A bookable offence?

Public libraries are unique multidimensional and cradle to grave educating, civilising and community building agencies. They are absolutely the best community investment and can never be overused. Yet there are often barriers to their use--poor hours, lack of qualified staff, poor buildings, and lack of resources. This has been recognised in sundry reports in many countries in the last decade, including the UK which has ploughed 100 million into improving electronic access in its public libraries, and has built a number of outstanding libraries.

However, that there is far to go in the UK is demonstrated by a contentious report Who's in charge? Responsibility for the public library service, which hit the national newspaper headlines whilst I was in the UK recently. The report, by bookseller Tim Coates, is available at www.libri.org.au. Its methodology and its generalisations are questionable, as it focuses on the Hampshire County Library Service alone. Yet its core conclusions are arguably valid for the UK, and parts of Australia and New Zealand 

* too many library authorities and too much duplication of bureaucracy

* far too few books--core public library resources--are being purchased, and expenditure on them should be trebled

* opening hours are still only two thirds of the standard set by the UK government four years ago, and should be increased by 50 per cent

* buildings are still too often uninviting, gloomy and run down

* local councillors must take more active roles and librarians highlight problems better--if there is a perception of no library problems council management will be focused on areas where problems are more evident

It is claimed, simplistically and without real evidence, that 'All this can be done by re allocating available funds', and it will be interesting to see the outcome of a library summit meeting on 21 June called by the Minister for Media and Heritage to debate the issues.

Questionable though its methodology may be, the UK report has served a purpose, particularly in highlighting that UK public libraries 'have failed to match the retail revolution, and to meet the need for a broad range of books and reading material; the need for libraries to be open at times when users are able to visit; the need for the entire community to find libraries clean, welcoming places to visit and in which to study'. As much could be said still of many Australian and New Zealand libraries, despite, for example, the increasing number of new buildings, and libraries which open on Saturdays, Sundays and evenings. The report also emphasises that local councillors have the key responsibility to ensure that a council's most heavily used and appreciated investment is as well resourced, attractive and accessible as possible, and that librarians must become more effective at highlighting the needs and potential of the libraries they manage for the community.

This issue of Aplis welcomes Geoff Chamberlain, Library Services Manager of North Shore Libraries in New Zealand as its New Zealand editorial adviser. We are both keen to increase the NZ contribution to Aplis, and Geoff would welcome suggestions for articles and news items from his NZ colleagues. His email is [e-mail].