Newbury library will open on Sundays for 10 weeks despite difficulties finding staff to work.
West Berkshire Council is desperately trying to boost visitor numbers, after criticism from government inspectors, who said our libraries cost more, are open less, and have fewer active borrowers than in other areas.
Managers found it difficult to recruit staff for a trial of Sunday opening last year, but since then have managed to secure sponsorship from town solicitors Thomas Eggar to provide enough to open for 10 weeks.
Only around one in nine of the local population use the library regularly, and it is understood that thousands of local people have stopped using the library due to increased fines.
Tory councillor Pamela Bale is in charge of tackling the shortcomings of our libraries, leisure centres, museum and recreation space. She said: “Libraries are great community venues. Events like this highlight the many exciting things on offer and encourage more people to take advantage of the free services and learning opportunities available.”
Last autumn, a Sunday fun day at the Wharf library brought 3000 people into town.
I don't go to the library anymore. 30 minutes in a queue over the bridge and then charges for the car park. The fines are atrocious - £24 for three paperbacks when my mate was ill. The cover price on the books was less than £21.
Well, that clinches it: no one in this area in their right minds is going to vote for Cameron's tories. The tories gained power in Newbury promising good management, efficiency and the rest. In practice they've spent a lot of time and effort ripping out the heart of our town and they've now brought our once proud and much loved library service to its knees. I can't imagine that their brainless imposition of evening parking charges has done much for visitor numbers.
No, Brian is absolutely right. We have to teach this lot a lesson by chucking Benyon out.
(Incidentally Cameron reminds me of one of those computer salesmen who promise the earth and deliver nothing. His lies in the debate on Thursday were exactly what you'd expect from such a character - see today's Independent for details.)
I don't go to the library anymore. 30 minutes in a queue over the bridge and then charges for the car park. The fines are atrocious - £24 for three paperbacks when my mate was ill. The cover price on the books was less than £21.
I do wonder if there were any staff savings a a result of introducing this type of technology. I believe that there is also a problem of personal liberty in that every time I use the library, my details will be logged, my type of reading material will be logged and goodness knows what else. The icing on the cake has to be the fines. I had heard that they were quite heavy but that amount is disgraceful unless you were six months overdue. They could have my card for that amount and chase me for the payment. I have stopped using the library other than for reference books which I do not remove. Let's hope they don't start charging at the door.
He looks even more spiv like in the version of the photo in the paper. If, god help us, he does get in for goodness sake don't tell him about that idea of charging at the door - he'd be onto it like a flash.
Swindon library sensibly caps its late fines at £5 per book. Also its shiny new Central library (without a sagging roof) is open 8am to 9pm weekdays, 8am to 7pm Saturdays and 10pm to 4pm Sundays - i.e it is open to suit the borrowers, not the staff. If they can do it why can't Newbury? Both have Conservative administrations.
Also I have found the Newbury Library to be very poor for technical reference books (Borders was better!). Who chooses the books I wonder?
so, nobree you advocate chucking Beynon out, and bring back the lot who closed Wash Common library I suppose.
The Wash Common library was closed by the local council, not the parliamentary member/central government. We seem to be getting a little mixed up between West Berks Councillors and the member of parliament who has no real power over local issues as the councillors have no power in Westminster.
Well, that clinches it: no one in this area in their right minds is going to vote for Cameron's tories. The tories gained power in Newbury promising good management, efficiency and the rest. In practice they've spent a lot of time and effort ripping out the heart of our town and they've now brought our once proud and much loved library service to its knees. I can't imagine that their brainless imposition of evening parking charges has done much for visitor numbers. No, Brian is absolutely right. We have to teach this lot a lesson by chucking Benyon out. (Incidentally Cameron reminds me of one of those computer salesmen who promise the earth and deliver nothing. His lies in the debate on Thursday were exactly what you'd expect from such a character - see today's Independent for details.)
Do you think it would be different under the Lib Dems, the council of soaring council tax, the architects of the Newbury Vision and the wonky library?
I haven't borrowed a book from Newbury Library for about seven or eight years - since an incident when our dog (then a puppy) chewed up a dustjacket. They wanted me to pay £20+ to replace the entire book, claiming that "no one will be able to borrow the book now". I refused. No doubt I'm banned. I do go in occasionally to use the reference section though, if it's for something unavailable elsewhere.
Do you think it would be different under the Lib Dems, the council of soaring council tax, the architects of the Newbury Vision and the wonky library?
Dear me, did the libdems actually design the wonky library themselves?! I had no idea - they should have used a decent architect. No doubt the tories use a better one.
I'm guessing that the closure of the Wash Common library was connected with tackling the high costs that Admin mentioned in his original post. The tories subsequently built a new one, of course. It's in one of the richest areas of Newbury only a mile or so from the existing one. What was that about? Why don't Greenham and Turnpike have their own libraries as well? (As if we couldn't guess.) It's also worth noting that the tories haven't actually cut council tax so I assume they either thought the libdem increases were justified or they are happy to live on the back of them.
Anyway, my point was that Dodgy Dave is using similar arguments to the local tories - we're the party of efficiency and good management - in an attempt to win our votes. Do you think those claims can be trusted?
The Wash Common library was closed by the local council, not the parliamentary member/central government. We seem to be getting a little mixed up between West Berks Councillors and the member of parliament who has no real power over local issues as the councillors have no power in Westminster.
I am aware of that , I was just responding to Noobrees attempt to make a snide political point, the type the Libdem Loser in Chief is so fond of.
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