Want to borrow… or buy your books?

Published: 3 February, 2011

• CAMDEN is preparing to consult people on possible ways of saving money within its library service.

No amount of reassurance from councillors will convince us that there will not be an attempt to abuse the consultation process yet again. 

Local community (volunteer-run) public libraries are being promoted as the way forward for small libraries and will inevitably be one of the options for consideration. This would allow Camden’s politicians to avoid the odium which results from advocating library closures and explains why it is so popular with them. Dump the problem on the voluntary sector and walk away is a dream solution for them. Whether this will result in a viable service in the future is very dependent on the detailed conditions of the change in management responsibility and these are usually obscure or non-existent.

Gloucestershire has been looking at the details and found the new model libraries will not be subject to the 1964 libraries and museums act. So no requirement to provide a free book lending service. The new libraries can be funded by charging for book borrowing. After over one and a half centuries, free reading for everybody is in danger of being abolished.

Is that what the residents of Camden are being herded towards? Books for the wealthy and forget the poor? 

Back to the 18th century? We will be able to judge by the detail contained in the libraries consultation documents.

ALAN TEMPLETON
Chair, Camden Public Libraries Users Group