The Arts and Humanities Research Board is to be congratulated for the foresight in granting funding to enable Anne Goulding to undertake a major investigation into the state of UK public libraries. The findings clearly demonstrate the approach of the Blair government to planning and the impact this has had on the public library service. The volume presents a worrying picture of the current situation.
The evidence was gathered from published and unpublished documents, interviews with key stakeholders, and an examination of a sample of innovative services. It is presented in two parts. The first focuses on the environment in which the public library operates including the local authority context, the users, and the staff. The second part reviews service development – the people's network, regenerating communities, building communities, libraries and learning, books and reading. The last chapter considers public library futures. There is an extensive bibliography and an index.
When reading the text, the McColvin (1942) report sprang to mind. Dr Goulding (of Loughborough University) has handled the mass of evidence gathered with great skill and written a readable account of the complex area of government policies, external views of the service, changes in the operating environment, and the situation today. In many ways it is a disturbing text. We read of policy documents emanating from central government which affect the local authority context, the communities for which they have responsibility, and the public library service itself. Several years ago public libraries received a boost when the People's Network funded computers and internet access.
This brought a new group of users into public libraries – people who did not have internet access at home and who visited the public library to access information, emails etc. Many libraries made space but found that the new users were not quite the same as the traditional user, and there is the question of the sustainability and funding to continue the service. While the Blair government has focused on an agenda for change and introduced many supporting policies to this end it has placed an emphasis on challenge and other forms of funding which are short term fixes. Given pressure on local government to reduce levels of local taxation, libraries, archives, and museums, come low on a list of priorities. There is the other major question of lifestyle changes and time pressures. Many libraries are sited in city centres when people shop on the edge of towns. Hours of opening may not fit local transport facilities in the more rural areas. Senior citizens who once used the service may now spend more time in voluntary work, travelling, and other activities. With books available for purchase through more outlets, people buy books, rather than borrow. Taking the service out to the community happens less frequently. All of this evidence is presented to the reader.
Given the timescale for the research and the mass of evidence gathered, it is perhaps not surprising that that limited attention is given to ways to improve the situation. It is to be hoped that the Public Library Group of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP, the former UK Library Association) will take up the challenge. Public libraries are not alone amongst other library and information services in needing to further develop leadership skills, marketing skills, and the skills of delegation. The role of the “chief librarians” has changed. If librarians are not sitting at the “top table” in local government politics, they need to be out and about in their communities, marketing their services, and getting the local community on side. Many do this already very successfully, but clearly more needs to be done especially since there is no longer support from a public librarian sitting as a Member of Parliament. Linda Perham had great influence during her time at Westminster.
There is a lesson that emerges which is the benefit that springs from partnerships at a local level. The cross‐sectoral collaboration in Scotland and Wales works well whereas this is more difficult to achieve in England.
Clearly this is a volume that every public librarian – and they form over a third of the active membership of CILIP – needs to read and discuss with their colleagues to see what they can do to improve the situation. It could be a good tool to revitalize services at a local level. The image of the service is important if people of the right calibre and personality are to be recruited, and the library schools have a role in developing tomorrow's leaders. Look to other parts of the world and see the positive ways that are being used in the USA, Australia, Singapore etc. to tackle a similar problem.
