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 »

Whò needs akshull books when you can use Wikipedia?

That is more or less what one school in my area said when they closed the school library. Unsurprisingly, it is classed as a failing school.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Oldjohnw wrote:Whò needs akshull books when you can use Wikipedia?

That is more or less what one school in my area said when they closed the school library. Unsurprisingly, it is classed as a failing school.

I have lots of real books AND the interweb AND the town library with a million volumes
We need them all

Wykepedia has a monopoly position, that is very undesirable, goggle likewise, that we use to find stuff

Maybe the Monopolies Commission could investigate, but why is there only one MC? :?
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Mick F
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Re: Libraries, public, decline of: DDC 020.336

Post by Mick F »

reohn2 wrote:
Mick F wrote:
fausto copy wrote:Our new 3.5 million pounds library opened yesterday.
I hope you're happy with it, but I think three million quid would be better spent on people in need. The homeless sleeping on the streets for instance.

Whilst I agree in principal,why does it have to be either or in the fifth richest country in the world?
Homeless numbers have ballooned under this government's time in office,and libraries have been closed down all over the country due to the present government's failed austerity plan and slashing of local government funding.
I'd say in the present climate the building of a new library is more than a little unusual.
In this, we agree then.

Libraries are all well and good, but when you're on the bones of your wotsit, three million quids for a library is money poorly spent and an utter waste.
Mick F. Cornwall
reohn2
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Re: Libraries, public, decline of: DDC 020.336

Post by reohn2 »

Mick F wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Mick F wrote:I hope you're happy with it, but I think three million quid would be better spent on people in need. The homeless sleeping on the streets for instance.

Whilst I agree in principal,why does it have to be either or in the fifth richest country in the world?
Homeless numbers have ballooned under this government's time in office,and libraries have been closed down all over the country due to the present government's failed austerity plan and slashing of local government funding.
I'd say in the present climate the building of a new library is more than a little unusual.
In this, we agree then.

Libraries are all well and good, but when you're on the bones of your wotsit, three million quids for a library is money poorly spent and an utter waste.

But the UK isn't on the "bones of it's wotsit",when I look around me I see lot's of affluence,problem being it's not in the hands of the country but in the hands of the few.
We've had a decade of austerity,in that time the rich have got richer due to evermore tax breaks whilst homelessness has ballooned,and local authority funding from central government has been slashed so much that councils up and down the country are on the brink of bankruptcy and almost unable to funcrion in some areas,even in the Tory heartlands.
This is mismanagement of the country on a huge scale,or haven't you noticed?
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Mick F
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Mick F »

Absolutely!
Blame the Tories.

Mismanagement. Absolutely.
I don't see affluence here, but I'm aware of it up country.
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Mick F wrote:Absolutely!
Blame the Tories.

Mismanagement. Absolutely.
I don't see affluence here, but I'm aware of it up country.

I understand there are many second homes in Cornwall, typically owned by rich Londoners, you could look out for them on your church tours

After visiting all the churches you could visit all the libraries in Cornwall, how many are there? :wink:
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reohn2
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by reohn2 »

Mick F wrote:Absolutely!
Blame the Tories.

Mismanagement. Absolutely.
I don't see affluence here, but I'm aware of it up country.

At least we agree on one thing then.
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fausto copy
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Re: Libraries, public, decline of: DDC 020.336

Post by fausto copy »

Mick F wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Mick F wrote:I hope you're happy with it, but I think three million quid would be better spent on people in need. The homeless sleeping on the streets for instance.

Whilst I agree in principal,why does it have to be either or in the fifth richest country in the world?
Homeless numbers have ballooned under this government's time in office,and libraries have been closed down all over the country due to the present government's failed austerity plan and slashing of local government funding.
I'd say in the present climate the building of a new library is more than a little unusual.
In this, we agree then.

Libraries are all well and good, but when you're on the bones of your wotsit, three million quids for a library is money poorly spent and an utter waste.


While it is certainly a lot of money, I don't think the local people will think it's an utter waste.
Our old library was fantastic but ageing somewhat and the council proposed (6 or 7 years ago) to upgrade it within the existing building.
However, once work started it was the same old story of 1960's buildings: stuffed full of asbestos.
The library moved temporarily to an older building with approx a fifth of the space.

Meanwhile.....the old town centre was getting run down due to out of town developments and the old/new market (1980's) was hardly used.
So, the council spent lots of money in converting the market to the new library.
As Pembrokeshire's residents suffered a 12% rise in council tax last year (and possibly a 17% increase next) it is nice that we at least have something to show for it, although it could be argued that the money could have been spent on all the services that have been cut over the years.

I won't condone spending all that money on it but judging by the amount of interest in it already, I feel it will bring footfall back into the run down town centre with the possibility of enhancement of the town and maybe even bring more visitors to the area (cycle tourists most welcome - even foreign Cornish ones :wink: ).

And the old asbestos stuffed library? To be knocked down to enable the building of a new road :roll:
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fausto copy
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by fausto copy »

Here's a little tome for Cyril Haearn to put on his last minute list to Santa.

Massimo Listri. The World's Most Beautiful Libraries, Hardback Book

by Elisabeth Sladek, Georg Rupert

Only £150 :mrgreen:
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bigjim
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by bigjim »

Councils apply for and have money allocated to them for specific projects. They don't have the option to move the money from library to potholes for instance. If they don't spend the money for that project then it is returned to the central pot. The same for any underspend. So many times, councils will spend/waste money on stupid things [not libraries] for example laptops/ tablets for staff or councillors or seminars, just in order to avoid an underspend. It is a stupid and wasteful system of taxpayers hard earned, bit that's the way it is.
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fausto copy
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by fausto copy »

Well thankfully over the last couple of years, our council have spent "leftover" money on the roads.
There are still plenty of potholes but it's not as bad as many parts of the country.

I do wonder though, if the council have supposedly got a shortfall of 28 million quid, how they manage to have a bit leftover at the end of the financial year............ and then put up the following year's council tax by 17%. :(
iandriver
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by iandriver »

With my local library, I choose a book online and for a small fee, it is delivered to my local library for me to collect. In escennce, to me, the building is nothing more than a collection point. I never browse the shelves. Perhaps how we think of a library needs to change. I don't see why numerous existing buildings couldn't serve this purpose.
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Cyril Haearn »

iandriver wrote:With my local library, I choose a book online and for a small fee, it is delivered to my local library for me to collect. In escennce, to me, the building is nothing more than a collection point. I never browse the shelves. Perhaps how we think of a library needs to change. I don't see why numerous existing buildings couldn't serve this purpose.

In a library one can discover new things one was not looking for, there is nothing like browsing hundreds of thousands of books
Then there are bookshops and I know many places one may get donated books for free, there is not even a donation box
Besides, I have dozens and dozens of books at home :wink:
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by reohn2 »

iandriver wrote:With my local library, I choose a book online and for a small fee, it is delivered to my local library for me to collect. In escennce, to me, the building is nothing more than a collection point. I never browse the shelves. Perhaps how we think of a library needs to change. I don't see why numerous existing buildings couldn't serve this purpose.

Libraries are much more than books,internet cafe,childrens book learning clubs,and many other things,my SinL before they couldn't afford to keep him on there after 23years,sed to do CV clubs for people,help people who English wasn't their first language,you could also rent out films on DVD,and music CDs,they provided the daily papers,and a small coffee shop and lounge area where people could meet,upstairs is an art gallery,and meeting room.
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Mick F
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Re: Libraries, public, renaissance of: DDC 020.336

Post by Mick F »

Tavistock library is closed on a Wednesday.
Why?
https://www.devonlibraries.org.uk/web/a ... ocklibrary

The one near here in Callington is at the Comp school and closed on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Why?
https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/leisure-and ... n-library/
Mick F. Cornwall
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