tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957140491776029712.post3127123714587161040..comments2024-03-25T03:33:59.112-07:00Comments on Stop the privatisation of Public Libraries: The library neo-liberalists have an 'ACE' up their sleeve!Alan Wyliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15663076592553652836noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957140491776029712.post-64944861684996769422012-06-17T09:11:46.162-07:002012-06-17T09:11:46.162-07:00Thanks for your comment David, gives the other sid...Thanks for your comment David, gives the other side of the story! As you know i've been following the situation in Wokingham since the start of the procurement process but this is the first time i've had details of any failed community or staff led bids! The whole process has been very secretive and information hard to come by! I've asked Cllr Ullakarin Clark and others for details but they have never been forthcoming so i've had to rely on the local press and campaigners for news. I agree with you that some of the shortlisted companies probably don't have the expertise to run a library service except for LSSI and maybe John Laing and some definitely don't have the specialist IT knowledge required but it's not about that is it? It's being done for ideological reasons and things will only get worse when the Localism Bill gets into full swing!Alan Wyliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15663076592553652836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957140491776029712.post-13989367200460406772012-06-17T09:09:00.957-07:002012-06-17T09:09:00.957-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Alan Wyliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15663076592553652836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957140491776029712.post-75318223673036781562012-06-17T08:50:30.306-07:002012-06-17T08:50:30.306-07:00Re: Wokingham Library Services.. Together with lea...Re: Wokingham Library Services.. Together with leading librarians in the Wokingham community we got together a powerful team and responded to the tender for the Wokingham Libraries, but as a new organisation we were unsuccessful. We did not have a financial history ... or existing expertise. This was indeed very frustrating because we did have members of the local community behind us and the expertise. We genuinely had a plan to cut the IT bill by over 70% and enhance the services in Wokingham using proven web based technology. I would submit that the companies short-listed have big balance sheets, but do they really have the technical IT expertise to take advantage of the web to offer more services at reduced costs? I do not see any history to suggest that this is the case... I see the same group of big companies who have been supplying high cost services to the Councils at the taxpayers expense for years.David Johnstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08932548225564063432noreply@blogger.com