How small libraries can survive
As some councils pull the plug on library funding, here in south Norwich a commitment has been made to keep them open. For now.
But can they survive? In the long term, collaboration may be the answer.
As the government pushes to get 10 million people online by 2012, even the smallest libraries have a role to play. All libraries in south Norwich are centres for online learning, for example, and gain funding from The Big Lottery. As funding pressure mounts, capitalising on their position in the heart of communities – and as an online resource – may be one way to keep them from closing.
As part of the Race Online campaign, a sample count found that on one single day, 500 people were helped online in someway by Norfolk’s libraries. Libraries like Earlham offer access to internet courses that help people through the basics of going online. Soon the government will pay the libraries for every person who completes the course.
Lorna Payne, Assistant Head of Service for Norfolk County Council’s Libraries says this year alone has seen dozens of people sign up: “At Earlham this year we’ve had 39 people sign up to the Myguide programme since January, while at the Millennium Library we’ve had 110 already.”
But in the longer term, other solutions may need to be found.
In Suffolk, 29 small libraries face closure. A consultation, exploring options, runs until the end of this month. Ideas include:
- A local school taking on running their library
- A parish council running its local library and incorporating more services into the building
It’s not hard to see how this could work in south Norwich. Building work is underway on a £21 million pound investment at City Academy a short distance from Earlham Library, for example.
Within the plans, their new library will be open to the wider community, making it a “learning hub”, accessible to the public throughout the school day. Collaboration and capitalising on investment already committed to south Norwich could resolve how we keep libraries part of our communities in the future.
Principal David Brunton said: “We haven’t got that far yet but we would be very happy to co-ordinate with the library service. In 18 months the plan would be for the centre to be open 7 days a week, 350 days a year.”
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