Challenging Censorship in Scottish Libraries

Just a brief post to plug an event being run by my supervisor David McMenemy at the end of April. Although its focus is on Scottish libraries, the talks will be of interest and relevance to a UK-wide audience and we’re hoping that there’ll be some good discussions.

Challenging Censorship in Scottish Libraries
Towards a Collaborative Solution

Tuesday, 30th April 2013 (5:30 pm – 8:30 pm)
Venue: SIPBS Hamnett Wing
Room: 112-114

Research by the University of Strathclyde has highlighted issues around censorship in public and school libraries in Scotland that affect provision of both paper and digital services.  Evidence suggests that an over-riding factor is the lack of a coordinated national policy approach to censorship issues in libraries.

This event will present the evidence, consider professional ethical codes and practitioner experiences, and aims to propose workable solutions to take forward collaboratively after the session.

Who should attend?

• Library and information professionals
• Authors
• Publishing professionals
• Students and researchers in library and information science or freedom of expression 

Benefits of attending

• Open a debate in the sector on this hot topic
• Build relationships with University of Strathclyde researchers
• Build relationships with future funding partners
• Promote collaboration between practitioners
• Promote freedom of expression

Contact

David McMenemy

T: +44 (0)141 548 3045

The event is free to attend and you can register online through the event page.

Internet Access and Public Libraries

There’s been a lot of discussion on Twitter about Barking Library (run by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham) introducing annual fees for internet access:

It’s not gone down very well. The main arguments are that charging for internet access prevents those on low incomes (the people who need it the most) from accessing the service, that there’s a clear divide between the haves and have nots of Barking (wifi appears to be free for those with their own devices) and that it undermines the public library ethos and the spirit in which the People’s Network was set up.

Barking aren’t the first library to start charging for access, but from my memories of collecting information for the national Fines and Charges database, and the information I’ve been able to find online, there aren’t many that don’t at least offer an hour or so free for all users per day – in 2010, 79 per cent of library services in English Local Authorities did not charge for internet access at all and a further 12 per cent did not make any charge for the first hour (The Information Daily). I have issues with any charging for internet access after a certain time limit, so needless to say that I completely disagree with charging outright. Phil Bradley sums it up excellently, as does Leanne.

I have some other half-formed thoughts that I wanted to get down in blog form very quickly, so this isn’t by any means fully thought through, but what strikes me is that there are serious issues about equity of access to information here. By introducing a financial barrier, library services are directly preventing people from having equal access to information resources. Along the lines of Gorman’s Eight Central Values of Librarianship, I really do think that librarians and library services should be resources to level the playing field when it comes to access to electronic resources of all kinds. (As an aside, the digital divide isn’t just about economically poor vs. rich, it’s about information poverty too, which can affect anyone, and is why libraries need to offer information support and educational resources for everyone.) There are issues about ensuring that everyone has access to information in order to be able to participate fully in the democratic process (whether or not they want to or intend to is another matter, but there’s a duty to make sure that people can at least inform themselves), and issues about people who don’t have home access to the internet being able to conduct financial and governmental transactions and processes that are (or will be) online only.

This is something that needs to be taken seriously, and that libraries and local authorities should be prepared to convincingly justify if they decide to charge. Whether or not you agree that access to the internet should be a human right, it already is in several countries. The UN declaration stated that access to the internet enables ”individuals, communities and peoples to achieve their full potential in promoting their sustainable development and improving their quality of life”. I’m not sure I want to live in a country that doesn’t fully endorse that view and ensure that its social policies and public resources reflect it.

Libraries and Vinyl

I’m giving a talk on public library cuts and closures at an art exhibition held by Golau Glau on Saturday 12th November at Test Space in Leeds.

“Golau Glau are an anonymous collective of artists, photographers and musicians, with particular interests in social history, not-silences & environments under threat – both urban and natural. Their body of work to date has examined themes of domestic, social and sexual politics; popular culture; scandal; folk  history and Anglican and pagan rituals.

Thursday 10th – Exhibition launch with live sounds from Hookworms and DJ sets from Runners and A Negative Narrative

Saturday 12th – Vinyl only DJ set from Sonic Router and Lauren Smith from Voices for the Library giving a talk about public library cuts and closures”

It’s a bit of a departure from what I’m used to, which is scary and exciting at the same time. I’m planning on connecting what’s happening to the public library service to some of the themes that the collective deal with – for example the politics of knowledge, and public libraries as some of the last remaining non-commercial spaces we have. I’m hoping to reach a wider audience than I would at a library-specific event, and hopefully get people thinking about the value of libraries in ways they might not have before.

Piled Higher and Deeper

I wasn’t sure when would be the right time to write about this, because it’s still half a year away, but it was all confirmed yesterday and I’m just too excited not to share…

I am incredibly fortunate to have been offered two PhD scholarships; at The University of Sheffield’s Information School and The University of Strathclyde’s Department of Computer and Information Science.

For those new to my blog and me (hello!) I completed an MA in Librarianship at the University of Sheffield in September 2010. I wrote a PhD proposal for a project based on my Masters research into public libraries and democratic engagement in December/January and applied to Sheffield in the hopes they’d have a scholarship available. It turned out that AHRC funding wasn’t available for the School in the coming year (which we found out about afterwards) but I did manage to secure Faculty funding, for a half scholarship. Before that, when it looked like I wasn’t going to be able to get anything at all, though, I started looking around for alternative places to apply, and Strathclyde became an option. I applied and was offered a place, and was then offered an ESRC scholarship as part of the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, which is an ESRC Doctoral Training Centre. Deciding which offer to take has been incredibly difficult for a lot of reasons, but I realised that full funding in a place I’ve wanted to live for ages is just too good an opportunity to turn down, so I’m off to Glasgow in January. You can download the full proposal (including cringey bigging-up of self section) if you’re particularly interested, but here’s what I’ll be researching (subject to changes when I actually get started of course!):

Title: What is the role of public libraries in improving the democratic engagement of UK citizens?

Research Questions

1. What information about national and local democratic processes do public libraries provide? Is it enough to facilitate democratic engagement?
2. What formal schemes to promote and develop democratic engagement do public libraries participate in? How successful are these?
3. What factors influence public libraries’ involvement in formal democratic engagement schemes and related information provision, in terms of:
   a) Central government, local council and library authority policies?
   b) Staff perception of the meaning of these policies, and the associated concept of the ‘neutrality’ of public libraries?
   c) Library users’ perceptions of the role of libraries in democratic engagement?

Objectives

1. To discover extant areas of democracy-related information provision, and:
   a) Identify areas of strength;
   b) Establish areas in need of improvement.
2. To determine which of the formal schemes available are used by public libraries and assess the impact they have on democratic engagement.
3. To explore the barriers to libraries’ involvement with democratic engagement activities and suggest ways these could be overcome in order to strengthen the role of public libraries in improving democratic engagement.

Outcomes

• A novel contribution to the framework for greater citizen engagement through a focus on the role of public library and information services;
• The suggestion of amendments in policy which would reduce barriers to libraries’ involvement in supporting democratic engagement;
• The recommendation of ways library services could develop schemes and justifiably integrate democratic engagement into library service strategies;
• The encouragement of library services to explore their role in democratic engagement, thereby adding value and enhancing libraries’ position within local councils.

I thought it might be useful to give some pointers in case anyone else is thinking about applying for a PhD (for example, this fantastic opportunity at Sheffield) so here are some tips and useful links:

1. Everyone who’s supported me throughout the process, including current PhD students and researchers, has said: Only apply for a ready-made PhD if you’re really interested in the topic, and if you’re going to write your own proposal, make sure it’s something you love. Otherwise, researching it for three years will destroy you. I’m inclined to believe them.
2. Be prepared to justify why your chosen topic is really important and why you’re the right person to research it. You’ll be in stiff competition with people who want to research topics similar to you and a lot of completely unrelated competition too, if you’re going for a University scholarship or research council funding, so you need to be able to explain the value of your research and your skills. Plus, research in the Arts and Humanities (all research, really) is going to have to defend itself even more over the next few years. If you’ve got doubts about the relevance of your topic or your dedication to it, think twice about applying.
3. Follow the guidelines for the application process. Different institutions want different levels of detail. For example, I had to massively reduce the length and detail of my original Sheffield proposal to meet the preferences of Strathclyde. This can (seriously) be the hardest part of the process, so make sure you’ve set aside enough time to do it.
4. Don’t be afraid to show other people your proposal as you’re writing it. I’m very fortunate to have the support of some incredible and experienced people and can’t thank them enough for reading through my drafts and making recommendations for improving/clarifying parts. Potential supervisors will want to see your proposal, and they’ll have their own recommendations. Listen to them.
5. Look into who might be able to supervise you and approach them early. I know from working in an academic department that deals with postgraduate research that it’s extremely beneficial to do your homework. Departments can’t take you on as a research student if they don’t have a member of staff with the relevant expertise or they’re on research leave etc. It’s also good for the potential supervisor to know that they might be asked to supervise – it’s up to them to accept you in the first instance, so make yourself known to them if you aren’t already!
6. Finding funding is confusing and messy and takes time. I found it really difficult to find out what kind of funding was available and where. There are two research councils that can fund LIS research: ESRC and AHRC, and then there are internal scholarships within universities. Unfortunately, databases like Find a PhD don’t necessarily show you exactly what’s available and aren’t brilliantly searchable. If there’s nothing there, don’t assume it doesn’t exist. Keep looking! Having a scout around university websites is time-consuming and sometimes difficult too, but you can uncover some opportunities that you might not have otherwise found.
7. Consider interdisciplinary research. When it looked like all hope was gone for me I started contacting departments with links to areas such as social policy and democratic engagement, and asked them about the possibility of research within their department looking specifically at libraries. They seemed keen, but ultimately there weren’t any scholarships going there. I think this is something that might have legs, though.

Useful Links:

• PhDs explained and FAQs – Find a PhD
• Applying for a PhD – Prospects
• PhD Funding: Library Sciences –  Postgraduate Studentships

I can’t wait to get started; January seems absolutely ages away! I know it’s going to be a very tough and busy few years, but I really believe in what I’m going to be studying and hope it makes a valuable contribution to LIS research and UK public libraries.

Warwickshire Libraries – BBC Midlands Today

Hello! For your viewing pleasure (for the next week), here I am with my best Deer in the Headlights Face, doing a bad job of constructing sentences in a grammatically correct or coherent manner.

(Caption competition…click to link through to video)

Inevitably I didn’t manage to mention any of the stuff I’d swatted up on or talk about how volunteer-run libraries would struggle to be sustainable and meet the needs of communities, eventually closing anyway because the council looks to be set to charge community groups an awful lot of money for the privilege of struggling away with minimal council support for a few months to a year or so, resulting in reduced footfall and issue figures so the council can justify closing the branches with less attention from ever-more-disenfranchised communities and the media. Next time eh.

Windows on the World: Keeping Them Open

I’ve been invited to speak at a free public event in Leeds next month, which I really hope people will come along to. It should be very interesting and will tie together some themes that I think are very important but are often overlooked. I’m going to get cracking on my paper soon – yep, actually writing a script for this one!

Windows on the World: Keeping Them Open. The prospects for public service broadcasting, libraries and arts

Saturday 16 July, 2011 at 2pm at The Congreve Room, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UP

Public meeting, all welcome, admission free

Refreshments from 1.45pm

Since the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review of October 2010 the future looks uncertain for publicly funded forms of cultural expression, information and entertainment. Libraries, theatres, radio and TV offer us a series of windows on the world, a means of connecting with others and a space for debate. Are these spaces and resources now at risk?

Chair: Judith Stamper, Deputy Head, Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds, BBC Journalist and former Presenter BBC Look North;

Lauren Smith, Founding member of the national libraries advocacy group Voices for the Library and co-ordinator of the Save Doncaster Libraries campaign;

Sheena Wrigley, General Director and Joint Chief Executive, West Yorkshire Playhouse;

Garry Lyons has written extensively for theatre as well as for radio and television, with his BBC2 drama-documentary Britain’s first suicide bombers attracting a Prix Europa nomination in 2007;

Sylvia Harvey, Visiting Professor in Broadcasting Policy, University of Leeds, Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics, Trustee, Voice of the Listener.

Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) is an independent, not-for-profit association working for quality, diversity and editorial independence in broadcasting. It has no political, commercial or sectarian affiliations, and is the only national organization speaking for listeners, viewers and new media users on the full range of broadcasting issues. Further information can be found at: http://www.vlv.org.uk/

The event is also supported by the Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds

For further information please contact: Sylvia Harvey (Mob): 0788-155-4126 or Bob Usherwood 0114-236-8356.

Libraries and the WI

Yesterday I went to the National Federation of Women’s Institutes AGM in Liverpool, to support CILIP CEO Annie Mauger who gave an address in support of the WI’s resolution:

This meeting urges H.M. Government to maintain support for libraries, as an essential local education and information resource.

Like many other librarians and library campaigners around the country, I gave a talk at a local WI meeting – mine was in Pudsey near Leeds. I talked about Voices for the Library, the current situation, how libraries are managed and structured, why libraries need support from the WI and why the decisions being made about library services by the government and local councils are deeply damaging to society in the wider context. It’s so important that people all over the country did the same thing and I’m so proud that we’ve managed to get this through. I’m sure there can’t have been that many WI members who started out in opposition to the resolution, but one of the important things about giving talks was to help people to understand what’s really going on – why volunteering and pub/supermarket libraries aren’t solutions, for example.

At the AGM the support for the resolution was overwhelming; not just because of the brilliant 97.79% of members who expressed their views through voting for the resolution, but also because of the conversations I had with people throughout the day about libraries – starting with the taxi driver who told me about the threatened closure of one of Liverpool’s libraries which will have a huge impact on his neighbourhood, and how he uses the library as an important source of data for his hobby – charting the odds on football games! – going on to chats with ladies sitting around me in the arena who all told me how important libraries are to them and their families – to lunchtime conversations with members of the Real Bread Campaign and Unlock Democracy who, if they didn’t understand the social relevance of libraries and the benefits they bring to the economy, individual wellbeing and wider society, I sure hope they do now!

Everything the speakers in support of the resolution said was so relevant, and surprisingly, so varied. I thought I’d have heard every argument in support of public libraries by now (and every flawed argument about their irrelevancy/failure/inevitable demise), but yesterday’s debate brought more and more evidence for the need for high quality, professionally run, local libraries.

The full text of Annie’s speech is available here. Even though I’d had a sneaky peak at it before the event, and helped in a tiny way to put one or two pieces of it together, I have to admit, I welled up and dripped big soggy librarian-activist tears all over my mobile phone round about here:

“Librarians are not just custodians of books, they are people who help you to understand the incredible new world of information that is out there, to help young people to understand that not everything is true just because you see it on a computer screen and that actually, if you can’t read, how can you go online?

“The people who work in libraries are brokers, supporters, helpers and friends. They need your support.

“The Women’s Institute has a special kind of power. You have influence. You can make change happen. You campaign for the things you believe in. Whether it is the environment, food labelling or women’s rights, the root of your campaigning is always the same, driving out ignorance and changing people’s minds through education, information and better understanding.”

There’s more information about what CILIP will be doing to support the WI in their commitment to fight to prevent library closures and to advocate the value library services bring to communities. Voices for the Library will be supporting in whatever ways we can too – I’m especially pleased because my Campaign BFF, Original VftLer and WI Member Jo‘s going to be our liaison person.

Huge thanks to Annie and CILIP’s Mark Taylor for making it possible for me to attend.

The Value of Public Libraries (and the measurement and demonstration thereof)

My campaigning colleague Ian has written about the Failure Narrative that seems to be surrounding the politics and media coverage of public libraries at the moment. He makes the excellent point that councils seem to be justifying closures, cuts and alternative models of governance by using the rhetoric that “bad stuff’s happening and it can’t be done effectively by us”. He’s also written about how the government and the media do like to focus on the negative rather than the positive, which is all part of trying to perpetuate the myth that libraries aren’t relevant anymore etc. and we shouldn’t be too bothered about them.

It got me thinking (again) about how we all know that libraries are brilliant. It’s a no-brainer. The more enlightened among us even know that libraries are about more than just books, a shiny building and longer opening hours (Phil Bradley covers that all extremely well in this post). They’re about lifelong learning, independent decision-making and cultural development of the individual and social groups. They’re about the public good, equitable access for all members of society to public domain information of all kinds and in all formats, an appropriate balance within the law between demands from information users, and the need to respect confidentiality. They’re about a fair and economically prosperous society underpinned by literacy, access to information and the transfer of knowledge.

This isn’t airy-fairy-bunkum or crazy-lefty-ideology (sorry, Mayor Davies) – this is about the fundamentals of society. Libraries are cultural, educational and civic hubs. They always have been, and they always should be. Information and information needs are changing, but information’s not going away, and nor are people! What isn’t clear, though, is how we can prove this to the bean-counters of the world (because sadly, they’re not going away either).

An awful lot of qualitative data has been pouring into the Voices for the Library inbox for several months now. We’ve been presenting it in different ways – stories, guest blog posts, a Mashup challenge, a Wordle about “what libraries mean to you“…

We’ve even had some offers of support from academic departments keen to do something with all the information we’ve been gathering. Hopefully there’ll be time at some point soon to take them up on the offer!

The link between public libraries and academia is very important and shouldn’t be undermined. The issues faced in public librarianship are Big and Serious, no matter how many times people say that you don’t need experts, specialists or professionals to run a library service well, it’s not going to become true. My friend Liz Chapman wrote a fantastic piece about the need for Masters qualifications for VFTL, and David McMenemy wrote an excellent post for us about it, in which he said:

“Too many of several generations of professional librarians have been apathetic about the collective responsibility we all have to advocate the mission of public libraries. Taking our eye off the ball in this has been an unforgiveable dereliction of our duty to society. For many professionals educated since the early 1980s they have no way of thinking outside of a consumerist box which accentuated the basest of motives for public services.”

This may or may not be the case; I’ve not been around long enough to know. What I do know, though, is that we’ve got a big problem and we’ve got to do something about it. I’m very happy to say with confidence that there are an awful lot of brilliant librarians out there, working with CILIP and other organisations to provide fantastic library services.  I know, because I talk to them and read about it every day. The Edge Conference was (again) an excellent insight into how libraries are engaging with communities and technology. CILIP are working their bums off to advocate for public libraries, engage in meaningful discussion about the future of the profession, and tell ignorant Mayors off when they’re being stupid (*cough* BoJo and Pete *cough*). The LISNPN Crew have launched an advocacy competition, which is offering a free place at the Umbrella Conference and the CILIP New Professionals Conference. Librarians are Getting Stuff Done!

On that topic – in a couple of weeks I will be taking part in a workshop entitled Measuring the Value of Public Libraries: The fallacy of footfall and issues as measures of the value of public  libraries. I’m really looking forward to it, and I hope that it will be a step away from the simplistic and inaccurate measurement of footfall (the number of people who walk through the doors, and occasionally the people who click on the council’s ‘library’ website) and issue statistics (book/cd/dvd lending), and towards more effective systems of measurement.

The event has been organised by Professor Edward Halpin, Associate Dean of Research, Partnerships and Consultancy at Leeds Metropolitan University. He said:

“The event is designed as a starting point for debate and an opportunity to construct meaningful measurement tools for valuing our public libraries, which at this time of great change is both pertinent and important to us all.”

As well as newbies like me, participants include: Annie Mauger, Chief Executive of CILIP; Dr. Adam Cooper, Department of Culture Media and Sport, Head of Research, and Programme Manager for CASE; Carolynn Rankin, Researcher and Senior Lecturer, Leeds Metropolitan University; Roy Clare, Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council. It’s a really diverse mix of people with different expertise. Hopefully the outcomes will be something that we can use to satisfy the aforementioned bean-counters!

Public Libraries and Adult Learning

Earlier this month I wrote an article for Adults Learning, a journal published by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE). They’ve kindly allowed me to reproduce it here.

Resources of hope

Across the country, public libraries are under threat of closure and with them vital community spaces in which adults can take their first steps back into learning. The impact of these cuts will be devastating, says Lauren Smith.

Since their inception, free public libraries have been a source of information, knowledge and culture for all. They are spaces where anyone can go, for as long as they like, without feeling pressure to buy anything, and without feeling judged for what items they want to read. For these reasons, library services are crucial to adults who wish to engage in learning at whatever level, be it to improve their literacy or embark on a research project, through formal schemes or simply for the pleasure of learning something new.

Through the public library network, any individual can borrow any item they need, at no (or very little) immediate cost. This is an increasingly important service, which has been demonstrated by an increase in library usage over the past few years. Many people rely on public libraries for expensive textbooks and other resources such as language cds and technical manuals. As the economic situation worsens, people will have less disposable income and learning resources will be less affordable. Furthermore, with the introduction of increased levels of tuition fees, fewer people will be able to afford to enrol on higher education courses.

Libraries are crucial for functioning democracies. The public need (and have a statutory right to) equitable access to independent, authoritative sources in order to make informed choices. Libraries provide these resources, and importantly, qualified staff who provide impartial support and advice to enable people to develop critical thinking skills. Library staff also offer support with using computers, the internet and emerging technologies, which play an increasing role in learning for people of all ages. A survey for the Times Educational Supplement found that children who do not have access to the internet are at a severe disadvantage in education, and with more and more courses for adults making the most of online resources and virtual learning environments, it is safe to assume that adult learners are at a similar disadvantage.

In many ways, libraries are naturally suited to support adult learning in ways which schools are not – the Victorian idea of ‘self-improvement’ is a value which continues to permeate through library services. For many adult learners, schools are associated with negative learning experiences and do not encourage engagement. Libraries, on the other hand, are more often seen as neutral spaces that are not designed for education at only one age, and as a result, can be seen as more conducive to adult learning.

It has been on the horizon for some time, and now the reality of the cuts is staring the UK’s public libraries in the face. On the day of writing, 426 static library branches and 59 mobile library service are under threat of closure or have already been closed. The loss of so many important community learning spaces will have a devastating impact on adult learning, because library branches are often the only places available for community use. However, library closures are not the only manifestation of the disproportionate cuts to library services. Huge cuts are being made to local studies, archives and family history resources, for example, which will have a knock-on effect on both formal and informal adult learning. Thousands of qualified and trained members of staff face redundancy, which will have a detrimental impact on the level of support available to adult learners. Concerns about the ability of volunteers to offer expert advice in encouraging ways have been voiced – just how many volunteers will have the level of skill and ability needed to run an effective library service and support all library users with literacy, technology and information-seeking? It becomes more apparent day by day that the government has not thought its Big Society vision through.

On Saturday 5th February, campaign groups and members of the public up and down the country took part in a national day of action against library cuts and closures, supported by organisations such as Campaign for the Book and the national public libraries advocacy group Voices for the Library. Although this had a great impact and raised public awareness of the value of library services and the threats to them, the government still refuse to intervene on a national level, stating that library services are a local issue and must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Local campaign groups continue to raise awareness of the cuts in their areas and many are considering legal challenges because they believe the cuts will mean the library services are in breach of their statutory duty to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” service.

Alan Gibbons has penned an open letter to government calling for a moratorium on library closures and the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) has issued a clear set of actions for Culture Minister Jeremy Hunt. There are also calls for an independent public library service inquiry to consider the “likely detrimental impact that the conduct of flawed and rushed local library review processes will have on our communities and culture”. 20 councils have already announced that they will not be closing libraries in the 2011 financial year. Some of these councils also appear to have considered sensible efficiency savings, rather than hiding damaging cuts in “back office” services away from public view and anger. There is a long way to go, but it is hoped that councils across the UK will reassess their hasty decisions to hit the “soft targets” of library services disproportionately. Pressure is being put on elected representatives to consider their actions more wisely and represent the views and needs of their citizens. People are asking what their councillors, portfolio holders and MPs are doing to save libraries – and it is hoped that this will have an impact on the decisions that are being made.

MMU Lecture

I thought I’d put up the slides I used in a guest lecture I gave to MMU students today. It was broadly about library advocacy, Voices for the Library, UK public library cuts, politics, the role of libraries and librarians and how we can fight for our public library service.

There’s no script, so if you want to know what the heck it’s about, you’ll have to buy me a wine and get me rambling