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
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Public Meeting a great success!
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.
Monday, 10 January 2011
Could Headington Library be part of World Book Night?
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.
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Some Legal Questions Against Library Closures
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
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
Oxford Lawyer suggests need to take High Court Action!
LIBRARIES: Closures 'could be illegal'
10:10am Saturday 8th January 2011 Oxford Mail
County Council could face a legal challenge in the High Court over plans to cut funding for youth services and libraries. Suggests Oxford Lawyer and Councillor Richard Stevens To read more .
Library League Table
Headington is Oxford's third busiest library!
Oxford City Library League Table
1.Oxford Central Library - 582,900 visits - 676,417 items issued
2.Temple Cowley Library - 196,000 visits - 217,458 items issued
3.Headington Library - 153,350 visits - 136,804 items issued
4.Botley Library - 89,750 visits - 78,825 items issued
5.Blackbird Leys - 21,950 visits - 29,206 items issued
6. Old Marston Library - 7,000 visits - 20,541 items issued
The top twelve libraries for visit figures in Oxfordshire 2009-2010 were as follows:
1.Oxford Central
2.Banbury
3.Abingdon
4.Witney
5.Temple Cowley
6.Wantage
7.Henley
8.Headington
9.Didcot
10.Bicester
11.Summertown
12.Kidlington
Source:
various sources including County Librarian Office http://ruthwilkinson.mycouncillor.org.uk/categories/Bury%20Knowle%20Library/
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