Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Camden libraries face grim reaper - a taste of Xmas future in Haringey?
A story in this week's Ham & High reports on current, but as yet unfinalised plans, to cut the boroughs libraries by three quarters.
Does this news presage a similar fate for our libraries?
(Click picture to maginify)
Does this news presage a similar fate for our libraries?
(Click picture to maginify)
Tags for Forum Posts: libraries, public spending cuts
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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This story seems to have been picked up on Twitter and we've been offered this cartoon by a group who campaigned to save Swindon's Old Town Library:
(Cartoon by Theresa McCracken)
Methinks there'll be an increasing number of groups like this around the country.
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Permalink Reply by 3h3q0ksukd3p0 on
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Dear All
Swindon's Old Town Library is safe -- It has now moved into the Arts Centre nearby, for which we are thankful. It was a long struggle. However, who knows what cuts there will be to the library service here. The situation does not look great for staff whom we value greatly. So we continue to campaign for community libraries through our website and keep it up-to-date, so as to let everyone know what is going on locally and nationally. I am very grateful to the cartoonist, Theresa McCracken, for giving us permission to circulate her superb cartoon !
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If you look at the detail of the recent CSR and the changes to Treasury spending rules, it encourages those dependent on central government funding to front load cuts to the first 2 years [many organisations will try to do this before the end of this financial year as they are no longer allowed to carry over any “surplus” cash] of the review period although this is not publicly said. For most public bodies up to 70% of their costs are staff, the government is currently working to bring new primary legislation through Parliament by mid-December to significantly reduce the cost of making public sector staff redundant - they previously tried to make these changes using the existing provisions, but as they failed to secure the agreement of all 5 unions they had to take this new route.
The ConLib hope is that by the time the next election comes around in the new fixed term Parliament the future expansion of public spending proposed in the CSR [subject to prevailing economic conditions] will be having its maximum effect in voter’s minds – just don’t expect to be served by a professional librarian!
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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"Front-load cuts". Seems to be a brand-new borrowing from Obfuscandian.
Would you like to suggest a helpful translation ─ both for people who may have a rough idea what it means; and also for those who have none at all. Some worked-through practical examples would be even better.
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Alan,
Sorry if this was unclear, but as there has been general discussion around the CSR both on this site and in the press I thought most of the issues were know. If anyone is having trouble sleeping the CSR detail is available here: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/spend_index.htm [beware of the spin].
All publicly funded bodies have had a recruitment freeze in place since the general election [some prior to this] by government order although the funding for these posts is still in place for the time being [if not already cut through the in-year 3% cuts imposed immediately after the election which wasn't mentioned in the CSR]. This means most public bodies have "spare" cash until the end of this financial year.
Under the new Treasury rules, if they decide to make staff redundant this financial year or identify staff to be made redundant this year and execute next financial year they are allowed to use this “spare” cash for redundancy arrangements. If they wait until next year to do this, they lose this “spare” cash to the Treasury at the end of this financial year and will have to make further cuts from next years budget to fund the cuts – in previous years, bodies have had the leeway to carry funds over to the next financial year, but this is no longer allowed. This makes planning for any longer term projects more challenging and provides incentives to make any staff reductions by March at the latest.
My own organisation is planning to make over 10% of staff redundant this financial year using the above arrangements [once the primary legislation clears Parliament in mid-December] although once you take into account those staff on fixed term contracts, etc, who are not counted in the main numbers the final number of staff going by the end of the CSR period will be much higher as the recruitment freeze remains in place until further notice.
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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Manchester Police to cut 3000 jobs from current 12,000 strong workforce, announced today.
So that's the loss of jobs from many different sectors, benefits clampdown and prices still rising on essentials like food and gas for cooking and heating. But that's OK because the third, fourth, fifth sectors (charities) .... will help out with providing desperately needed services (according to the coalition). Trouble is many smaller & medium sized charities are reporting less funding and some are closing down (Radio 4 report last night). Que possible rise in crime. Pick up the phone, ring the police .... ah, the police have been cut back. Chaos .... probably.
A few tenuous links made above. Sorry, don't have the time or funding to do a year long report on the matter for some university (also suffering cutbacks). But it doesn't take too much imagination to see that crime will be rising. Maybe a little sanctuary from all this doom & gloom by visiting one of those free librairies .... Ah, it's locked and the lights are out.
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An interesting model reported in tonight's ES:
"An independent library could provide the model for saving 130 in the capital that are council-run and threatened by public spending cuts.
"As most boroughs prepare to slash about a third of the city's book- borrowing services, Britain's only jointly funded, independent public library is beating the cuts.
"Upper Norwood Joint Library has running costs half that of similar-size council-run services but stocks the same bestsellers among its 67,000 books and DVDs, and has a state-of-the-art computer suite.
"The secret, said chief librarian Bradley Millington, is being able to negotiate cheaper deals because local government red tape is bypassed.
"He said: "When you compare the total cost of running this place, it is proportionally 50 per cent cheaper than the London average." Upper Norwood was founded in 1899 with the promise that it would be funded by Lambeth and Croydon councils but would always be run by an independent committee.
Read the full article in the Evening Standard.......
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Permalink Reply by James Atherton on
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Thank-you Hugh, I found it a very interesting article. I would hate to see library provision in the borough cut. If there is a method which could save 50%, and in doing so save the library services. I would hope the council are looking into it.
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And here's a press release from Haringey today:
COOMBES CROFT IS BACK – BIGGER AND BETTER
Coombes Croft library in Tottenham was officially re-opened on Friday after a major refit.
Renovation work costing £1m has been carried out at the library on the High Road. The funding from the Big Lottery Fund has also meant that the library has been extended.
It’s now one of the most up-to-date libraries in the capital and boasts the latest facilities including areas set aside for community meetings and facilities for children and young people.
The renovation also uncovered a hidden local landmark. While foundation work was being carried out at the front of the building, workmen found the Moselle Brook running under the pavement.
Plans were then modified with a glass viewing panel added so that people can now see the brook.
Cllr Dilek Dogus, Cabinet Member for adult and community services, said:
“This work has transformed Coombes Croft. It’s a fantastic library for local people.
“We want it to become a focus for the local community – a place where groups can meet.
“We’re very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for their very generous grant which has meant that this work could go ahead.”
As part of the work, the front of the library has been rebuilt and an extension built at the back.
Alison Rowe, Big Lottery Fund Head of Region for London, said:
“Libraries sit at the heart of our communities so are ideally placed to host a range of important local services. Coombes Croft Library is one of 58 across England that the Big Lottery Fund has funded through its multi-million pound Community Libraries programme, to enable libraries to offer a range of community services beyond their traditional role.”
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was represented at the re-opening by young professionals Nathan Byrne and Jake Nicholson.
As part of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s close relationship with Haringey’s Library Services, players from the club’s youth academy regularly take part in storytelling sessions with children in the borough’s libraries, including Coombes Croft, through the Kick Into Reading programme.
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A further alternative for local libraries from LocalGov.co.uk:
Sell libraries to community groups, says think tank
Creating the Big Society could be achieved by selling off assets such as libraries to community groups, a think tank has claimed.
The policy group ResPublica warned that prized public assets could be lost forever with a limited return to taxpayers if the Government starts a 'fire sale' to cut its debts.
Its report, To Buy, To Bid, To Build (pdf) argued the Government's Big Society initiative would fail unless community groups were supported to take over assets such as libraries and leisure centres.
If not, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds or major corporate players will sweep up assets created from taxation.
The report was launched by local government minister Greg Clark who is also in charge of decentralisation.
The think tank concluded that not supporting community groups would only serve to cement the inequalities in wealth distribution that already exist.
ResPublica warned: 'Meaningful assets and market entry have become the preserve of the rich.'
It highlighted that currently the poorest households in the UK have no stake in society.
The report said: 'In fact, the bottom 10% of society has a negative net wealth. This disparity is even starker in terms of financial wealth, with the bottom half of households in Britain owning 1%, whilst the top 20% accounts for 84%.'
But the group argued this would not be solved by keeping the status quo in public services: 'The welfare state was designed for a demographic pyramid which no longer exists and has built a culture of passive dependence which Beveridge never imagined and would have abhorred.'
The report added: 'Public assets can and, wherever desirable, should become community assets, owned mutually or by individual shareholders or stakeholders in association with communities.
'We have an unprecedented opportunity to lay the foundations for a truly popular and meaningful "Big Society" by simultaneously capitalising civil society and spreading ownership.
'More importantly, we have an opportunity to achieve a bottom-up prosperity that builds resilient and independent communities capable of providing individuals with sustainable exits from poverty and entrances into wealth and well-being.'
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