howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
kent county council are making noises about the future of our library services, in laymans terms closing some.
they are looking for feedback from the public, parish and town councils on how they can offload them.
i don't think that major town centre ones like ours will be hardest hit but branch libraries could be a thing of the past.
there is a strong difference of opinion in maidstone on this as many councillors see libraries as sacrosanct.
And quite right too. There is no substitute for reading and we should be encouraging the use of libraries not closing them. Employability, pleasure and leisure depend on literacy.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
add to that on any weekday after 3 p.m. you can see school kids doing reference work or simply doing their homework.
the reason in suspect that the library is a lot quieter than home where there be younger siblings making a lot of noise.
local history buffs are always using the service there to look up old plans, maps and newspapers to assist their research usually with the help of experienced librarians.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Dovers main one will stay +19more across Kent,I also told you about this when I went to that KCC meeting 3 weeks ago.
I think opening hours and some services across m,ost sites will be amended . smaller branches will close and some be amalgamated . There will be more self service and fewer staff avaliable for assistance in branch .Thats my best guess.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
vic
you merely discused the issue with members of the public at the seminar.
nothing has yet been decided as far as we know.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
No it was not with members of the public ,we the public was talking to KCC they were telling us what the plan was
The Proposals are (1) Reduce spending on Libraries by £3 millions, by closing the least well used libraries and focus on the main town ones. Kent currently has 101 permanent libraries and 11 mobile across the County which cost £20million to run-the saving would retain 20main libraries across the County.Or alternatively (2) Transfer the running of smaller libraries to local communities with council providing specialist advice.
That is the KCC saying that not me not the public but the KCC ,also that is not hear say I am writing it down from the KCC own proposals. If it is your wish I do not report back to the forum on any meetings I go to please say so,it would save my time in doing it.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
One good idea: the schools should encourage children to read more. Each child should borrow a book from the library and write a summary on it, three times a year, as part of school education.
Just a proposal this.
Vic, perhaps if your reports were a little clearer it might help.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
vic is saying that they discussed a proposal and also says that the decision has been made.
why would they invite the public along if the latter was the case?
I thought the feed back Vic posted from the
KCC meeting was :-
for the members of the public who attended to be told the ? 19 options for cost savings
and then discuss and feedback the reactions to KCC ( which is what Vic said he was doing on the original thread )
who would impement the reductions that got the most support/;east objections from the public
So no decisions have been made, if what was posted in the original thread is the process to be followed
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,037
Howard, is the Mobile library still running ?. I used to often see it outside the old library changing the books etc. but have never seen it since the move to the Discovery Centre.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
That is Right Sarah.And at Times Bern you also are right.But on the table is what I have said, so it will be within that frame work.
So what decisions have been actually made? Maybe it's me.............
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I do not know the meeting was only about two weeks ago.We was told there would be afeed back by email but that has not happen up till now.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i assume it is still running alec, would have been in the news if it had been stopped.
mind you i haven't seen it lately.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
It was out at River this week.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
It is good to see all the changes to the Beaney Institute taking place, but it must have been missed over this long period of closure.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Bern , I dont think any decisions have/should have been made as yet given the info in the previous thread re KCC meetings but as you are often as cynical as me then ..........
I don't mean to go on, Vic, but #4 you seem to know what will close and what won't. I am sure it is me because I am still a bit fuzzy around the edges, but I genuinely don't understand if decisions have been made, if so what they are, if it is still ion the discussion stage, and if so with whom. I really recommend that, if you are going to report stuff, perhaps writing it out first would help the sometime confusion.