Hi-de-Hi! Butlin's-style red T-shirts to be deployed as uniforms in the Borough's Libraries? … seems not! - Harringay online2024-03-29T01:49:37Zhttps://harringayonline.com/forum/topics/butlin-s-style-red-tops-to-come-to-the-borough-s-libraries?commentId=844301%3AComment%3A836153&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThought you might be interest…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-12:844301:Comment:8364212016-02-12T14:58:03.339ZMichael Andersonhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/17bathgate
Thought you might be interested in this article which is a day in the life of a typical library<br />
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<a href="https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2016/01/yoga-stand-up-comedy-silent-bears-and-screaming/" target="_blank">https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2016/01/yoga-stand-up-comedy-silent-bears-and-screaming/</a>
Thought you might be interested in this article which is a day in the life of a typical library<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2016/01/yoga-stand-up-comedy-silent-bears-and-screaming/" target="_blank">https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2016/01/yoga-stand-up-comedy-silent-bears-and-screaming/</a> I agree, Luci. But before som…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8361032016-02-11T22:30:31.727ZAlan Stantonhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/AlanStanton
<p>I agree, Luci. But before someone says 'nit-picking', let's please remember that Haringey has a large "Comms Team' who supposedly know how to proofread a draft before publication (on paper or online).</p>
<p>However, my worry goes deeper. Do the people who generate this stuff understand the services they're writing about? Or is this simply a string of phrases they think sound modern and fashionable? The sort of upbeat guff required. <br></br><br></br>It's perfect for a game of bullshit bingo. So…</p>
<p>I agree, Luci. But before someone says 'nit-picking', let's please remember that Haringey has a large "Comms Team' who supposedly know how to proofread a draft before publication (on paper or online).</p>
<p>However, my worry goes deeper. Do the people who generate this stuff understand the services they're writing about? Or is this simply a string of phrases they think sound modern and fashionable? The sort of upbeat guff required. <br/><br/>It's perfect for a game of bullshit bingo. So here's my rough translation of what they wrote.</p>
<p><em>"Haringey London is looking at the future with excitement and anticipation."</em><br/> [Translation: Yet another fine mess by this failing Council. Put something vague and upbeat.]<br/> "We recognise that our Residents, Businesses and Visitors deserve modern and fulfilling interactions."<br/> [Translation: People expect the Council to provide proper professional services. That's not going to happen under Kober. So cover up with some waffle about interactions.]<br/> <em>"We acknowledge the need to transform our Customer Service offering and we are adamant to be totally Customer Focused." <br/></em> [Translation: Claire Kober pledged that every library would stay open. So cut the space and move in other services. Pretend it's an improvement.]</p>
<p><em><em>"We have a simple vision. To be a trusted organisation, where our customers have confidence that their current and future needs will be met in an efficient and effective way”.</em></em><br/>[Translation: Keep propaganda simple. Assume that our residents were born yesterday.</p>
<p><em>"In the newly created role of Head of Libraries and Customer Service Centres you will be leading and inspiring a Team which is passionate about Haringey and its Customers." <br/></em> [Translation: We used to have a Head of Libraries with a team who cared about libraries. Those days are dead and buried. Last century. Get Real. If people want books let them buy a laptop, an Amazon account, and a Kindle. That creates private sector jobs. <br/><br/> Please do look up and translate the remaining tosh yourselves. You'll find the usual bullshit words like: "<em>vision</em>"; <em>"resilience"; "Modernising" ;"making change happen"; "true transformation";</em> <em>"a journey"</em>; <em>"champions"</em> ; <em>digital world"</em> and <em>"self serve solutions";</em> <em>"our Libraries service being second to none."</em></p>
<p>But the prize for Bullshit Bingo must surely belong to this line: </p>
<blockquote><p><strong>To achieve our Vision we are investing in our technology, our places and our people.<br/></strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>[My translation: You <em>can</em> fool most of the people most of the time. Claire Kober has been doing it for six years. So keep smiling. And repeating words like 'Trust and Confidence'.]</p> "adamant to be" - that's sure…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8362452016-02-11T18:44:57.312ZLucihttps://harringayonline.com/profile/Luci
<p>"adamant to be" - that's surely not correct grammar. But this is the Council that outlined cuts in all our services in a document called Building a Stronger Haringey (or something like that)</p>
<p>"adamant to be" - that's surely not correct grammar. But this is the Council that outlined cuts in all our services in a document called Building a Stronger Haringey (or something like that)</p> That particular paragraph is…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8361532016-02-11T15:28:08.123ZAlan Stantonhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/AlanStanton
<p>That particular paragraph is spectacular gobbledegook. But the rest of the ad is shaming for different reasons. <br></br>And also - to be completely frank - a little bit weird. Given the massive cuts currently underway, with more expected from our right-wing Government and Council, the tone of shining optimism from the very first sentence of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">the…</span></p>
<p>That particular paragraph is spectacular gobbledegook. But the rest of the ad is shaming for different reasons. <br/>And also - to be completely frank - a little bit weird. Given the massive cuts currently underway, with more expected from our right-wing Government and Council, the tone of shining optimism from the very first sentence of <span style="text-decoration: underline;">the <a href="http://jobs.haringey.gov.uk/JobDetails.aspx/2536/Head_of_Libraries___Customer_Services_/?snextweeks=-1&Ssimple=&SSectors=-1&SSalary=-1&STerm=-1&Sdepartment_id=-1&SLocations=-1&SSchools=-1&SSubjects=-1&o=" target="_blank">job ad</a></span> might come across as bizarre.</p>
<p><em>"Haringey London is looking at the future with excitement and anticipation."</em><br/><em><br/>"We are adamant to be totally Customer Focused",</em> they announce. (Their capital letters.) This is followed by a string of empty PR phrases, with a tone of heady and surely irrational certainty. Their new "<em>trusted organisation"</em> they say, will meet <em>"our customers'</em> <em>"current and future needs ... in an efficient and effective way</em>”.</p>
<p>There's lots more. Who on earth writes this gibberish? Is it done-tongue-in-cheek?</p> I think you have a rose tinte…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8358152016-02-11T10:02:27.238ZMichael Andersonhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/17bathgate
I think you have a rose tinted view of how libraries work. When I worked in a library service, way back in 1979/80 I dealt with whatever presented itself. When I was somewhere like Queens Crescent library on the Gospel Oak estate it would be about how to apply for housing, how to complete a benefits application, where the nearest GP surgery was as well as finding the latest best seller or finding information to help with homework. Libraries are about what local people want and that isn't…
I think you have a rose tinted view of how libraries work. When I worked in a library service, way back in 1979/80 I dealt with whatever presented itself. When I was somewhere like Queens Crescent library on the Gospel Oak estate it would be about how to apply for housing, how to complete a benefits application, where the nearest GP surgery was as well as finding the latest best seller or finding information to help with homework. Libraries are about what local people want and that isn't dumbing down, it's being responsive. Is there anybody at the Counc…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8359502016-02-11T09:41:32.538ZJohn Dhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JohnD
<p>Is there anybody at the Council who can write plain, simple and correct English ?</p>
<p>Is there anybody at the Council who can write plain, simple and correct English ?</p> WELL John, I was pleased that…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8358812016-02-11T09:28:39.010ZClive Carterhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/CliveCarter
<p>WELL John, I was pleased that at least it said "… <em>users</em>", even if the rest wasn't right: actually, poorly written.</p>
<p>Last night at the briefing, the terms "library user" was not used once: it was all "customer' and customers, everywhere.</p>
<p>I pointed out that in normal parlance, a customer can take their custom elsewhere: but not when there's a monopoly supplier.</p>
<p>A Labour Councillor said that the term customer was widely used in local government, but that we [Labour]…</p>
<p>WELL John, I was pleased that at least it said "… <em>users</em>", even if the rest wasn't right: actually, poorly written.</p>
<p>Last night at the briefing, the terms "library user" was not used once: it was all "customer' and customers, everywhere.</p>
<p>I pointed out that in normal parlance, a customer can take their custom elsewhere: but not when there's a monopoly supplier.</p>
<p>A Labour Councillor said that the term customer was widely used in local government, but that we [Labour] on Left were uncomfortable with "customer" applied to community services (I mentally chuckled at the claim that local Labour was on the Left!).</p>
<p>I'd be happy to see this futile effort at English engineering, abandoned. Let's bring back "library user" and "passenger" and "parking-fine payer!"</p> Michael if "floorwalkers" are…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8358112016-02-11T09:12:46.894ZClive Carterhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/CliveCarter
<p>Michael if "floorwalkers" are <em>additional</em>, that's well and good. Of itself, that wouldn't dumb down a library, but it reflects the housing-information task two libraries will take on. However, I fear that professional librarians in two of the bigger libraries will be diverted from their normal duties, into directing large numbers of people to where they can obtain information about Housing Benefits etc.</p>
<p>While that is useful, it also represents a retreat from the proper…</p>
<p>Michael if "floorwalkers" are <em>additional</em>, that's well and good. Of itself, that wouldn't dumb down a library, but it reflects the housing-information task two libraries will take on. However, I fear that professional librarians in two of the bigger libraries will be diverted from their normal duties, into directing large numbers of people to where they can obtain information about Housing Benefits etc.</p>
<p>While that is useful, it also represents a retreat from the proper function of a library that IMO is more akin to continuing education than information about Homes for Haringey, a point I made last night. Apparently, the two libraries being converted to customer service centre were regarded as complacent and old fashioned. </p>
<p>Libraries are perhaps the single area where Haringey compares well with other Boroughs, and yet for many years, the council has not known what to do with them in administrative terms. I see the function and purpose of librarians as being closer to teachers than security guards/attendants.</p>
<p>I think they're moving in the wrong direction: I'd sooner see them allied with schools and education. The changes are driven by the need to reduce the council's estate (i.e. sell off property).</p>
<p></p> Thanks for the update.
You ma…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8357352016-02-11T08:49:49.909ZGordon Thttps://harringayonline.com/profile/GordonT
<p>Thanks for the update.</p>
<p>You may know this, but job applications close in a few days for the 'newly created' post of 'Head of Libraries and Customer Services'. Details…</p>
<p>Thanks for the update.</p>
<p>You may know this, but job applications close in a few days for the 'newly created' post of 'Head of Libraries and Customer Services'. Details <strong><a rel="nofollow" href="http://jobs.haringey.gov.uk/JobDetails.aspx/2536/Head_of_Libraries___Customer_Services_/?snextweeks=-1&Ssimple=&SSectors=-1&SSalary=-1&STerm=-1&Sdepartment_id=-1&SLocations=-1&SSchools=-1&SSubjects=-1&o=" target="_blank">here</a></strong>.</p>
<p><span>"<em>The role will ensure our investment in modernising our key Community Libraries is maximised and that Libraries users can truly benefits from an enhanced service offering spanning from traditional life-long learning opportunities to newly integrated self serve solutions and professional face to face support.</em>"</span></p> Don't denegrate floor walkers…tag:harringayonline.com,2016-02-11:844301:Comment:8358102016-02-11T08:49:23.775ZMichael Andersonhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/17bathgate
Don't denegrate floor walkers Clive. Good ones keep an eye on the people waiting and see if they can sort out straightforward things so that people don't have to queue; forms, where can I find X, general information and so on. I don't see how this is dumbing down a library.
Don't denegrate floor walkers Clive. Good ones keep an eye on the people waiting and see if they can sort out straightforward things so that people don't have to queue; forms, where can I find X, general information and so on. I don't see how this is dumbing down a library.