A new threat?

Published: 20 May, 2010

• IT was pointed out that the Camden Library Service has been running down its book stock for a generation (A horrible, heartless  and empty-feeling place… your verdict on new-look library, May 13).
Now the effects of this are becoming very obvious in large areas of empty space in libraries across the borough. Even the lowering of the overall height of the bookshelves is unable to disguise the lack of books.

The users of Holborn Library have complained bitterly about the reduction in their book stock. This is mirrored by similar complaints in most other Camden libraries. In fact, as Holborn Library is larger than the average Camden library, it is not in as bad a situation as some of the others.
Take a critical look at the shelves in your local library and write your views on this in the library’s comments book, just as the Holborn users did.

The space created by the decrease in the number of books, which could be borrowed without payment, has usually been filled with shelves of CDs and DVDs which have to be hired. This produced a nice income stream for Camden Council and was one of the driving forces in the book stock reduction campaign.

The other driving force was an anti-public-library clique among council members. This group was responsible for the abortive attempt to close some of Camden’s libraries a few years ago.
For those who wish to close public libraries, the timing is perfect. We are at the beginning of a new four-year term for the council. There is enough time to force through an unpopular policy and for memories of it to fade. There may well be a greater problem than the lack of books looming.

ALAN TEMPLETON
Chair, Camden Public Libraries
Users Group