The great British library betrayal: Closures have brought national network to brink of ‘absolute disaster’, reveals official inquiry
Library services are on the brink of disaster and can only be saved if they become more like coffee shops with wi-fi, sofas and hot drinks, a report will recommend on Thursday.
A combination of funding cuts and declining attendance threatens the viability of the library network unless urgent action is taken, according to the Independent Library Report for England, which was commissioned by the Government.
“We’re at a critical moment for the libraries and if we’re not careful we could lose so many,” William Sieghart, who wrote the report, told The Independent. “I and a lot of people think it would be an absolute disaster.”
His report – which has been hailed as the last chance to halt a decline in which 324 libraries have closed since 2011 – recommends a complete “reinvigoration of the library network” for the 21st century, with every library in the country fitted with wi-fi to attract people who would otherwise spend time in cafés. A drive to make libraries truly digital could also lead to the creation of single national library card and catalogue, allowing readers to withdraw books across the country.
The complete article on the report can be viewed on the Independent website at:-
http://www.independent.co.uk/the-great-british-library-betrayal
Bromley Council are consulting about options for the future of the Bromley Library Service which includes:
the development of community managed libraries
market testing the core library service
improving current library buildings
Surveys can be completed online or in your local library.
William Sieghart (born 1960) is a British philanthropist, entrepreneur, publisher and the founder of the Forward Prizes for Poetry. To find out more about him on Wikipedia click on :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sieghart
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