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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

I logged on to the online library catalogue yesterday (the due date for my books) to find the message "overdue - 7 January" with a 20p fine against each of the books.  I rang the old number for my local library and was automatically transferred to the new central system.  After going through the inevitable menu, the person I spoke to was unable to access my account and after several attempts said he would phone the library and see what they could do.  During the course of this conversation he informed me "I am not allowed to give you the phone number of x library".

He called me back about 5 mins later to say that this had not worked but gamely tried again and actually got into my account, renewed the books and waived the fines.  This process took about 20-25 mins and although I laughed at the time, it concerns me that this is yet another example of centralisation and the "drive to digital" simply not working.

   

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Heather, it would be nice gesture if the system could give sufficient warning of one's borrowed books about to go overdue. It seems technically feasible and I have suggested this. After all, if a particular book is reserved, there is the capability of receiving an automated phone call to inform one that it's ready for collection.

I remember being impressed with that service.

The phone numbers of libraries have not previously been a Council secret. One fear I had when the name was changed at my local library, from Stroud Green, was the length of the librarian's answer, i.e. Good Morning Stroud Green and Harringay library. Surely the the length of the longer name cannot be the reason for the secrecy?

As Claire Kober the Dear Leader has pledged to keep all the libraries open, cuts have had to be on staff and running costs.

So the next logical stage would be to retain the same number of libraries while "shrinking" the library buildings. They could do this by selling-off some while "re-providing" or at least promising to find alternative premises. Or they could reallocate part of the space within a library for other purposes.

A concrete example of the former is Coombes Croft Library on Love Lane Estate in the Tottenham "War Zone" where the Dear Leader has promised a new twentyfirst Century library - whatever that means. It's also possible that the Council have the Muswell Hill Library in their sights for the site value.

An example of the latter is a rumour circulating about the Marcus Garvey Library - part of the Tottenham Leisure Centre complex. As Pam Isherwood has written on HoL, the Council has cooked up a deal to sell off and develop Apex House at the junction of High Road Tottenham and Seven Sisters Road. (Details of which are of course secret in the usual foetid way Kober & Co do business with public assets.)

Also as far as I know still under wraps, are the plans for relocation of the Customer Services Centre at Apex House. The rumour is that the Council is considering moving the Centre to one of the two floors of Marcus Garvey Library.

I dislike rumours and try to avoid spreading them. But the Council can squash rumours quite easily by simply telling the whole truth.  So people may be interested to read a Freedom of Information Act question on 14 October 2014 by Laura Harrison. (Not a name I know.) Laura asked perfectly reasonable and clear questions about the Relocation of the Customer Services Centre at Apex House. She refers to the minutes of the "Cabinet" on 15th July 2014 which briefly mentioned the intended relocation "to Tottenham Green". With two sets of proposals for the short and long term relocation of the Customer Services Centre.

Legally Haringey were required to reply within twenty working days. On 11th November - the last possible day - they gave a single line answer. "Information will be made available to the Council’s Cabinet in January 2015."

Laura Harrison replied on 8 January 2015 - again with an entirely reasonable and courteous request.

"Many thanks for looking into this for me. I'd be really grateful if you could update me with an exact date, once this becomes known. If possible, it would also be really helpful if you could eventually provide the relevant documents, and also any information about opportunities for public comment, once these become available."

Haringey replied on the same day. They pretended that they didn't understand her question and needed "clarification". And in the meantime, stopped the F.o.I "clock" running.

"We have now considered your request but need to seek clarification in order to identify and locate the information that you have asked for. Please clarify your request by being more specific about what information you wish to obtain, including any dates or period of time relevant to the information required. Please note that we will take no further action on this request until we receive clarification from you. Once we receive the information we need we will acknowledge your request and respond to it within the statutory timescale of 20 days."

I'm not blaming the staff for this. They are put in an impossible position by a secretive and rotting political culture.

It would be useful to have some accurate insider information about what's happening in our libraries.

Staff at Marcus Garvey have been told of the plans, word is out, there is a campaign to Save Marcus Garvey Library services on Facebook (yes, I know some people don't really use FB) and a petition up on Change.org - a lot of us are particularly exercised because the proposal to make space for Housing Services seems to be at the expense, among others, of those of us who use the children's library and its activity sessions with our kids. At this point, if the information I've been repeating is wrong, I would be glad of any clarification. But we can't wait for jobs and services to be lost before we actually start campaigning, whatever the opinion of certain councillors.

I've called the library recently as well - well, tried to call it - and found it rather annoying having to speak to a person in a call centre (or wherever) who then called the library on my behalf. The issue of a lost property still isn't resolved after 3 phone calls. Working for  council myself, I sometimes cannot see the sense behind such changes.

There seem to be two parallel threads on this. Perhaps the admins can bring them together?

I had this experience trying to contact a library in another borough yesterday. I was told that I couldn't speak to someone in that branch on the phone, and that I'd have to go in to sort things out.

By coincidence, Zena and I were strolling in the sunshine this afternoon when we bumped into someone who doesn't work for the Council but had heard more about about the rumoured plans for Marcus Garvey Library. The 'word on the street' - actually Seven Sisters Road - is that discussions behind the secret curtain include:

  • Taking away half the library space;
  • Moving the Customer Services Centre there;
  • Shutting down the Children's Library desk;
  • Sacking some of the staff. 

Now maybe all this is invented and untrue. Or maybe not. But, frankly, if there are any such plans - even at an outline sketchy stage - I cannot understand why the Council has not shared them formally, with staff, library users and the general public.

Sure, there may be protests; people may want to speak out; maybe run a campaign. But so what? That's how democracies work. Most people are not stupid. They know about the appalling Government cuts. They realise that slashing the money usually means slashing services. Why not let sunlight and fresh air into the Council's deliberations and tell people the truth as early as possible?

Not least when someone who is clearly concerned about local services and her local library takes the trouble to make a Freedom of Information Act request.

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