Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Haringey's libraries are the tops!
From the Haringey Indy
MORE than half of all Haringey's residents use its libraries making them some of the most popular in London, according to Government statistics.
Interim figures from the Department of Culture, Media and Sports show that almost 60 per cent of people in the borough have used Haringey libraries over the past year.
It means that Haringey libraries are in the top one per cent of library authorities in the country.
Obligatory quote
I love posting good news about libraries!
MORE than half of all Haringey's residents use its libraries making them some of the most popular in London, according to Government statistics.
Interim figures from the Department of Culture, Media and Sports show that almost 60 per cent of people in the borough have used Haringey libraries over the past year.
It means that Haringey libraries are in the top one per cent of library authorities in the country.
Obligatory quote
I love posting good news about libraries!
Tags for Forum Posts: libraries
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stuart on
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Funny to think that when I first moved to the area in the late 90's, Haringey was hell-bent on drastically cutting the hours and opening times of most of them - I recall the Quernmore Road one was threatened with being 3 days a week.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Haringey Libraries got slammed by the Audit Commission in 2001. (And those were the days when we still had some respect for its judgements.) David Warwick, then Haringey Chief Executive took drastic action - including hiring Diana Edmonds to manage the Library Service.
By 2004 the service was turning around rapidly and the Audit Commission gave us a 'good' rating. For example, you may have seen a short piece in The Guardian about Stroud Green Library.
On that very same day The Guardian also carried a story about the national situation. Headed "British Libraries could shut by 2020" it warned that "libraries are starting to die on their feet".
As someone who is fascinated by organisational behaviour and culture, I suggested to David Warwick that Haringey's senior managers might learn something from what went right in the Libraries. Sadly Mr Warwick left us.
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Permalink Reply by PeterPiper on
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Seems like you are saying that you have no respect for the Audit Commission when it is critical, but when it gives it's blessing, you respect them.
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Apologies, PeterPiper, if I wasn't clear
In 2001 the Audit Commission's highly critical "Best Value" assessment was spot-on. Our libraries were very run down. They needed and got - not just extra cash and new books - but new enthusiasm, skills, inspiration, and renewed confidence.
Councillors - including me - fully accepted the 2001 assessment. I'd invite you to look at Haringey's submission to Parliament's Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport in November 2004. It listed the achievements of the service in turning itself around. But admitted candidly that in 2001 our Libraries were "a failing service".
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Thank you for the clarification Alan. Apologies accepted
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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I know a little about the now-excellent Stroud Green Public Library, because the intention by the council to close it was the first thing that got me interested in local affairs.
It was not that the libraries were very run down due to a lack of cleaning, repairs or maintenance. After deliberately running down some branch libraries by slashing opening hours, the intention was to sell off first Stroud Green and Highgate libraries and then very likely other "branch" libraries, with St. Annes the next on the chopping block.
I wish I had kept a letter from "Lord" Toby Harris, then council leader, in response to my complaint about the slashed opening hours and days at Stroud Green Library. The gist of his reply was that the cuts had been agreed with the unions so it was okay. I was so disgusted with this response, I threw the letter away.
The policy in the late 1990s was to get rid of most if not all little unimportant branch libraries and have just two "super" libraries, with marvellous resources and career structure for librarians. But as for access and a real service to the public, it would have been a huge mistake. The then person in charge, a dreadful woman, said that she was "not a landlady", this by way of justifying closures and that individual also thanked me for my support! This person has moved on.
I remain amazed that this hair-brained policy got as far as it did. Even the local councillor Josie Irwin, who was then deputy leader of the council, was not informed of the impending closure (!) and she managed to halt it in the nick of time. What does this say?
I rarely borrow books from Stroud Green, but often use the newspaper reading area.
I am pleased to say that the oldest and probably smallest library in the Borough, Stroud Green, is now a thriving branch library, with a helpful friendly librarian in Don Holtum and with an effective leader of the library service in Diana Edmonds. If the top floor was brought into community use, Stroud Green library would be everything it could be.
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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Is there any evidence that folk are READING more books ?
To me, this is the issue.
Before anybody pats themself on the back lets look at why folk are going to libraries more.
I would estimate that folk are going to libraries because DVDs' are cheap to borrow.
I noticed a statistic that stuck out: Authors with names beginning with 'A' to 'D' were most popular when the 'take out 4 books, get a DVD free' offers occur. This is because the 'A' to 'D' section is nearest the check out desk where the offers are displayed.
Person goes to library to hire DVD, gets to checkout, sees that it's free to hire DVD if you take out 4 books, they dash to nearest bookshelf ('A' to 'D' section), grab 4 books.
Are more books being borrowed ? yes.
Are more books being read ? not proven.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Well after you've watched the DVD, you may as well pick up the book. I have to hit a button to turn off a movie so often don't when I should but who hasn't caught themselves unable to put down a book at 3am? I think you should have a little more faith in books but it's the internets, also disturbingly addictive, that we need to worry about.
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Permalink Reply by GillianM on
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Does it really matter if people are reading or not? If it means that a great public service survives for you to hire books from (or whatever service you want from it) then maybe there's no issue.
Also if your "genuine" book browsing (not related to DVDs!) starts at A then you must be more likely to select from A-D than any other group too....
The Stroud Green library is a fantastic resource for kids and parents - can't praise it enough! (and excellent DVD selection ;-)
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Gillian.
Are more books being read ? thats my point, you're jumping ahead of my point.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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Why is it the issue ? Libraries are multi use, they always have been.
That Haringey has turned a moribund service into something so successful is to be celebrated and as Alan suggests, perhaps learned from...
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