In Praise of Library Workers

Dawn Finch has a short blog praising library workers and all the stuff they do.  She rightly identifies this as the heart that makes the libraries beat. 

It was not something that engaged much attention during Brent's Libraries Transformation debate.  Indeed, the general confusion of that debate with some of the litigants apparently not understanding that their case  (at least by appeal stage) had boiled down to a demand for privatisation. 

At an earlier stage (in fact the very first consultation meeting which took place at the old Willesden Library Centre) a subsequently prominent "campaigner" argued for a 40% cut in funding for libraries across the board.  In other words to make the same financial saving by getting rid of as many staff as possible.  I am not sure that Brent Unison ever really cottoned on to that being one of the likely outcomes if the litigation had been successful.  The same campaigner also suggested "mothballing" the buildings i.e. not opening them at all but have them simply stand empty until at some unspecified time people could be employed to open them.

I don't think that the litigants and their associates ever really understood what it takes to run a proper library service in terms of training, management or investment.  This makes me worry still more about Brent Council's new found enthusiasm for shovelling money at these groups including £18,000 for a "reception desk".