Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

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Oldjohnw
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Oldjohnw »

I believe we can expect a lot more libraries to close once Johnson becomes PM. One of the preferred members to be made Chancellor is Liz Truss who is dedicated in virtually eliminating public services. And, of course, giving more tax savings to the wealthy.
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Cugel
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cugel »

bigjim wrote:
mercalia wrote:ebooks is the way to go. dont need buildings or staff. no fines as they auto timeout. most people have a smartphone these days and reading on a 5" one is fine. Trouble is that there is no standard that libraries use so Westminster dont use the same access to books as eg Lambeth in London

Libraries e-books are a different, format? [can't think of the right word] to my old Kindle so unusable for me. I don't know why they do that. Is it Amazon creating the problem or the library?


I like the convenience (to me) of the e-book but detest the Digital Rights Management con that means I can't lend or give my e-book to another, as I can with a paper book. I also object to be ripped-off by having to pay the same price as for a paper book, which has production and transport costs that e-books don't have.

Amazon is a degree worse because they don't cater to the open-standard epub format.

All the e-book providers have the means to obliterate your e-book library should they choose or just go bust. Your e-books may or may not be actually all on your device or computer. They may be overwritten by your latest purchase and have to be re-downloaded if you want them again. If the service disappears, so does your books.

*****
There's an ever-increasing push by the purveyors of stuff to stop selling us the item and to start selling us a license to merely use it; or to rent it. Another step in the march towards the 0,01% owning everything with the rest of us mere vassals, tenants or just plain slaves.

Cugel, feeling a bit red.
“Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist”.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

The Grauniad reports that Foyles Famous Bookshop is equipping a library in an upmarket retirement home

Many booksellers (WHS for example) started by running lending libraries, ordinary people couldnae afford to buy books
..
I received a book for my birthday but I had to give it back, I tried to explain why
"That is so kind, but.. I already have one book", I bleated :wink:
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Ordered an old journal to read in the library, it was available in the Reading Room where the rule of silence is strictly enforced, +1!
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Carlton green
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Carlton green »

Libraries are something that I used to use over four decades ago and I haven’t used them much since. When I used them as a young man I used some very large libraries where I could study in peace and where I could find specialist information in reference books. With cut backs over the decades library hours have reduced and that facility to study isn’t what it once was. Specialist information is now available from the web, my local libraries are all small and the district’s stock of books is poor. Basically they are now longer the place to go to get information and they need to reinvent themselves, well for my use they do.

I’d love to use my local library more and wonder when libraries will get around to refocusing on being available to the working population, providing a space for the serious student and being a first choice provider of information. Lending out fiction story books is all well and good but libraries have a more serious purpose too and they need to embrace it too.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

The library responded to the award of the Nobel Prize for literature to Olga Tokarczuk by displaying two of her novels
In Polish :wink:
Not many translations available yet

Maybe the NP committee should secretly get books translated and printed beforehand, takes a while, mind, it has created a lot of demand that cannae be fulfilled for a while :?

Actually I sort of knew of her a while ago, saw a film based on one of her books (smug) :wink:
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Oldjohnw
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Oldjohnw »

My local Academy closed its library because "students no longer do books".

The school has been in special measures now for several years. One of the recurring Ofsted criticisms is that it is not aspirational.

Figures.
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reohn2
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by reohn2 »

Carlton green wrote:Libraries are something that I used to use over four decades ago and I haven’t used them much since. When I used them as a young man I used some very large libraries where I could study in peace and where I could find specialist information in reference books. With cut backs over the decades library hours have reduced and that facility to study isn’t what it once was. Specialist information is now available from the web, my local libraries are all small and the district’s stock of books is poor. Basically they are now longer the place to go to get information and they need to reinvent themselves, well for my use they do.

I’d love to use my local library more and wonder when libraries will get around to refocusing on being available to the working population, providing a space for the serious student and being a first choice provider of information. Lending out fiction story books is all well and good but libraries have a more serious purpose too and they need to embrace it too.

See my post about half way down page 2 of this thread.
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fausto copy
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by fausto copy »

I have to say that I love our new library and I can even manage to check my books out and back in again without any assistance. :lol:
On the way there last week, I had to give way to the new mobile library van going out on its rounds, so all looking hunky dory here in Pembrokeshire.
Carlton green
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Carlton green »

reohn2 wrote:
Carlton green wrote:Libraries are something that I used to use over four decades ago and I haven’t used them much since. When I used them as a young man I used some very large libraries where I could study in peace and where I could find specialist information in reference books. With cut backs over the decades library hours have reduced and that facility to study isn’t what it once was. Specialist information is now available from the web, my local libraries are all small and the district’s stock of books is poor. Basically they are now longer the place to go to get information and they need to reinvent themselves, well for my use they do.

I’d love to use my local library more and wonder when libraries will get around to refocusing on being available to the working population, providing a space for the serious student and being a first choice provider of information. Lending out fiction story books is all well and good but libraries have a more serious purpose too and they need to embrace it too.

See my post about half way down page 2 of this thread.


Well I went and did as you requested and I’m very pleased that you find your local service to be so good. Some of the services it offers would be useful to me and others would not, but they certainly are a step in the right direction.

I note your comments about your son-in-law and working hours. Times have changed and my own children have to work long hours without overtime and antisocial shifts without compensation, I don’t agree with it but that’s life. One ‘child’ that works some antisocial shifts and nights uses the day time hours released/exchanged to very good effect - you have to make things work for you. If opening hours have to be limited by budget then I’d prefer libraries to be closed in the morning and open for working people and students in the evening.

Taxes are an issue, basically we all don’t pay enough tax and additionally we have too few tax bands - more could be raised from the wealthiest by an additional tax band but the rest of us need to be paying more too for the many services that the state provides. Money spent by Governments of whatever colour is too often badly spent and there is never enough money to support all of the worthy uses for it.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
reohn2
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by reohn2 »

Carlton green wrote:
Well I went and did as you requested and I’m very pleased that you find your local service to be so good. Some of the services it offers would be useful to me and others would not, but they certainly are a step in the right direction.

I note your comments about your son-in-law and working hours. Times have changed and my own children have to work long hours without overtime and antisocial shifts without compensation, I don’t agree with it but that’s life. One ‘child’ that works some antisocial shifts and nights uses the day time hours released/exchanged to very good effect - you have to make things work for you. If opening hours have to be limited by budget then I’d prefer libraries to be closed in the morning and open for working people and students in the evening.

Taxes are an issue, basically we all don’t pay enough tax and additionally we have too few tax bands - more could be raised from the wealthiest by an additional tax band but the rest of us need to be paying more too for the many services that the state provides. Money spent by Governments of whatever colour is too often badly spent and there is never enough money to support all of the worthy uses for it.

I can only agree and add that the past 10 years of this government's austerity program has been a retrograde step and a disaster for this country for all but the richest people in society.They've been a disgrace.
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Carlton green
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Carlton green »

reohn2 wrote:I can only agree and add that the past 10 years of this government's austerity program has been a retrograde step and a disaster for this country for all but the richest people in society.They've been a disgrace.


I can’t say that I’m very happy about how the last ten years has played out though I suppose it could have been worse. To my mind our politicians of all colours are a, for seemingly the most part, a shambolic lot who are either intent on furthering their own political dogma or careers. Maybe I’m mistaken but I thought Blair did a decent enough job and Brown didn’t see the big crash coming. Whilst Brown’s credibility was shot I hope that History is kind to him in what he managed to do to stop a complete financial meltdown down - we were sooo close to things going into complete chaos. Austerity hasn’t worked brilliantly but we now have the lowest unemployment I can remember so again things could be worse. Though I don’t love the EU it’s a pity about Brexit in that Cameron offered the electorate something that he had now idea how to deliver; time and money spent on Brexit might well have been better used in so many other places including (in that long list) on Libraries. Anyway at least we’re getting important and value for money things (not) like HS2 :twisted:
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Are we getting hs2? Hope not :?
Unemployment is low but lots of work is unnecessary, to earn money to pay for things one doesnae want, to impress people one doesnae like (after Amos Oz)
I have had lots of different jobs, even working with books, but several 'useless' jobs too, we should work less

Fact is, now we have better access to information than ever before
Alternative facts welcome :wink:
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reohn2
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by reohn2 »

Carlton green wrote:]I can’t say that I’m very happy about how the last ten years has played out though I suppose it could have been worse. To my mind our politicians of all colours are a, for seemingly the most part, a shambolic lot who are either intent on furthering their own political dogma or careers.

I can only agree again one always has to pick the best of the available evils.

Maybe I’m mistaken but I thought Blair did a decent enough job and Brown didn’t see the big crash coming

in my estimation he was yet more Thatcherism albeit with a few softened edges.

. Whilst Brown’s credibility was shot I hope that History is kind to him in what he managed to do to stop a complete financial meltdown down - we were sooo close to things going into complete chaos

Agreed,he was a man handed a poison chalice with his hands tied behind his back and forced to drink!

Austerity hasn’t worked brilliantly but we now have the lowest unemployment I can remember so again things could be worse

With some of the worst pay and conditions the country has seen for a long time,when working people are using food banks to make ends meet there's something seriously wrong with the country IMHO.
I heard on the news last week that upto 10% on the work force haven't had a pay slip,or been paid holiday money,again something seriously wrong somewhere,yet the rich keep getting richer....
Though I don’t love the EU it’s a pity about Brexit in that Cameron offered the electorate something that he had now idea how to deliver; time and money spent on Brexit might well have been better used in so many other places including (in that long list) on Libraries. Anyway at least we’re getting important and value for money things (not) like HS2 :twisted:

Camaron was an idiot and still is.
As for Brexit,it should never have been.The country is a shambles and will take decades to revive if ever.
The blame lies firmly at the feet of rightwing politics and IMO is set to get worse before it gets better.

We digress.....
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Mick F
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Mick F »

reohn2 wrote:Camaron was an idiot and still is.
As for Brexit,it should never have been.The country is a shambles and will take decades to revive if ever.
The blame lies firmly at the feet of rightwing politics and IMO is set to get worse before it gets better.
We agree here on all that.
Mick F. Cornwall
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