not others.

· Closure of Headington library would mean not only a loss of books but the removal of the only FREE access to computers and the internet locally

I would appreciate your comments on these matters.

Flawed Statistics

2011-02-04T14:16:00.000Z

Some of you may be interested in Martin's letter(below) re the County's flawed statistical approach
Sylvia

Cllr Keith Mitchell
Leader of the Oxfordshire County Council
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Dear Cllr Mitchell

Re. Proposed Library Closures and concerns for manipulative use of statistics

Few sane people are in any doubt as to the need for state budget cuts at this time, and I think that most of us have shown willing to tighten our belts when it comes to reductions in the provision of many state services. Though a regular library user myself, I do not see the libraries as a sacred cow with this respect. However, I do believe that these services should be cut in a transparent and un-manipulative manner which shows respect to all tax-payers. When I attended a Parish Council meeting joined by three representatives from the County Council (Judith Heathcoat, John Jackson and Arash Fateman), back on 9th December 2010, I was disturbed by the strange survey methods used to justify the currently unshakable stance of Oxfordshire County Council – to completely close 20 libraries and leave 23 open.

My work in monitoring and evaluation regularly requires me to make statistical analysis of sociological data, and to do so I must establish a solid foundation of common-sense around which the maths and statistics are anchored. It is essential to establish what ‘units of measure’ best represent the object of the study. Yet this approach seemed wholly lacking in the Oxford County Council survey figures shared by John Jackson in that December meeting. I was astonished to learn that you had carried out a survey of library usage which took no account of the respective size of the library or threshold population that was being surveyed – hence Abingdon library, with a threshold population of around 40,000 people was compared like for like with Kennington Library with a threshold of only a tenth that size. In other words the ‘units of measure’ – which were ‘number of users per hour of library opening’ – were ill-founded and misrepresentative. Of course such a survey will conclude that Abingdon library receives more custom! What else would you expect to discover! Any survey worth its salt must take into account the threshold population or it is not worth the paper it is written on. The stats shared that night stated that Abingdon received an average custom of 130 users per hour of library opening – compared to 17 users per hour of library opening in Kennington. If one were to review the maths such that the equations actually held up to scrutiny, then the figures would be measured using the units ‘number of users per head of threshold population per hour of library opening’ – more of a mouthful, but far more representative of the true picture. If these units were applied to the most recent census figures (2001 census: Abingdon 36,626; Kennington 3,881) then the figures would adjust as follows:

Abingdon library: 3.55 1
Kennington library: 4.38 1

1 = “users per thousand of threshold population per hour of library opening”

By failing to establish a survey method that holds up to scrutiny, I proffer that the council is lying to its constituents by misrepresenting the truth. Whether this is a deliberate act of subterfuge, or simply an act of incompetence, only you can answer. But either way, if false statistics are being used at the heart of the argument for rural/suburban library closures, then it is essential to establish the truth of the matter.

I am a father of two boys under 4 in age who love the local library, and who would rather go to the local library than the swings (and this seemingly through their own choice not mine). I would much rather see our local library remain as a professionally maintained local service than see library functions centralised to Oxford and Abingdon – which I am not going to realistically ‘pop in to’ as I and my four-thousand fellow villagers currently can in Kennington. Therefore I advocate that the 25% cuts are made across the board – recognising that fixed costs will mean that a 25% cut will result in maybe a 30-40% loss of service. This is the only way to ensure that the maximum number of local children will develop a love of books at this critical age before school starts.

Please reconsider the methods you are using to define what makes up an essential library service, and apply your cuts equally across all libraries. We as a community recognise that there will be costs that need to be picked up and are willing to look into ways of addressing such shortfalls – but we can only do so on the foundation of a professionally run library at the heart of our community.

Thanks you for listening.

Yours sincerely,

Martin Hull

A New Letter to the CEO at Oxfordshire County Council Oxford

2011-02-03T16:03:00.000Z

From: Emma Chamberlain, Barrister

11 Rawlinson Rd

Oxford

0X2 6UE

emma@jmchamberlain.freeserveco.uk

Richard Stevens

County Hall

richard.stevens@oxfordshire.qov.uk

To: Joanna Simons

Chief Executive

Oxfordshire County Council

County Hall

Oxl 1ND

F.A.O.: Nick Graham New Road

Deputy Head of Law and Governance Oxford

Email: nick.qraham@oxfordshire.qov.uk

OX1 IND

richard.stevens@oxfordshire.qov.uk

Copies to:

Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, Oxford East

Nicola Blackwood MP, Oxford West & 2 February 2011

Abingdon

Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Witney

John Howell MP, Henley

Ed Vaizey MP, Wantage

Tony Baldry MP, Banbury

Dear Ms Simons Chief Executive Oxfordshire County Council

Proposals in relation to Oxfordshire libraries: your letter dated 24 January 2011

We write in response to Nick Graham’s letter of 24 January. As you note, at this

stage we are indeed simply requesting clarification and information relating to the

Council’s decisions regarding library provision and the process that is being

undertaken in reaching those decisions. For the avoidance of doubt we write as

Oxfordshire residents. (Richard Stevens is also a County Councillor.)

You will no doubt be aware of the recent judgment handed down by the High Court in

January 2011 holding that certain London councils’ plans to cut funding for voluntary

sector organizations in London was unlawful due to the deeply flawed consultation

process. The High Court quashed all funding cut decisions. It is in everyone’s

interests to avoid a similar situation arising in Oxfordshire.

We are pleased that in addressing the question of library provision you accept that

the Council is bound to conduct a Wirral type assessment. We note your point that

the press release announcing possible library closures contained only “indicative

proposals” and that no decisions have yet been made. You specifically confirm in

point 2 of page 5 of your letter that a Wirral-type assessment of need is currently

being undertaken in accordance with the recommendations of the Wirral Report. We

are pleased that you accept in point 1 that,

local need and... consult fully on its strategic approach to library provision”.

In the light of this statement we find it somewhat surprising that so far only one option

has been proposed. This essentially assumes that it is desirable to have fewer but

larger central hubs in each major conurbation. This is certainly not the only option

and even if it were, naming specific libraries prejudges the assessment of local needs

that must necessarily take place when conducting a review. No doubt the Wirral-type

assessment you are currently engaged in will consider a number of different ways of

“... the Council must properly assess

satisfying local needs while still providing a comprehensive and efficient library

service. For example an alternative option is to retain the existing libraries but

introduce efficiency savings in each. We understand that a great deal of work has

been carried out by local residents on cost-cutting and revenue raising measures

appropriate to individual libraries.

In short, it will be necessary to consider a variety of options and then assess them in

the light of ‘Wirral” factors such as equality and disability impact and the effect on

children and vulnerable persons.

Potential problems

We do, however, have a number of concerns about the process as it is currently

being undertaken. Even if the proposed closure of 20 libraries is indeed

merely a

proposal not a decision, those libraries were named specifically before a proper

assessment of local needs had been made and the proposals consulted on. Indeed

it was stated that one of the library buildings concerned had already been earmarked

for an alternative use, a point that must suggest the issue has been pre-judged. No

alternative options of achieving funding cuts were offered. Both these factors must

seriously prejudice the outcome of any proper Wirral type assessment and raise at

least a prima face case that the process is legally flawed.

In the light of your letter we also find it puzzling that ClIr Keith Mitchell’s letter on

library closures in last week’s Oxford Times (“Challenging questions”, 27 January),

appears to state that the period of assessment and review is now over. He states

there that,

all library visits in Oxfordshire. I think that represents a comprehensive and efficient

seivice and satisfies the Mrral judgment [sic].” In other words, in the Leader of the

Council’s view, the decision has now been made.

“The 23 libraries we are able to continue to fund account for 82 per cent of

Legal advice

With regards to your comments on legal advice, legal advice of course is not as such

confidential. Some legal advice is privileged but as you will be aware, advice given

in-house and between departments is not privileged. The ECJ specifically confirmed

that in-house counsel have no right to professional legal privilege in the

Akzo Nobel

ruling issued in September 2010. The ECJ has confirmed that legal advice can only

be privileged where it is connected to the client’s rights of defence and where it

emanates from independent lawyers. In-house legal advice given by you and your

colleagues is not privileged. Advice you have sought from external sources could be

privileged.

Summary

In the light of the above we should therefore be grateful if you could now provide us

with the following:

1. Copies of all in-house legal advice so far given in respect of library closures.

2. Details of other options now being considered and the specific advantages

and disadvantages of each in the light of the Wirral-type factors that need to

be considered.

3. Confirmation that ClIr Mitchell was wrong in his letter to the Oxford Times to

suggest that such an assessment has already occurred and the decision has

been made.

In order to avoid prejudging the issue and to put to rest any suggestion that any

decision could be “tainted” and therefore unlawful we also request that the Council

now withdraw the November press release proposing the closure of specific libraries

and in its place implement a consultation process offering a variety of different

options on library provision/library closures with a Wirral-type assessment of the pros

and cons of each option.

We look forward to hearing from you as a matter of urgency. As before we have

copied this letter to the Oxfordshire MPs and make it available as an open letter to

the wider public.

Yours sincerely

Emma Chamberlain

Richard Stevens

We Love Libraries - video

2011-02-03T14:39:00.000Z

We Love Libraries - video

Threatened library closures in Somerset inspired Michael Eavis, Maggie Gee, Kate Mosse and Big Issue founder John Bird to join with local residents and the national Save Our Libraries campaign to produce a short film, sending a message to Somerset county council leader Ken Maddock, agitating for their survival

Click here to find your nearest protest on Saturday's Save Our Libraries Day

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/video/2011/feb/01/we-love-libraries-video

LIBRARY AND BUS CUTS SQUEEZE RURAL LIFE

2011-02-01T21:59:00.000Z

"Oxfordshire’s proposal to close 20 public libraries will hit rural communities already at risk of bus cuts, says the Oxford Group of independent bus passengers’ organisation Bus Users UK."

Hugh Jaeger 1 February 2011

Oxfordshire’s proposal to close 20 public libraries will hit rural communities already at risk of bus cuts, says the Oxford Group of independent bus passengers’ organisation Bus Users UK.

Oxfordshire says users of libraries to be shut can go to a “hub” library a few miles away. However, the cost and travelling time to do so will put many people off using libraries. Bus fares are reasonable for what is in most cases a good service, but it all adds up. For families the combined cost of bus travel for a parent with two or three school-age children will be particularly high. http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/LIBRARY-AND-BUS-CUTS-SQUEEZE-RURAL-LIFE.html

It’s laptops at dawn in the hunt for the missing million

2011-01-31T18:56:00.000Z

It’s laptops at dawn in the hunt for the missing million by Friends of Glastonbury Library on Monday, 31 January 2011 at 09:21

Written by Fiona Kirton and Sara Clay

Release: Immediate 31.01.10

    National expert briefs Somerset councillors on how to save £1.35 million without closing 11 libraries or reducing hours

    Britain’s leading expert on how to run libraries has met with Somerset County Councillors in a bid to rescue the remaining eleven at-risk libraries.

    Somerset's high-profile library campaign caught the attention of national libraries campaigner Tim Coates, who offered his services free of charge to brief Councillors.

    Tim Coates, formerly managing director of Waterstone's and WH Smith (Europe), is now best known as an advocate for improvements to the UK public library service. He met County councillors, officers and local campaigners on Friday (28 January) at the Abbey Retreat House, Glastonbury.

    Tim had three key recommendations for Somerset's Library Service. First, reduce costs substantially on backroom services rather than closing libraries. Second, make sure that the published figures are clear and complete. And third, at the same time as reducing back office costs, improve the frontline with more new books, longer hours and smarter premises.

    Crucial to Somerset campaigners, Tim advised that in order to reduce library funding by £1.35 million, as planned, the Council should reduce expenditure on “non-front-line” activities, rather than close libraries.

    This can be done, he said, by streamlining management structure, and empowering librarians to buy books directly, saving substantially on central purchasing and distribution costs. For example, a book that cost 50p to produce, might cost £1 to the wholesaler, and £5.99 in the shop. The same book going through a council purchasing system will cost £20 to put on the shelf, because it has to go through so many hands.

    More than half of the county’s £7.5 million library budget is spent on such back-office services. Tim noted that just over £1 million of that figure had not been included in the consultation document. This was an internal “topslice”, covering the library service’s share of the costs of Human Resources, Finance Department, legal services and other core functions at County Hall.

    Whether that “missing million” should have been included in the total published for the consultation is a matter of contention. This issue is central to Tim’s recommendation for “clear, consistent, complete and comprehensible” figures, to enable councillors to make informed decisions.

    Terry Clay, from Friends of Glastonbury Library (FOGL), has been working with Tim on the figures. He said, "The library officers have said this externally imposed administration charge was not published in the consultation document, because they had no control over it and it would confuse matters. I am more confused by it not being included.”

    Richard Chisnall (FOGL) is hopeful of a positive outcome from the briefing. “The councillors appeared to be listening receptively,” he said. “Tim Coates has recommended a new radical way of thinking which would allow Somerset to keep all of its libraries open, whilst staying within budget constraints. This is in line with recommendations from Local Government Minister, Eric Pickles.”

    County officers and key portfolio holders have agreed to meet again with Tim Coates and Terry Clay – laptops at the ready – to settle the matter of the “missing million” and agree a baseline set of figures on which to plan for the future.


    - END -

     PHOTO CAPTION (if any): Glastonbury mayor John Coles (left) welcomes library expert Tim Coates.

    Notes to Editors.

    1. According to CIPFA (Chartered Institute Of Public Finance Accounts) Somerset library funding totalled £7.5m; the total published in the consultation document was £6.5m, excluded the topslice, and was based on a different 12-month period.

    2. Terry Clay has requested a breakdown of how the additional £1.1m of council administration costs has been broken down, but has not yet received it.

4. Tim Coates believes the Somerset library campaign has national implications. “I call upon and challenge the library profession, the Government and council officers to support this call to Somerset County Council and make similar analysis in other places,” he wrote in his blog following the briefing. “It is unlikely that there is a need to close a library anywhere for financial reasons in order to meet the requirements of deficit recovery."

News updates

2011-01-31T17:35:00.000Z

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/31/can-philanthropy-help-public-libraries?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/27/philip-pullman-defend-libraries-web?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/28/market-fanatics-kill-libraries?INTCMP=SRCH

US firm ‘can save county’s libraries’

2011-01-31T15:01:00.000Z

Threatened libraries across Oxfordshire can be kept running with council cash if they are managed by a private company, an American outsourcing firm said.

Stuart Fitzgerald, vice president of Library Systems & Services UK, said his firm could keep open some or all of the 20 branches and save millions for OCC. http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8821718.US_firm____can_save_county___s_libraries___/

Vital community hubs

2011-01-31T10:26:00.000Z

Thursday 27th January 2011

Sir – CPRE Oxfordshire would like to express its concern about the effect of proposed county council cuts in services on rural areas of the county. We are particularly worried by the proposed closure of 20 smaller libraries, 15 of which are situated in villages. Five of the libraries proposed for closure: Benson, Berinsfield, Chinnor, Sonning Common and Woodcote, are among the 12 larger villages designated in South Oxfordshire’s Core Strategy as centres for services for the rural population.
These centres are strategically located so that no resident has to travel more than five kilometres to access these services.

Surely the two administrative bodies OCC and SODC should be working together on such matters? Provision of services in the rural parts of the county is often very poor.
Having been involved in the consultation on future provision of bus services in the county, we know that many routes will see cuts and some may be axed altogether.

Access to the libraries in the large towns will become more difficult for families without cars or for older people. We are urging the county council to reconsider the proposals to close libraries.

We understand that it may be necessary to cut hours and reduce the number of professionals employed and are encouraging the council to take advantage of the proposals in the Localism Bill to avoid total closure. Once closed, it is unlikely that the libraries will ever be re-established in the smaller communities.

Libraries are not just places to borrow books, but act as vital hubs for the rural community and we are not confident that a modern, efficient library can be or should be reliant on what may be a very small and technologically inexperienced pool of volunteers lacking professional training.

Dr Helena Whall, Campaign manager, CPRE Oxfordshire

An open letter to Oxfordshire County Council's CEO

2011-01-31T10:10:00.000Z

An open letter (19 Jan) from Richard Stevens, Solicitor, and Emma Chamberlain, Barrister, to Joanna Simons, Chief Executive, Oxfordshire County Council, concerning The Council’s statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 – copied to Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP, Oxford East; Nicola Blackwood MP, Oxford West & Abingdon; Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Witney; John Howell MP, Henley; Ed Vaizey MP, Wantage; Tony Baldry MP, Banbury

Foley Hits Out at Library Rumours

2011-01-30T21:32:00.000Z

SWINDON ADVERTISER : 25th January
Foley Hits Out at Library Rumours

SWINDON’S libraries will all remain open – and should have a hard-core of paid staff working in them.
That was the verdict from the councillor in charge of the town’s libraries, as she declared that each library needs have a paid staff member on the rota – and not just volunteers.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/8812869.Foley_hits_out_at_library_rumours/

Petition delivered to County Hall

2011-01-30T11:09:00.000Z

25 January
Save Headington Library Campaign Group member Sarah Eddie accompanied by Priscilla Goldby who set up the Crown News one delivered a petition to County Hall in Oxford.
Also Sarah met with Council leader Keith Mitchell.

The total was 2,374 - 2,871 if considered alongside the e-petition.

Read-In Event
Please come to a peaceful demonstration as part of National Library Day.

Headington Library5th February
1-3pm

We hope to have a 'reading relay' for children around the reading tree, weather permitting and readings inside the library.

Petition
The current paper petition is now closed. The total was: 2,374 signatures. Thank you to everyone who was involved, particularly to Priscilla Goldby who set up the Crown News petition. Priscilla and I presented the petition to the Cabinet on Tuesday.
Letter Writing Campaign
Please write a letter to Keith Mitchell opposing the library cuts and bring it with you to the Read-In. We intend to post them en-masse after the event, at Headington Post Office. Supporters of Summertown library have mounted a similar campaign.
Keith Mitchell
Oxfordshire County Council
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

Meetings

Representatives from several campaigning groups will meet with Cllrs Darke, Wilkinson and Heathcoat next week.

Could the feed in tarrifs scheme help pay for Headington Library?

2011-01-29T22:00:00.000Z

Did you know that as a result of the Government's feed in tariffs scheme, both landowners and homeowners could participate in this scheme see http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/fits/Pages/fits.aspx

A Proven12.1kW wind turbine can earn between £5,000-£15,000 in annual income depending on location, wind velocity etc. see http://www.vgenergy.co.uk/wind-turbines/proven-energy-wind-turbines-products/proven-energy-turbines-farmers/
While a photovoltaic 3kW system will produce on average 2640kWh per annum which in monetary terms means a payment of £1137.80 each year for 25 years? http://www.vgenergy.co.uk/solar-photovoltaic/

Perhaps Bury Knowle Park could be the location of a couple of wind turbines and the roofs of the various buildings in the park could be covered in solar cells. No doubt such a solution could help contribute a signigficant portion of the funding needed to run Headington Library. It would also help in the ffight against global warming.
See also http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/aug/14/free-solar-panels
http://www.shetlandwindpower.co.uk/Grants.php
http://www.aspenrenewables.co.uk/solarpv.html
For local Oxford example see http://www.oxford.gov.uk/Direct/Item16.1.pdf

http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/

Library closures: Oxford Save Our Services calls on campaigners to resist ‘Big Society’ solutions

2011-01-28T09:57:00.000Z

January 2011

Oxford Save Our Services (SOS) is a broad and inclusive group in Oxford concerned about cuts to public services. We are working closely with local library and friends’ groups to campaign against the closure of 20 of the county’s libraries.

We call on library campaigners to reject County Council plans for voluntary groups to run libraries at risk of closure. The Council expects to cease funding those libraries and plans to ask local groups to bid for one-off grants to run libraries with volunteers and without public funding.

There has been unprecedented public support from ordinary people of many ages, backgrounds and political persuasions for the library campaigns. Hundreds of people have attended meetings to support their local libraries in Botley and Headington. Last week, over 300 people packed the Town Hall for a meeting against library closures. There were representatives from many local campaigns. They all insisted that the libraries be maintained on a public basis.

Meanwhile, the Oxford Civic Society has revealed just how impractical it will be for voluntary societies to find the necessary funding, expertise and commitment to run a library (‘Hard Figures: We put the likely expense of running threatened branches under microscope’, Oxford Mail, Monday 24 January 2011).

Prominent children’s author Philip Pullman has condemned the idea of communities bidding against one another (see http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/archive/2011/01/22/Oxford+news+%28om_oxfordnews%29/8806694.Author_backs_bid_to_save_libraries/).

Another renowned Oxfordshire author Mary Hoffman, whose local library in Bampton is at risk, has called on those opposing the library closures to ‘never be drawn into the argument about what could be cut in order to pay for libraries, and to have no part in the bids for Council support to run the libraries on a volunteer basis’ (see http://bookmavenmary.blogspot.com/2011/01/libraries-again-oxford-movement.html).

To express rejection of the County Council’s cynical strategy of divide-and-rule, local library campaigns should collectively refuse to bid for ‘Big Society’ grants, and stand together with all other library campaigns. Instead local groups should respond to the County Council’s consultation by restating that libraries should remain a publicly funded service.

Oxford SOS spokesperson, Peter Lefort commented: ‘Public services are an absolutely essential part of our community and vital to the lives of thousands of people. They cannot be bid for, dividing the people of Oxford, but must be fought for. To try to turn the cuts into a 'Big Society' gameshow shows how fundamentally the County Council does not understand its responsibilities for services.’

ENDS

For further details, contact Stephanie Kitchen, Save Our Services, Stephanie.kitchen@btopenworld.com, 07966 045144.

About Oxford Save Our Services

Oxford Save Our Services is an open group of Oxford residents defending our public services. We are concerned that the unprecedented cuts to public services, as proposed by the coalition government, will cause irreversible damage to our community and target the poorest and most vulnerable.

It is supporting groups come together as a community to take action before it is too late to prevent the end of public and voluntary services we all use every day.

Oxford Save Our Services are local residents, are not affiliated to any political party, and have no party political agenda. We simply believe that these cuts are unnecessary and are an attack on public services like hospitals and schools that we all rely on. We also firmly believe that people do change politics, and that we can do it again, if we work together.

Oxford Save Our Services

www.oxfordsos.org.uk

What the County Should Cut

2011-01-26T13:14:00.000Z

When money is being cut, it is important to look at our priorities.
There are many other things the County Council could cut instead of attacking our libraries.
The public has made it clear that it overwhelmingingly opposes the proposed library closures. Now we need to agree on alternative ways to trim the County budget so that no libraries need to be closed.
Only a few months ago, a report by the Tax-Payers' Alliance criticized Oxfordshire County Council for spending money on unnecessary jobs. Among these are political advisors, diversity officers and climate change officials.
According to the TPA the total cost of those was £588,394 in the year 2009/2010. The County Council said that the real cost was £268,837, but even that would be more than enough to finance Headington library for a year!
What do political advisors do? Surely anyone employed the County council should be educated enough to do their job advised by the senior personnel in the hierarchy, without an additional advisor. The same goes for diversity officers. It is surely enough to inform all employees at the outset how to follow good practise in the matter of equal opportunities. It's nothing new after all. As for climate change officials, since the exposure of the frauds on the website of the University of East Anglia, fewer and fewer people believe in climate change at all. Why do we need a salaried official to tell us to switch lights off or wear a jumper instead of keeping the heating on all the time? It's not a professional job. None of these occupations need a professional level of skills. But they are paid very lavish professional salaries.
In many cases these silly jobs were created by EU legislation demanding that we take visible steps to promote this or that agenda. The result is that other things, more important things, suffer. The money gets shifted sideways from the essential to the non-essential. If we don't conform to EU legislation, we get huge fines, See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/8269828/Britain-faces-1bn-of-EU-fines.html
(Yes, that does say a billion, it is not a misprint).
Even if you regard the jobs listed as useful, surely the vast majority of supporters of this campaign will agree that libraries are a higher priority.
Those who imagine that we can still, at this stage, avoid any reductions in the County Budget are not being realistic. The reality is that we have to make choices. So if you want to be heard, write to your county councillors and don't just tell them what you want to keep - tell them what you think needs to be cut.

Headington Residents sign petition against proposed closure of Headington Library

2011-01-25T16:22:00.000Z

Photos taken at various Headington locations last Saturday morning. Photos provided by kind permission of DENIS and LYNDA HAYWARD

Contacting Save Headington Library Campaign

2011-01-22T19:28:00.000Z

To contact us : email saveheadingtonlibrary@gmail.com

James Donigan writes in support of 'Save Headington Library’

2011-01-22T15:08:00.000Z

Dear Save Headington Library,

I would like to offer my full support to ‘Save Headington Library’ and commend you for the action you are taking.

Headington has undergone a period of improvement and the local services, schools and amenities have made the area attractive to many people.

That the local library is under threat seems regressive and is damaging to an area where such a facility is invaluable to the residents.

Good Luck with your campaign.

Yours Sincerely,

James Donigan MNAEA, Branch Manager
Headington
Andrews Estate Agents
t:01865 763443 m:07798 645998 f:01865 763463

North East Area Meeting 18th Jan

2011-01-21T23:05:00.000Z

Good turn out of City and County Councillors who all spoke in favour of libraries, making the expected comments. Simon Kearney a Council Officer presented the Council’s position, making a great deal about the consultation process which is going to take place AFTER the budget is set in Feb. I asked for clarification about the consultation and he confirmed our concerns that the consultation is about community bids not the original decision.

Cllr. Roy Dark, said it was important for the 4 County Councillors to work together with volunteers to submit bids for community libraries, so we could get our share of the monies which have been set aside to support these groups. (£600K set aside, but this is not just for libraries it’s for youth services and all the other things that are getting cut, our share for a community library would be small) He then asked for volunteers from the room and said he would arrange a meeting with Cllr. Heathcote to discuss a bid. No volunteer raised their hand. But then no announcement was made that he would be making that statement. I said, and I hope it is in their minutes, that they were bullying and pressuring us into making a community bid when we still want the original decision discussing. Judith Heathcote has said the library closures are a proposal, see the response I got from her to my questions about the legal issues.

In the Open Session Alexander Babkovitch went through detailed observations and suggestions about ways of saving money and reducing the library running costs, but no one was listening. Keith Mitchell has continually asked for suggestions about ways to save money and I’m sure the business brains in our City have plenty of advice but he doesn’t want to hear it, and it’s not our job anyway? Do you remember what happened to the suggestion that £500,000 be cut from from councillors expenses, defeated.

Sylvia Vetta writes to Keith Mitchell

2011-01-17T16:24:00.000Z

Dear Councillor Mitchell

As your Councillors and Officers have proved unwilling to give us the detailed financial information with which to come up with alternative proposals for making the required savings in the library budget, we have turned our attention to the unintended consequences. At the heart of your proposal is the idea that good public transport links will make it easy for library users to visit hub libraries like Oxford Central.

Have you forgotten about the cost of the free bus pass scheme? From April 1st the bus pass scheme will be paid for by the County Council. Using statistics on the ages of library users and figures from the Vale District on the cost of journeys we have calculated that for Kennington library that the extra cost to the county of eligible users transferring to Oxford Central will be £14000. As the net cost of Kennington Library is about £22,000 this appears to indicate that under your current proposals nearly 65% of your expected savings will simply be paid to the Oxford Bus Company. We imagine that a similar calculation could be made for all the libraries earmarked for closure.

We are of the opinion that cutting all libraries by an equal percentage and letting big Society volunteers help ameliorate the effects is the fairest way and judging from the above will make more efficient savings for the County. Or maybe there is something we are missing.. the revenue from selling off buildings like Berinsfield Library?

www.sylviavetta.co.uk

Len Swartz writes

2011-01-17T15:23:00.000Z

Dear All:

I write in response to the very admirable Headington library supporters meeting last week which you both addressed, with Ruth referring to our Gourmet Fundraiser programme (www.gourmetfundraiser.co.uk) as a possible financial assist to library operational stability. Regarding Ruth's comments about Gourmet Fundraiser being a possible financial help to the libriaries in overcoming the current problems, may I respectfully go further in saying that Gourmet Fundraiser could permanently enable all of the County libraries to attain sufficient financial muscle to dictate their own operational destiny and achieve relative independence from the economic and political pitfalls that we have now, and will undoubtedly experience in the future. While we all hope that the administrative efforts outlined by Richard will forestall the cuts, this will probably take time and is packed with uncertainty as to outcome, as he said. It would therefore seem reasonable to proceed with a parallel plan of action with Gourmet Fundraiser that potentially could independently provide each County library with financial stability notwithstanding the other outcomes, while being free of cost to both the library supporters and the government at all levels. I plan to attend the Thursday 20th Jan meeting at Town Hall and will be happy to discuss the matter with any and all, or I can also be contacted on (01865) 371099.

With best wishes and kindest regards, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

Len Swartz
http://www.blogger.com/www.gourmetfundraiser.co.uk

Lynda Hayward writes to Cllr. Mitchell

2011-01-17T15:08:00.000Z

Dear Cllr. Mitchell
I am a Headington resident and it is my opinion that the proposed changes and restructuring of the Oxfordshire Libraries is in breach of the statutory duties under the Public Libraries and Museum Act 1964 because:
• The Council failed to make an assessment of local needs
• The local authority and Chief Officers have not listened to the views of those who use the libraries
• The plans to restructure the library service have been done without consultation and do therefore not meet the needs of the communities which the libraries serve.
• The Council’s view appears to be that it is hard to maintain a large number of small and old libraries
• The Council’s plans appear to have focussed specifically on the issue of asset management and cost saving rather than the need to provide FREE access to books
• Social impact on communities loosing there libraries does not justify the financial saving
• No consideration has been given to the needs of sections of the community living in deprived areas and the housing expansion in some of these areas
• No travel impact assessment was carried out about how older people, disabled, children, young families and the unemployed were going to use and afford transport links to the remaining libraries
• The Council have displayed a lack of logic around why some libraries have been recommended for closure and not others.
• It is very unclear what criteria the Council have used to reach judgements on balancing the need to provide a comprehensive and efficient service that is compliant with the Act
• Oxford and Oxfordshire have a diverse population. For many there is an excellent quality of life with access to good housing, schooling, leisure and employment opportunities. For others there is unemployment, low skills level, poor housing, anti-social behaviour. The restructuring will mean it is harder for people to escape their social class and have aspirations for the kind of advancement that reading can provide for them.
• Closure of libraries would mean not only a loss of books but the removal of FREE access to computers, internet and information necessary for up skilling people so they can enter the work place, in homes where there are limited resources.
• The elderly, disabled and unemployed will have their convenient access to FREE books removed, little consideration being given to the most vulnerable in our communities
• Children (of a certain age) can have independent use of local libraries which they will not have when local libraries close
• Additional travelling costs and time will effect library use when local libraries close
• Adequate library provision at a local level is key to improving educational opportunities and raising standards. The plans show little regard for the needs of children who are already suffering because of the educational cuts which are having an impact on resources in schools
• Libraries play an important role in supporting learning and reducing barriers to learning particularly for those pupils who come from disadvantaged backgrounds
I apologise for any items where I have made wrong assumptions but this has arisen from the Council’s lack of transparency during this whole process.

I would appreciate your comments on these matters.

Lynda Hayward

A few thoughts about the proposed closure of Headington Library

2011-01-15T19:37:00.000Z

I am sure you all agree libraries are part of the foundation of our culture; they are vital to Headington as the local post office, school, hospital and church.

This barbaric act to close Headington Library is an attack against our civilization and our individual liberties. I must mention the role Headington Library plays for the visually impaired user, do they expect such users to make their way to the Central Library?

Headington must rise up and form an active community group to fight this barbaric policy, and we have the full support of Headington’s many writers, including Peter Hitchens and Brian Aldiss.

Headington Library plays a vital part in the process of improving social mobility, peoples opportunities to learn, find new jobs and grow.

Abolishing Headington Library means turning Headington into a cultural and learning desert for its residents.

We must fight back against the council and government to preserve our freedom to learn and appreciate Oxford’s culture.

Nicholas Newman www.oxfordprospect.co.uk

Save Headington Library Campaign mentioned on BBC Oxford

2011-01-13T15:34:00.000Z

see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-12161731 and at least 483 people have put their name to Save Headington e-petition at
http://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=10&TPID=138315

A Protest Letter to Keith Mitchell

2011-01-12T10:39:00.000Z

Public Meeting a great success!

2011-01-12T00:04:00.001Z

Last night's meeting at St.Andrew's School was a great success, an estimated 300 people crowded the meeting hall. Speakers from all over Headington spoke at this meeting from a teacher at Baynards School in Barton to well-known writer Peter Hitchens.

Save Headington Library Campaign Group briefed the audience about the issues behind the proposed closure of Headington Library. Councillors including Roy Darke and Roz Smith were invited to speak and answer questions.

In addition, the audience was briefed about the legal options to appeal against the County Council's closure proposals.

At the end of the meeting, people were invited to join Save Headington Library Campaign Group.

Could Headington Library be part of World Book Night?

2011-01-10T10:19:00.000Z

On Saturday, March 5th there is an event called World Book Night, and – on one night – a million books will be given away free by 20,000 ‘givers’, from a list of 25 titles. There’s a website where you can register to give books away: http://www.worldbooknight.org/

Headington Library could participate by being one of the locations to distribute free books if they applied to http://www.worldbooknight.org/become-a-giver/apply-to-be-a-book-giver/ by January 24th.

Some Legal Questions Against Library Closures

2011-01-09T22:37:00.000Z

The legal basis of local authority library services in England is the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, which says that, "It shall be the duty of every library authority to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof".

The Act goes on to list some of the considerations which local authorities need to consider when satisfying themselves that their provision is "comprehensive and efficient". One of these is "encouraging both adults and children to make full use of the library service". This in itself is a significant objection to the Conservatives' proposals. As with many other proposed cuts (like the cuts to Oxfordshire's youth service), the withdrawal of substantial library provision will unfairly affect children and young people. Children don't have independent access to transport. (And, of course, they can't vote, which might explain why children and young people have been disproportionately targeted by the Coalition's spending review.) It will become much more difficult for young people in, say, Blackbird Leys, Headington or Summertown to make full use of the library service if local facilities are shut.

The fundamental question is how the Conservatives can claim that cutting almost half the libraries in Oxfordshire will leave the county with a "comprehensive" service. Culture minister (and Oxfordshire MP) Ed Vaizey has placed the emphasis on an "efficient" rather than a "comprehensive" library service in a letter to author and campaigner Alan Gibbons: "When the funding available decreases it is inevitable that to stay efficient authorities will need to make changes to their library service," he wrote.

This is a telling interpretation, equating as it does "efficiency" with "cost". It is also, I think, wrong. Read in the context of the Act as a whole, "efficient" arguably refers not simply to the cost of the service, but to the usefulness and ease of accessing the resources of a library. It also rather pre-judges the issue and it remains to be seen whether Ed Vaizey's comments (as they have been reported) are entirely consistent with the application of the 1964 Act.

Cllr Richard Stevens
Leys & Lye Division
Oxfordshire County Council
richard.stevens@oxfordshire.gov.uk