Biddy Fisher: We must not close the book on vital libraries

National, county-wide and local campaigns are active over the entire country in response to local authority plans. In Yorkshire, we have campaigners – including Simon Barron in North Yorkshire and Lauren Smith in Doncaster – who work tirelessly in and for libraries via an organisation called “Voices for the Library” which is an online pro-library resource.

Capitalising on the power of social networking, much of the “What is happening where?” information can be found via such tools as Twitter and Facebook.

This co-ordinated protest activity has its roots in the Campaign for the Book, started in 2008 by the children’s author, Alan Gibbons. It is not just the closure of libraries but the removal of professional staff from managing and organising the range of services libraries offer; it is the removal of opportunity to young people to be inspired through reading; it is the threat to literacy standards and the impact on social cohesion in local communities that Alan is passionate about.

It is quite awe inspiring that amid the demonstrations in Egypt, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina director Ismail Serageldin has assured Egyptians that their national library is being safeguarded against vandals and looters by a well-organised team of students and young people co-ordinating with the military to ensure that protests for freedom do not harm an invaluable cultural resource.

While the scale of such a potential loss to a country’s heritage as the Alexandria library may seem enormous compared with the closure of a local community library, the preparation in this country of local authority plans that will bring about the demise of over 400 public libraries, illustrates how far our society now is from understanding the role all libraries play in maintaining the democratic and cultural life of the community.

Comment on the need for libraries often focuses attention conversely on the perceived lack of need for them. We read sweeping statements about availability of information on the internet, digital versions of books (e-books), commentators point out falling footfall statistics and experts refer to non essential “backroom” wastage.

Such superficial “evidence” does not persuade Ian McMillan and Philip Pullman. Both authors experience the real value of libraries through their use of them. Whether its helping their children and grandchildren to unlock the world of words, or providing resources to write the books that children will read.

These are just two of an eloquent army of the known and the unknown people who have been outraged by the assault on the statutory right every citizen has of access to a comprehensive library service as required by the 1964 Public Libraries Act. In addition to any cuts in the Public Library service, we are facing the quiet removal of funding to support libraries in schools.

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has sent each English MP guidelines on public library provision including eight key policy objectives for a good library service. CILIP has also devised a simple ‘good practice’ guide for making decisions about library service. Chief executive Annie Mauger has pledged support for a proposed National Public Library enquiry that aims to identify a contemporary public library service.

The main power behind all of this activity is the voice of the individual library user. Some councils have put out consultations that appear to be nothing more than asking the electorate to choose between critical services. No one doubts the economic realities facing local authorities and no one envies the task of the person in charge of the library services who will have to implement the results of the cuts in funding. Following a thorough investigation of options we hope for a result that is professionally informed, proportionate and strategically balanced.

This will ensure that the tough decisions will be made by well informed elected representatives. Just such a review is currently underway in Leeds and while we may not like the result that will emerge, this authority will be making its difficult choices based on a professional evaluation of all the available information and informed by the views of its communities.

Libraries are so much more than a building with books in, let your councillors know how much you value them now, before they disappear, for all time.

Biddy Fisher is an immediate past president of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. She lives in Denby Dale.