As the County Council launches a consultation on its new ten-year library strategy, Dr David Hindley of Nottingham Trent University wonders what that will mean...
Nottinghamshire County Council are now undertaking a public consultation - seeking views on their new ten year library strategy - but you’d be forgiven for not knowing this given the limited efforts to publicise this. And yet the draft proposals have noteworthy implications, in particular for libraries that serve smaller communities, one of which is my local library in Woodthorpe.
From the exterior, Woodthorpe Library looks fairly innocuous. There are overgrown steps leading to the entrance, past fading signs prohibiting ball games. But once inside, you’ll find a treasure trove of knowledge, inspiration, and possibility.
This building and the staff who work here have played a not insignificant role during my daughter’s formative years, fostering an enthusiasm for books, and for reading. I vividly remember trying to explain to a wide-eyed three year old the life-changing potential of a library card, unlocking a world of benefits that cost you nothing more than your time. It's where she learnt to play draughts, as well as becoming a public gallery for her artwork.
It is not just curious young minds for whom libraries hold a special significance. Part of the magic of a library is its capaciousness as social infrastructure, and how it can occupy a liminal ‘third space’ between home and work, or for students, home, and school. Libraries offer warm sanctuary, a lifeline for residents who may feel isolated or lonely.
Woodthorpe library and others like it are not only a provider of the latest Val McDermid or Julia Donaldson: they're informal citizens advice bureaus; a community hub, a lifelong learning centre, and a calming, communal space for a diversity of needs and personalities and ages.
The trouble comes when local authorities are burdened by growing financial pressures and the resultant clamour to rationalise resources - then, libraries come under close scrutiny. Nottinghamshire County Council’s new Library Strategy identifies Woodthorpe library (along with 27 others) as a 'Library Access Point'. Delve deeper, and you discover these are ‘an access point, pop up library, or a mobile library […] typically co-located in community buildings and be delivered in partnership with existing community organisations and volunteers’.
If approved, the local authority's proposals would fundamentally alter the existing service provided by these vital community assets.
Based on the proposed new model of Library Access Points – which tellingly omits any mention of paid staff – this would mean Woodthorpe Library and many others becoming a book swap or community centre at best. Put simply, a library is not a library without library staff who are paid and trained.
We're told that NCC want our views to ‘help shape the future of our libraries’ - however, despite the consultation being open from 2nd October, the first reference on any of their social media accounts came nearly a month later. This, seemingly only after I prompted the Councillor responsible, asking what was being done to promote engagement.
There are now less than two weeks remaining before the consultation closes. For communities to thrive, they need a patchwork of public services, of which libraries are an integral part. If you care about your neighbourhood, and – to quote the Manics – the power that libraries give us, may I encourage you to make your voice heard.
You have until the 13th of November 2024 to read and give your feedback on NCC's ten-year plan, which you can read here.
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