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Sheffield Library - proposed closures

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I use Broomhill Library twice a week

 

It is a great place Staff very helpful

 

 

There is a petition that someone started to stop the Council closing Broomhill Library. Personally I think that the whole thing is disgusting. So many people use that place. Why would the council shut one of the libraries that people use the most????

 

The petition is on change.org - I hope as many people as possible will sign it.

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I think the fundamental problem with libraries today, isn't the lack of books, IT, friendly staff, coffee shops or art on the walls. It's the fact they're made of bricks and mortar. Today, people consume all of their content digitally, everything from music, video and games. (something libraries and HMV have in common)

 

I want to keep the library's open, but I feel they are going to have to become much more than a place to borrow books. Be a space of services/equipment/learning and physical meetups. Something you can't fully recreate online (yet).

 

Look North did a bit on the protest outside city hall and I was sad to see out of 40 people, only one of them looked under 60!

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I was very disappointed how libraries here all keep the same tone and type of literature and have little extreme or intensive more shocking literature.

There is so much good stuff out there but only the sleepy socially correct stuff makes it to a library in England.

 

Maybe now people start looking and find there is more variety and many more opinions on many topics that have been written on.

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You have just summarised Broomhill Library there. It is a place to meet up, they hold classes and book groups and they make IT accessible to people who don't otherwise have that easily. I agree. It should be kept running and invested in.

 

I think the fundamental problem with libraries today, isn't the lack of books, IT, friendly staff, coffee shops or art on the walls. It's the fact they're made of bricks and mortar. Today, people consume all of their content digitally, everything from music, video and games. (something libraries and HMV have in common)

 

I want to keep the library's open, but I feel they are going to have to become much more than a place to borrow books. Be a space of services/equipment/learning and physical meetups. Something you can't fully recreate online (yet).

 

Look North did a bit on the protest outside city hall and I was sad to see out of 40 people, only one of them looked under 60!

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You have just summarised Broomhill Library there. It is a place to meet up, they hold classes and book groups and they make IT accessible to people who don't otherwise have that easily. I agree. It should be kept running and invested in.

 

There are still proposed to be 12 libraries across the city - in a time when SCC are closing a major sports stadium down, losing a few libraries when there are still plenty around for those who really do use them is an easy decision for them - the money spent by SCC on some of these can therefore be saved.

 

Not nice for those who are used to using them, of course - and maybe if local people are that bothered, they can take over the costs of running them?

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I think the fundamental problem with libraries today, isn't the lack of books, IT, friendly staff, coffee shops or art on the walls. It's the fact they're made of bricks and mortar. Today, people consume all of their content digitally, everything from music, video and games.
Yes, and how does that content become digital? Investigations show that less than 5% of human knowledge is available digitally. How is that missing 95% going to become digital? By people using bricks-and-mortar libraries to obtain the physical content and convert it to digital content.

 

I spend quite a bit of time using my library to obtain non-digital content to then digitise it (eg 1891 census). Where would you and your consumption of digital content be without people like me and bricks-and-mortar libraries?

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I think the fundamental problem with libraries today, isn't the lack of books, IT, friendly staff, coffee shops or art on the walls. It's the fact they're made of bricks and mortar. Today, people consume all of their content digitally, everything from music, video and games. (something libraries and HMV have in common)

 

I want to keep the library's open, but I feel they are going to have to become much more than a place to borrow books. Be a space of services/equipment/learning and physical meetups. Something you can't fully recreate online (yet).

 

Look North did a bit on the protest outside city hall and I was sad to see out of 40 people, only one of them looked under 60!

 

Firstly people don't consume all of their content digitally, while e-readers have become common books still rule the reading arena - especially with childrens books. Secondly libraries already are much more than places just to borrow books. They provide IT resources and education, information resources, act a a single point of access to local and much civic information, run social and educational groups and if you feel so inclined will lend you books. they should be much higher up the priority list as they are social hubs and can do much to help alleviate the problems of social alienation which seems to be so rife in society today.

 

There is a save Sheffield libraries group on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/622191551146345/

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And can you prove your statement that this is one of the more popular libraries?

 

The council's Libraries Needs Analysis (see https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/library-review/consultation-2013.html) includes data showing that Broomhill library is the 4th most popular out of 27 in terms of registered library users, and 3rd most popular in terms of books issued.

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There is an Open Meeting at Totley Rise Methodist Church on Monday 7th October at 7.30pm to discuss its possible closure. All very welcome.

Thank you

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I have just become aware of this meeting, Very short notice so I doubt that many people will become aware of it in time. Presumably similar meetings will be arranged for other threatened libraries.

 

COMMUNITY CONSULATION ON THE BROOMHILL LIBRARY

Broomhill councillors invite you to a meeting on Wednesday the 16th October 7-9pm at the Beacon Methodist Church, Fulwood Road. To discuss how to ensure the sustainability of the Broomhill Library. Councillor Mazher Iqbal the cabinet member for Communities & Inclusion and council officers will also be present .This meeting is open to all members of the public.

 

---------- Post added 10-10-2013 at 08:47 ----------

 

Minutes from the SCALP meeting on Tuesday follow. There will definitely be a march from Totley to the demo and I would expect it to well supported.

 

SCALP MEETING

Tuesday 8th October 2013, UR Church, Chapel Walk, Sheffield

11 people attended meeting

Minutes:

Unison meeting (from previous week): Low turnout of library workers and unison members. It would appear that union officials more interested in ‘negotiating’ to lessen impact of the recently announced library cuts and closures on library staff rather than fight the library cuts. Apparently, Unison officials say they have so few shop stewards and they don’t feel they have a mandate for industrial action from their members !

Plans for ‘Off The Shelf ’: Patrick to draft a reply to email from Off The Shelf media officer to be sent to Kate to be sent. It is unsure whether Liz is well enough for open mic session on Saturday 12th October 2013.

GET INVOLVED! All welcome, meet 11.30 am on Saturday 12th October, outside and opposite Sheffield central library to distribute leaflets. The aim is to inform people of the proposed library cuts and closures throughout the festival and encourage people to join their libraries if not presently a member.

Media and communications: We had to clarify present state of communications within the campaign. Kate outlined what was still available to us in terms of online/internet/social media. We have ; On line discussion list, email list, 2 facebooks (One belonging to Save Libraries which is a bit confusing - to post SCALP info on it and the other is Scalp which Catherine and Dave post on).Kate to create a blog spot to post things up on.

We discussed who was interested and available to deal with the press/media in the future:-Patrick, David Kirkham, Pete (radio), Catherine (sometimes), Mat (Totley plus), Andy Shallice ? , Chaz ?

-To put together a press briefing to assist anyone dealing with the press/media – Ongoing -(Alison and others)

- We need lots of people to write letters to The Star

‘Love your library or lose it ! ’ leaflet: - We worked on it: What is happening to Sheffield library sevices and library workers and what you can do about it. Pete to produce and send out for comment, Catherine then to print some off for Saturday 12th October for distribution. The leaflet will be sent out via email for people to print off for themselves. More copies to be sent to Plug for printing if necessary. Patrick to contact David Kirkham .

Save Totley library to be marching to Central library by various means and we would encourage other local community library campaigns to get set up and get moving .

 

Saturday 2nd November 2013,

THE BIG Shhhhhhhhhhh !

Sheffield Central Library, Tudor Square

Meet between 11.00 am and one mid-day. To encourage maximum occupation, mass joining of the library, take out books, give poetry readings, peaceful but imaginative and creative actions within the library without causing disruption to library workers at work. I love my library post cards to be distributed.

Save Totley library to be marching to Central library by various means and we would encourage other local community library campaigns to get set up and get moving and groovin ‘.

Alison to send information of BIG Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh! (2/11/2013) to SACA for email distribution and hopefully to be posted up on SACA (Sheffield against the cuts alliance) website in Library section.

Template letters: Mat to adapt the Totley library letter and send it in to Kate for distribution via email and or posting up on blog spot.

National library campaign and Public libraries campaign in Wales: To be contacted and informed of what is being proposed by Sheffield Labour city council by scalp group.

Post script: Save Totley library campaign had over 150 people at their last meeting!!!

There is a forthcoming action for Stannington ( http://www.actionforstannington.org.uk/) meeting where the threatened local library closure will be discussed.

PLEASE GET INVOLVED to save your local community libraries, your library workers jobs and the mobile library service before it’s too late! These ‘proposed’ library cuts and closures are just the beginning!

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The council's Libraries Needs Analysis (see https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/library-review/consultation-2013.html) includes data showing that Broomhill library is the 4th most popular out of 27 in terms of registered library users, and 3rd most popular in terms of books issued.

 

Not surprised, it's always busy when I go in.

 

The staff go out of their way to be helpful too. It will be absolutely shameful if the council close it

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Well , I for one think it is a shame that the Libraries are shutting , but if the councils & not just in Sheffield stop wasting money on paying flaming benefits to the wasters who think its funny not to work , ( Not the ones who are genuine ) they would save loads of dosh.

I do agree that the internet has something to do with the problem though , I have just bought a book on line recently . It is so much easier to go on line & get what you want .

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