tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post5032404525509192977..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: WITH LIBRARIES IN MIND by Penny DolanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-24719196784726631362017-04-04T18:56:13.729+01:002017-04-04T18:56:13.729+01:00Well, yes, I do have some understanding of the hum...Well, yes, I do have some understanding of the human character. <br /><br />Here's a quiet day in Cheddar Library, some while before the events mentioned above.<br /><br />I was quietly working away at my sundry activities on one of the internet PC's. <br /><br />A woman came into the library, walked over, and sat down at the PC beside me. I also heard some exchange of words at the assistants counter behind me. <br /><br />The woman had a shopping bag with her. As she busied herself with logon, I noticed in the edge pf my vision, a small movement. I looked at it properly, and saw something black and wet emerge from the other contents. It was the the nose of a tiny dog.<br /><br />At that moment, an assistant appeared at our shoulders, and announced.. "You have a dog. You can't bring a dog in here.". <br /><br />And there then ensued a back and forth discussion, with the woman becoming more and more upset, and the assistant demanding that she leave. Without going into all the descriptives, I don't think the woman was part of the Harrods-shopper set. Indeed she looked like her tiny dog was just about her only companion in life. <br /><br />Anyway, she ended up over at the assistants counter, in tears, where the assistant threatened to call the police to eject her. This didn't work, and the assistant called the police. <br /><br />The police arrived. They weren't interested in anything the woman had to say. Directive, uncompromising. "You're leaving this building now..."<br /><br />At this point, I walked over, and said .. " This is an utter disgrace..." I turned to the woman, and said... "If you need a witness to the behaviour of this bunch, I'll do that..". <br /><br />There was an immediate change of attitude by the police. They clearly smelled trouble. <br />The woman did agree to leave. <br /><br />Just another day in the life of a small rural library.Andrew Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14063661979113168003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-63509789438114803202017-04-01T23:00:30.380+01:002017-04-01T23:00:30.380+01:00People don't always behave well when their job...People don't always behave well when their jobs are under threat and they are obliged to do something they have no wish to do, Andrewe, and volunteers do bring their own agendas. Sorry your library is such an unhappy place. Another sad story - and no I don't think all libraries or librarians are perfect either. Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-5893333102637174132017-04-01T22:10:28.383+01:002017-04-01T22:10:28.383+01:00I just wonder how many people, here and elsewhere,...I just wonder how many people, here and elsewhere, make all the right noises about libraries, but really, they're wedded to their Kindles. <br /><br />A few years ago, my local library was under threat of closure. I used it for borrowing books, and internet access, almost every day of the three and a half days a week that it opened. <br /><br />The library staff made orchestrated noises about the local community supporting a petition<br />to save the library. I responded, as did numerous others, and a committee was formed.<br /><br />About a dozen people, as I recall. I recognised 1 person I'd ever seen in the library.<br />Most of the rest were there because they had their own agenda. One, an author,<br />wanted to set up their stall in the library to sell her book on an open day. A local arts group wanted to take over most of the window space as a billboard. Etc, etc. <br /><br />I voiced my concerns to the library supervisor, and received a very snarky response..<br />"We're doing this whether you like it or not...". The library was being 'communitised'. <br /><br />About a week later, someone approached me in a local shop, and said they didn't like<br />the attitude of staff in the library. That person too had commented on what was going on.<br /><br />The next time I was in the library, I tackled the supervisor in a terse tone... "Quite a big change in your attitude since you were begging members to save the library..". <br />This got me banned. I informed the rest of the committee by email. No response, or <br />interest in why. <br /><br />In the 4 years since then, I've borrowed one book from that library. If it closed tomorrow<br />I could hardly care less. Andrew Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14063661979113168003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-29985805232334396402017-04-01T16:37:47.801+01:002017-04-01T16:37:47.801+01:00What a brilliant post Penny... thank you! not just...What a brilliant post Penny... thank you! not just the marvellous history of your growing up with books but the discussion of library cuts and the concept of volunteers. I agree with you. They are not the answer even though the volunteers themselves might be civic minded and well meaning. <br />I believe there was a debate in the House of Lords this week but couldn't find it online a moment ago when I searched... only an older debate from last year which said that the saving on libraries and librarians being axed, would in the long run have to be spent on prisons and security as more and more people fell into poverty because of the fall in education, the lack of access to books and the lack of reading skills. <br />Fools we are! <br /><br /><br />Dianne Hofmeyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222157214605257030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-64782904459361885262017-04-01T15:25:21.016+01:002017-04-01T15:25:21.016+01:00Thanks, everyone. This a post I've been wantin...Thanks, everyone. This a post I've been wanting to write for quite a long time. <br /><br />I know lots of people enjoy the thought of running a library - or a bookshop - for that matter, but that doesn't mean they will have all the skills and knowledge, not even after seven training sessions, four of which are, I think, online. And think how tough it must be for all the librarians who are losing their roles, if not their actual jobs, to spend time training those who will replace them.<br /><br />The WI (yes, WI itself!) put out a report "On Permanent Loan" about the use of volunteers in Community Libraries and it wasn't full of praise for the idea or the consequences, either.Penny Dolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386668303428008498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-28497090984451382642017-04-01T14:35:24.885+01:002017-04-01T14:35:24.885+01:00Thanks for writing this - such a sad sign of the t...Thanks for writing this - such a sad sign of the times.Joan Lennonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763862159032836768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-50695898089446306682017-04-01T14:09:27.196+01:002017-04-01T14:09:27.196+01:00Excellent post, Penny. If only a few people in go...Excellent post, Penny. If only a few people in government would read it, especially those whose single bright idea consists of using volunteers to run everything, most notably libraries! (I entirely agree with Sue, too, about the creeping return to Want and Ignorance!) Of course using volunteers saves money, but that ignores the main point: surely if a job needs doing, someone should be trained and paid to do it properly? No matter how good and well-meaning the volunteers are, this cannot be allowed to become a permanent solution. I suspect your link to the interview with a volunteer is spot on, and much nearer the truth than the flannel we've all been fed about what a clever scheme it is. Long live libraries!Lynne Bentonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14412874594191347503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-63786919352073949102017-04-01T10:53:18.677+01:002017-04-01T10:53:18.677+01:00Both of you are right. The kind of interlinked lib...Both of you are right. The kind of interlinked library system we used to enjoy can't be run with impermanent volunteer, half-trained staff. I respect their efforts and good will but it can't be done.<br />Cameron knew this very well - or maybe he didn't. My opinion of Cameron has sunk even lower than even I believed possible since the day he guffed about 'the Big Society.' His Tory advisors, anyway, knew perfectly well that this was a sop to the one or two Tory flickerings of guilt, to shut them up while they got on with destroying everything worthwhile in our society. They want their precious Victorian Values back: they're welcoming back this girl, Want and this boy, Ignorance. Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-35569780415121919332017-04-01T09:49:53.794+01:002017-04-01T09:49:53.794+01:00I share your concerns about running libraries with...I share your concerns about running libraries with volunteers...Sue Purkisshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09084528571944803477noreply@blogger.com