Save Our Library Campaign Data Shows an Alternative Way of Cutting Costs & Maintaining Services

London, United Kingdom, February 10, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Last Saturday was National Libraries day and yesterday marked the opening of the Cabinet select Committee investigating library closures. But there is an alternative strategy to library closures- one that enables us to cut the deficit but at the same time maintains front line library services.

There are "600 libraries in the UK that are under threat of closure" (3)and inevitably this will decimate communities, reduce literacy, hinder education, reduce footfall in town centres and reduce social mobility, but we feel that there is a viable alternative that could enable us to maintain services and cut costs at the same time.

What makes this Library Model Unique?

At Upper Norwood, there is a local library that for 111 years has been the UK's only independently run, but publicly funded library. Its services are used by people from 5 London Boroughs and "44% of the local catchment area are regular library users"(1). "The library's autonomy on everything from book buying to IT has enabled it to negotiate excellent discounts on services and ensured that only 18% of funds are spent on back office/support costs, compared to 45% being spent locally on Croydon's back office costs"(1), Add in a "flatter management structure" and the library runs at half the costs of most local boroughs.

Upper Norwood
Croydon
Lambeth

Expenditure per 1,000 population
£14,001
£26,166
£28,237

Expenditure per issue
£3.28
£6.16
£9.53

Expenditure per visit
£2.53
£4.15
£6.00
(1)

The heart of the community and a special place for local parents & kids

Upper Norwood Library has strong links with the local community and an extensive outreach programme encompassing local organisations, schools, youth and children’s groups. Annual programmes of special events and activities cater for all ages and interests. Regular reading and creative writing groups for adults, sessions for parents and children, imaginative and informative events for local residents (Crystal Palace Park and Read promotions, Local History Festivals and Writers’ Days to name a few), and two days of celebrations for the 110th anniversary attended by hundreds of people, all illustrate the Library’s ability to deliver vital information while meeting educational, cultural and recreational needs. Please see this campaign video that was made on February 4 National Libraries Day: http://vimeo.com/36309798.

So are the government championing this library model?

The library has been jointly funded by Lambeth and Croydon Councils for 111 Years but Croydon have now accepted tenders for all of its Library services from 8 service companies in the Public and Private domain (2), in their procurement document they state "There is the option of continuing with the current service; however this would be unlikely to produce further significant efficiencies" despite the fact that they jointly fund a library that is run at half Croydon Council costs and should be being considered as a blueprint for the future.

Cost cutting Impacts

The likely outcome is that Croydon will try to consolidate its 14 libraries (2)and strive for bigger economies of scale, but the outsourcing agreement will factor in a profit margin that lock the area into services that still cost considerably more than Upper Norwood's library model. Overall library usage will reduce as people are reluctant to travel into other town centres and this will impact literacy, education, communities and high street's whose hearts have been removed. High level figures will show a short term reduction in costs, but dig deeper and the cost per library member and per library visit will rocket as library usage across areas dips. Inevitably there will be social costs down the line that wipe out all the savings and more.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/269577509754920/
http://www.unlc.org.uk/

Submission to parliamentary select committee on library closures: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmcumeds/writev/library/lib065.htm

Twitter @saveUNlibrary

http://uppernorwoodlibrary.org/

(1)All data taken from AWICs consultancy review of Upper Norwood Library dated 23 June 2011
(2)Croydon council minutes on procurement of library services http://www.croydon.gov.uk/contents/documents/meetings/546596/2011/2011-09-19/cab20110919libraryservices.pdf
(3)http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/

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