The Sad Fate of Minchinhampton Library

In spite of all of our best efforts over the past year and the many representations made to Gloucestershire County Council, local representatives and MPs, on Friday GCC announced that they would be going ahead with their stringent cuts to the Gloucestershire Library service.

Little has changed in their plans, from those that were declared ‘unlawful’ and ‘bad government’ in the High Court last year.

This means that Minchinhampton, along with six other Libraries, will no longer be part of the Statutory Library Provision provided by GCC and as such, communities will be forced to fund, organise, manage and run a library they already pay council tax for.

We believe that these will not be libraries in the true sense, as they will be non-statutory, undemocratic and unsustainable.

Whilst we ackowledge the need to make cuts, we do not agree with the way in which GCC has chosen to implement them, nor the disproportionate amounts required. There are other ways.

The Gloucestershire Library Service, costing only 1% of the GCC budget and already cut to the bone by savings of 1.73 million implemented since 2009, and now facing an additional 1.8 million worth of cuts (making the savings nearly 40% of the Library budget) will be irretrievably damaged.

In short, the administration at Shire hall, has yet again failed to listen to and understand the needs and concerns of the very public it was elected to serve. The next County Council elections take place in 2013!!

Below you will find responses from Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries to the consultation findings and the report on the new strategy.

If you wish to see the findings from the consultation, as well as the report going to cabinet on Thursday, do follow these links:

1.  FoGL Press Release written by Johanna & John in response to Vector’s newly published report ‘Libraries Consultation – Library Service Strategy’    Click Here

2.  Media Release, written on 2nd April 2012 by John Holland of FoGL, on GCCs ‘new’ library strategy:  Click Here

3. GCC ‘New’ Library Strategy.  Please note that this is a large document and may take a while to download.  Click Here

Minchinhampton Library Roadshow on Monday 13th February 2.30pm – 5pm in the Library and on-line Library Questionnaire

GCC On-line Questionnaire – an Important Part of the Consultation Process

The six-week consultation process began on Monday 30th January 2012 and will finish on Sunday 11th March.  There are a total of 47 questions in the questionnaire and it takes about 15 minutes to complete.

The questions are very leading, so it is crucial that you also fill in the boxes giving your own views on their proposals.  

There are some  facts on our Statistics Page which maybe of help to you.

There is a link for the on-line questionnaire, or you can CLICK HERE FOR THE QUESTIONNAIRE

It is important that as many people as possible fill in the questionnaire, so please ask your friends and neighbours, if they are library users to do so.  If they cannot do it on-line then a form is available at Minchinhampton Library.

Regarding the consultation questionnaire,  if people don’t feel they can or want to answer some of the questions, the most important thing is to fill in the white box comment sheet, even attach extra pages if required, to express their views. Also Question 18, the demographic information, is important too.

 GCC have also said that anyone who wishes to make comments beyond the consultation survey, or comment in a way that the consultation survey doesn’t allow, should email: libraries2012@gloucestershire.gov.uk

The Roadshow will be attended by a representative of Vector, the authors of the questionnaire, as well as a member of the Library service management team and a Group Librarian, who can advise on the questionnaire as well as take note of any concerns re this or the review.

If, at any time, members of the public cannot get hold of a questionnaire at the Library, they should inform the staff who have been advised to take their name and or address, so that they can let them know when copies have arrived.

This is a copy of the GCC Page about the Questionnaire and Roadshows:

New library service for Gloucestershire

From today, people across Gloucestershire are being asked to have their say on the future of library services.

Consultation documents are being distributed to libraries across Gloucestershire and an electronic version of the questionnaire ia available by clicking here

The council has drafted a fresh strategy that aims to make the most of its limited resources, new technology and volunteers to create a service that really works for Gloucestershire’s people.

On the 20^th January, the council’s cabinet approved a six-week consultation, which starts today, to get people’s views on the proposals.

The consultation, which will run until 11^th March, includes:

• An online survey available later today
• Paper survey available in all libraries
• Telephone survey of 1000 randomly selected Gloucestershire households
• Fourteen road shows across Gloucestershire
• Workshops with invited groups

The consultation will ask for people’s views on the Council’s proposals for::

• Main libraries - nine libraries open six days a week
• Local libraries - 12 libraries open five days a week – with options for flexibility to suit local needs
• Partnership Libraries - 10 libraries run by the county in partnership with communities.  Offering between12 and 21 hours of county library service. Building on the principle of sharing buildings with other groups to create a one stop shop for public services with the library remaining in county control.
• Community Offer Libraries -seven libraries available to the community under an enhanced  Big Community Offer

The council will be talking to people about mobile library provision before making any recommendations.

Roadshows

In order to help us hear your views, a series of roadshows will be taking place across the county as follows:

Date	Library	Timing	Location
Wed 8th Feb	Gloucester	10am-4pm	Eastgate Mall
Thur 9th Feb	Hesters Way	2-6	Hesters Way Resource Centre
Fri 10th Feb	Lechlade	2-6	Library
Sat 11th Feb	Stow	Between 9.30 – 3.30	Library
Mon 13th Feb	Stonehouse	Between 10- 1	Stonehouse Town Council
Mon 13th Feb	Minchinhampton	Between 2.30 – 5	Library
Wed 15th Feb	Brockworth	10 – 1	Library
Thur 16th Feb	Mitcheldean	Between 9 – 12	Library
Thur 16th Feb	Bream	Between 2-5	Community Centre next to library
Sat 18th Feb	Cheltenham	10am – 4pm	Regent Arcade
Mon 20th Feb	Lydney	Between 10-1	Lydney Community Centre
Mon 20th Feb	Newnham	Between 2-4.30	Library
Tue 21st Feb	Berkeley	Between 9-1	Library

National Libraries Day – 4th February – Celebrated in Minchinhampton

COME AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR KEEPING A PUBLIC LIBRARY IN MINCHINHAMPTON

SATURDAY 4TH FEBRUARY - LOVE YOUR LIBRARY - CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARIES DAY AT MINCHINHAMPTON LIBRARY

WITH AUTHORS: Jenny Joseph, Alice Jolly, Cindy Jefferies, Seb Goffe & John Dougherty and ‘Familiar Minch Faces’ sharing their favourite books

READINGS, MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT, AND A FUN ACTIVITY FOR THE CHILDREN

9.30am – 12 noon     (provisional timings below)

09.30     Readings by Jenny Joseph (award winning writer poet & reader, renowned for the poem ‘Warning’) and classical guitar music with MichaelDinesh

09.45      Alice Jolly (local novelist & playwright who teaches creative writing at Oxford University)

10.15       Cindy Jefferies (popular teen author) and Seb Goffe (author of Stadium School)

10.45      John Dougherty (children’s author, poet and songwriter)

11.15       Familiar Minch Faces sharing their favourite books and music played by MichaelDinesh

A wonderful opportunity to come together and have a happy time. We would like the 4th to be a focus for more people to join the library or rejoin it if their membership has lapsed, so please tell your neighbours and friends to come along.

As you know our Library is still under threat of closure as a public library.  However, after the judge’s ruling on equality, from 30th January 2012 we have a six-week opportunity to fill in the GCC Consultation Questionnaire and to make a convincing case why we need a public library in Minchinhampton.  MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WILL BE EMAILED SOON.

WATCH THIS SPACE: Look at our website for details of a Prize Draw open to all those people who join our library in February.

Brief Update on Status of Minchinhampton Library

Following the judge’s decision regarding the illegality of GCC trying to close our libraries, at the end of last year a small group of FoML members met with Stephen Draper (Chair of the Parish Council Steering Committee on the Future of the Library).  FoML gave Stephen some very telling statistics regarding the profile of residents of Minchinhampton to make a very strong case on the grounds of equality that Minchinhampton Library should remain within the Public Library Service.  Stephen immediately sent a communication to GCC saying that on the grounds of equality we would like GCC to totally review their decision to withdraw Public Library status for Minchinhampton and replace it with Community Library status.  However, we hear that Nick Hirst, the Chairman of MPC, still favours a digital virtual reality modernisation of the library service, although FoML consistently points out that this does not actually fit with the needs of current library users in Minchinhampton.

Additionally, there was a very positive meeting between John Holland and Demelza of the Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries and the Officers of GCC – Jo Grills & Duncan Jordan, newly appointed to oversee the library changes.  Here is an extra from the summary of the meeting:

“The meeting felt quite positive. We were able to put across the concerns which many of you have shared with us about the process last time round, and make some suggestions for how things could be done better this time – they seemed to take many of our comments on board and took copious notes.

Jo confirmed that the council will be in ongoing discussions with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission before the new strategy is announced on January 20th, and that a new needs analysis for the service is being undertaken at present. A consultation process will follow the January 20th announcement.

We left the meeting feeling that Jo is committed to getting things right this time, although of course, she is not the only person involved so vigilance in all of our local communities is still needed, and we believe local community groups should continue to take John’s advice (given at the public meeting) to get in touch with GCC now to ensure they are aware of the needs within your community, rather than waiting for the post-strategy consultation.

 More than anything else we were relieved to finally be involved in a constructive dialogue, something that has been entirely missing so far, and hope this is the start of a much better relationship going forward.”

So wait to see what the new library proposals of 20th January 2012 will be and we hope that good sense will prevail and Minchinhampton Library will remain open as a Public Library.

If you would like to write to GCC with your concerns please email

Jo Grills     jo.grills@gloucestershire.gov.uk

here is a summary of the 14th December Public Meeting that may be of help in writing your email:

A public meeting was held in Gloucester last night to discuss the future of the public library service in the county. Library users came from many different communities

across Gloucestershire. In a packed meeting hall at the GAVCA offices on Eastgate Street, the front row was reserved for invited senior members of the County Council administration.  Several speakers expressed their disappointment that

Gloucestershire County Council administration and officers responsible for library services had declined an invitation to the meeting. The meeting was being held following the recent High Court ruling that the County Council’s proposed changes to the library service were illegal, and had completely quashed all the council’s cuts to library services. The news that the Equality and Human Rights Commission had been called in to help ensure that the Council comply with equality legislation when drawing up their revised library strategy was warmly welcomed.

But many serious concerns were raised, including -

Why is the County Council refusing to talk to users until after they have drawn up their proposals in January?

Would the date for the new library proposals of 20 January 2012 really allow the council time to conduct a through, equaitbale and lawful review?

Why is the council still promoting community funded and run libraries despite the fact that the judge had declared the proposals to be illegal?

Why had the County Council spent over £100,000 on legal fees and gone to the High Court instead of listening to the views of the people of Gloucestershire?

Why did the County Council make staff redundant before the High Court ruling, with the same staff now re-employed on temporary contracts and at great expense?

Why does the County Council not explain how volunteers can have access to the library computer system when this is known to break the Data Protection Act?

Why are the cuts in Gloucestershire more severe than anywhere else in the country? In Oxfordshire, for example, no libraries are being closed, and opening hours have been

reduced but the buildings have been kept within the statutory service so that future restoration is possible.    John Holland

High Court Rules GCC’s Library Cuts Unlawful on Grounds of Equality

Following the result of the court case where the judge found that GCC were in breach of law regarding equality, FoML are urging our Parish Council to re-present our case urgently to GCC.

We feel that on the grounds of equality we have “vulnerable community members” who need a library in Minchinhampton with Public Library status funded by GCC and operating fully within the County Library network.

A ‘Community Library’ is none of these things and will have no security of tenure.  It would operate more like a ‘club’ and it is highly likely that the GCC grant will be withdrawn in a few years and we will end up having no library facilities in Minchinhampton at all.

For more information go to Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries website

Public Meeting about Minchinhampton Library & Youth Club Thursday 13th October 2011 at 7.30pm in Minchinhampton Market House

It has just been announced that there will be a Public Meeting regarding the future of our Library & Youth Club.

Regarding the High Court Hearing of a judicial review of Gloucester County Council’s library plans, that took place in September 2011, a delayed judgement has been made and no date for the announcement of this has been given, and we may not hear anything until December.  It is important for us all to remember that an injunction is in place preventing GCC from implementing its plans before the announcement of this judgement when we (the people of the Parish of Minchinhampton & MPC) make decisions about the future of our Library.  Please see Friends of Gloucestershire Library website for more details.  

The judgement regarding Brent Libraries will come through on 12th October 2011 and it is felt that they have a less strong case than Gloucestershire but this may give some indication of how the courts will deal with GCC Libraries.  FoML have asked Stephen Draper, the Chair of the Library Steering Committee, to make sure that at the meeting on Thursday it is minuted that the court case is still outstanding and that FoML request that no binding agreement is entered into with GCC until the outcome of the Court Case is known.  We would also like to emphasise that a Community Library option means that we are largely outside the County Library System and that the preference would be to be a Library Link so that we legally remain a fully integrated part of the GCC Library Service.

 

 

High Court Hearing on 7th July 2011

LATEST NEWS: 

At a High Court hearing in Birmingham on the 7th July, permission was granted for judicial review of GCC’s library plans to proceed on all three grounds put forward by the claimant’s soliciter. The hearing will be held in September and an injunction is in place preventing GCC from implementing its plans before this time.  This was a judicial review hearing bought against GCC by Public Interest Lawyers on behalf of a Gloucestershire resident.

As reported in the Independent, The Telegraph, The Bookseller and across the local and regional media, permission for judicial review was granted on all three of the grounds forwarded by the counsel speaking on behalf of Public Interest Lawyers and the claimant: 1. Potential failure to consider the statutory requirements of the 1964 Public Libraries Act, 2. Potential failure to properly consider equality impact assessments, 3. Potential failure to consult adequately.

The case will be heard in court in late September 2011 (this was the earliest date possible as the courts break for the summer). Until then, an injunction is in place which prevents the council closing or removing funding from any currently funded and operational library (static or mobile). The council are allowed to continue discussions with groups regarding ‘community transfer’ of libraries (in case they ultimately win the case, and so are in a position to proceed with their plans without further delay), but may not do anything which can be seen as implementation, i.e. signing agreements or transferring assets.

There are still some funding issues to be resolved with the Legal Services Commission which we will update you on as soon as we are informed by Public Interest Lawyers.  Whatever happens, it seems FoGL will still be expected to make a ‘community contribution’ to the case, so if you would like to donate to the fundraising effort but haven’t yet, please still feel free to do so (details of how to do this here).