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THE MANOR VIEW |
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This is the official Newsletter of The Users & Friends of Manor House Library |
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August 2009 |
VIEW FROM THE CHAIR
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GRAND OPENING Your newly re-developed library opened on 5th May 2009 after several
years of promises and failed attempts to get the job done. |
| “X” usually marks the spot, but here, it is the upright pole with the white sheet in the middle. This is to be the location of our very own notice board, manufactured in Spring 2008, paid for by the Locality Fund and agreed in August 2009, but as yet not installed. It will be! You will also notice there are no other notice boards in the grounds. No library opening times, no Children’s Centre opening times. But they will come eventually. So we are promised. However, Lewisham does deliver. It just takes a little time to get round to it. Peter has a ‘round tuit’ which serves very well as wine-bottle base at the dinner table… |  |
Peter
THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE BOOK
Alan Gibbons, founder of "The Campaign for the Book", addressed The Library Campaign A.G.M. part two on Saturday 11th July 2009. He burst on to the scene last year and immediately attracted great attention amongst library users and supporters, everywhere in the UK.
Alan’s first question was "Why it matters?" For him, as a working class
lad, it started with his use of the Manchester Free Library and the Pier
Road Library (Salford), claimed as the first totally free library in the
country. He sees the essence of free at source libraries as the basis of
democracy and the universal right to freedom. The signs of pending trouble
for libraries in Doncaster prompted his interest. The elected Mayor of Doncaster
planned to cut the library budget by £633,000, and, in spite of protests
attended by over 300 people, he did not seem to care. In this brave new world
there were no cuts, only a new agenda, a new world.
History records that after the implementation of the Public Libraries and
Museums Act 1964 funding went up 40%. We had a service that was:
1. Comprehensive and efficient
2. Lending free at the point of use
3. A Secretary of State with powers to intervene locally.
What we had has been largely eroded. There has been a catastrophic decline
in book stock and book issues. Reading for pleasure, which leads to writing
for pleasure, following and creating narrative, is seriously under question
and this is being further damaged by less funding for school libraries, leading
to that current spate of closures. The aim is the paperless school.
Alan was shocked to discover that his daughter and her class had "done
Dickens"
(her words) by reading the first chapter of "Great Expectations",
reading a later chapter where Magwitch returns, comparing the two chapters,
then
watching
the David Lean film, which implies a different ending to the book. It is
a bit like school cookery where one takes in the frozen pastry, the tin of
fruit pie filling and one has made a fruit pie!
Speaking to local librarians and former librarians in Lewisham, many are
convinced that in spite of the huge sums of money spent and debts run up
to provide better libraries in Lewisham, stock numbers are down.
As librarians are not allowed to speak freely in defence of council services,
let alone join demonstrations, the authors decided to act. They are the centre
point of this campaign. They cannot be sacked or pressurised. There are numbers
of libraries across the country that prove the public does not neglect libraries.
But the intention by Wirral Council to cut 9 libraries from its service caused
outrage. In spite of 800 protesters at one meeting the plan was pushed through.
Andy Burnham MP, the then Secretary of State at the DCMS said, “I am not
minded to change any decision.” After a massive letter writing campaign he
called in the decision. He is now Minister of Health, and we are dealing
with Ben Bradshaw MP at the DCMS.
A tiny library, serving a small community in Swindon is now under threat.
It will force residents, even the infirm, the disabled, young mothers with
babies and children, to travel to their nearest library. The letter to
Swindon campaigners from Barbara Follett MP, junior minister at the DCMS
was little
short of a manifesto. What we are to have is "Hub" libraries which have
multi purpose centres but a massively reduced library network. The Wirral
is the
test case.
Library Staff : The loss of professional staff who provide advice, support
and actually know what you are talking about and requesting is widespread.
It is essential to retain educated, well-trained, knowledgeable and approachable
staff. This is becoming a noted problem in all services.
Alan’s cry from the barricades is that library users MUST protest at cuts.
Why should this section of the public sector (which actually costs peanuts)
pay the price of the financial breakdown occurring, caused by gross fiscal
mismanagement?
He had plenty of good, sound advice on running a campaign as he had learnt
quickly by running one.
Of course, those of you who remember our own campaign 1999/2000 will know
how challenging the possible closure of 3 libraries had the Council on
the run. We still have Blackheath Village Library, Grove Park Library and
the
Manor House Library, saved by organised community activity. Left to the
politicians they would have vanished.
It is what we can do together that is key to keeping our services, and keeping them in good order.
THE "MILLION VOICES" CAMPAIGN
Unison has recently organised the “Million Voices” Campaign. Visit these
web pages at
www.unison.org.uk/million and review what is being said in support of public
services.
We have recorded our comments already.
THE LIBRARY CAMPAIGN A.G.M PART ONE
This took place on Saturday 9th May
The guest speakers were Lynn Brown MP (who was, at the time, Chair of the
All Parliamentary Committee on Libraries and PPS to John Denham at DIUS.)
After Mr. Brown’s re-shuffle she disappeared into the Whip’s Office! In
her former life as a local councillor and Chair of LLDA (London Libraries
Development Agency) she was very supportive of the public library service.
After the AGM we felt we had been given the government line!
The other speaker was Rachel Cooke, The Observer journalist. She had written
an excellent article on the public library service for The Observer. It was
well-researched, independent and she had taken the trouble to talk to many
individuals, politicians, bureaucrats and library people to seek out where
the service was intended to go.
SPENDING BARING MONEY
Some of you have already seen the following pictures, but here is the record
of them.
1. Sir Francis Baring 1740 - 1810. Sir Francis bought the property in 1796.
Both it and the gardens remained in family possession until the arrival of
the twentieth century.
2. Francis Thornhill Baring as a boy, 1796 - 1866, grandson of Sir Francis.
3. Lady Harriet Baring, daughter of Sir Francis
4. Sir Francis Thornhill Baring, as an adult, grandson of Sir Francis. He
later became 1st Baron Northbrook. He lived at the house in the 1840s, until
1846 and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer. From 1849 - 1852 he was 1st
Lord of the Admiralty. His son, Thomas, recorded his father riding to London
on horseback from The Manor House.
5. Sketch of the Manor House, dated 1840, from the other part of the garden
and nurseries, described on the reverse of the sketch as "from Manor House
Garden". If you visit the gardens you will still be able to see the bricked
up entrance in the wall which separates Manor House Gardens and what is now
the garden of Pentland House.
Our deepest thanks are due to Moira Lovegrove of the Baring Archive and to
the Baring Foundation for the grant. Without Moira’s expert help and advice
we would not have been able to provide this connection with the Baring family.
The pictures were produced courtesy of the Baring Archive. Therefore, any
future request to further reproduce the pictures should be directed to the
Baring Archive.
FUNDING
We are all aware that we are in the depths of the severest financial crisis
in living memory. The facts are very clear, and the Mayor’s views have been
well documented. Unfortunately, it does mean that some aspects of Council
expenditure can no longer be sustained. This means if the populace require
these facilities to continue, they may have to be funded by those who require
them.
In view of the coming elections i.e.
1. Local Borough Elections May 2010
2. The General Election by June 2010
we are writing to the locally represented parties, some through their parliamentary
candidates, to discover what policies are likely to be in their manifestos
on the Public Library Service.
We are also asking questions at Council Question Time on the following
topics:
Existence of a Culture Scrutiny Committee
Access for disabled drivers
Planned income flow for the building
This is due to be held on Wednesday 24th September 2009.
Answers are usually made available a few days before the Council meeting.
Always look at our notice board in the library garden, which, fingers crossed,
prayers said, should be erected in mid-September, 2009!
And, talking of notice boards we are well aware that the building opened on the 5th May 2009 without benefit of any directions. It beggars belief, but not for the first time, (we should be used to it by now) that having spent so much money nobody considered a public notice board of opening times might help. Neither was consideration given to directing users to the disabled access. The Children’s Centre, renting the basement, is also directionless.
CHANGING TIMES:
Yet again the Library & Information Service in Lewisham is being run
by an Acting Head, Antonio Rizzo - the former Service Development Manager.
Lewisham Library & Information Service Manager John Hughes, joined the
Lewisham Library Service in 2004, but has decided life in Australia has more
to offer. Maybe he knows something many of us suspect!!
However, Antonio has sent us the following on a pilot programme being run
to encourage the connection between school children and their library service.
"The Rushey Green School sets a new first in the library.
The library at Rushey Green School is the first in Lewisham to introduce
ground breaking technologies. Pupils will be able to issue, renew and return
their own self-service terminal that detects Radio Frequency Identification
(RFID) microchips in the books. But there is more: the Lewisham Library and
Information Service added all the school library books to its online catalogue.
This allows pupils to search for books and renew them, whether they are at
school, in a public library in Lewisham, or indeed at home (through an internet
connection). And all of these tasks will be performed using the Lewisham
Library card.
There are enormous advantages in implementing this solution, that can provide
statistical information about the school library, more consistent cataloguing,
equal access inside and outside the school, to name a few.
Some strict limits have been applied to accessing the school catalogue. For
example, only Rushey Green school’s pupils can borrow books from the school’s
collection. The transaction and stock figures for the school will stay separate
from those of the Library & Information Service.
The School and the Library & Information Service are very pleased about
this innovation, that although at a pilot stage, promises to benefit children
in a unique way, allowing them to acquire skills that will last their lifetime,
including searching, browsing, and a familiarity with the use of a library
catalogue."
Antonio Rizzo
For further information about this project, please contact:-
antonio.rizzo@lewisham.gov.uk
OUR VISIT: |
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All members were invited to a special tour of the whole House on Saturday
19th July 2009. This was very well attended and we thank our Librarian in
Charge, Claire Scothern for being so helpful and enthusiastic in conducting
the tour.
Peter was able to show the Baring Family pictures, which will be installed
in the Baring Room. It is very difficult to get anything done in August as
so many people are on holiday. Once this is achieved we will notify you of
our AGM for 2009/2010, to be held in the Baring Room.
All our members over the past 10 years deserve thanks for their constant
support for The Users and Friends of Manor House Library. This has led to
a high profile for libraries in the borough, with the development of Downham
Leisure Complex, the wonderful refurbishment of Forest Hill Library – in
keeping with its listing - and the on-going work at Wavelengths, as well
as the re-modelling of the Manor House.
We now await the possibility of a new Central Library. Huge financial problems
facing local and central government, in the coming years, will, no doubt
impact on service provision. Therefore we thank all of you who have renewed
your subscriptions for 2009/10, and welcome the new subscribers. It is still
open for you to subscribe but for those who do not we can be found on www.librarylondon.org
13,000 BOOKS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Sony has unveiled two new electronic book readers that allow users to carry
hundreds of novels with them on the go.
The new devices, the Reader Touch Edition, which costs £249 and the
Reader Pocket Edition, which costs £179, go on sale on Sept 10th. The
Touch Edition can store up to 13,000 books and features a 6 inch screen that
users flick a finger over in order to turn pages.
Users can also highlight passages, annotate text and find out the meaning
of a word by tapping on it.
The Pocket Edition has a 5 inch screen, enough storage for 350 books. Both
devices use elnk technology, designed to minimize eye strain.
Waterstone’s will be selling the new e-book readers with 13,000 titles available
for download.
It was disappointing to note that the Mayor’s Commission on Libraries and
Learning did not deal in any way with this technology and its implications
for the Public Library Service.
This point was made by the Adult Education User representatives on the Commission.
The London Borough of Richmond is pioneering a scheme whereby books and magazines
will be available to download on to mobile phones or computers.
ANOTHER STORY?
The Nintendo DS Lite is offering a hundred ‘Classic Book Collection’. They
call it "technology for the booklover".
It is advertised as the niftiest, most convenient way to catch up on the
classics while you are on the move!
The above technologies have really taken off in the United States.
Look out for further reports on technological innovation in future editions of The Manor View.