Monday, July 18, 2005
It's a Monday! I'm back at work! It's lovely and sunny outside! I'm back at work! And I'm stuck here until 8:00pm!
But despite this, I have my copy of Half-Blood Prince, and to cheer me up further I have the latest ridiculously out of touch report from Libri, those mysterious, self-appointed, endearingly out-of-touch throwbacks that want libraries for books and books only damnit!
Perhaps only in this country would anyone think it was worthwhile to debate what public libraries are for. They’re for books, stupid. For borrowing stuff to read at home or on holiday. For looking things up in reference books in clean, decent and welcoming surroundings. For somewhere quiet to get on with homework or other research. For mums and dads to have somewhere quiet to introduce their youngsters to the delights of the printed page. And of course, the service is free at point of delivery.
Pipes, slippers, whipping the houseboy, moaning about those insolent darkies...
The problem, alright, one of the many problems with Libri as I see it is that we know nothing about them. They published Tim Coates 'Whos in Charge' report last year but we could ask the same of them. They don't reveal who the secret masterminds are behind Libri or what their own personal prejudices are that form their campaign. They don't do any research into what the public want of libraries yet make copmments such as
If the experts were to ask the general public what they want from libraries, they would get a simple answer: books, well-displayed in welcoming surroundings which are open at convenient times.
Prove it.
But despite this, I have my copy of Half-Blood Prince, and to cheer me up further I have the latest ridiculously out of touch report from Libri, those mysterious, self-appointed, endearingly out-of-touch throwbacks that want libraries for books and books only damnit!
Perhaps only in this country would anyone think it was worthwhile to debate what public libraries are for. They’re for books, stupid. For borrowing stuff to read at home or on holiday. For looking things up in reference books in clean, decent and welcoming surroundings. For somewhere quiet to get on with homework or other research. For mums and dads to have somewhere quiet to introduce their youngsters to the delights of the printed page. And of course, the service is free at point of delivery.
Pipes, slippers, whipping the houseboy, moaning about those insolent darkies...
The problem, alright, one of the many problems with Libri as I see it is that we know nothing about them. They published Tim Coates 'Whos in Charge' report last year but we could ask the same of them. They don't reveal who the secret masterminds are behind Libri or what their own personal prejudices are that form their campaign. They don't do any research into what the public want of libraries yet make copmments such as
If the experts were to ask the general public what they want from libraries, they would get a simple answer: books, well-displayed in welcoming surroundings which are open at convenient times.
Prove it.
