Library workers in Greenwich strike over privatisation plans - ITV News : 27th April

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2012-04-27/library-workers-in-greenwich-strike-over-privatisation-plans/

"Nearly 100 library workers in Greenwich are going on strike over privatisation plans.
The council wants to transfer library services to a new company called Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL).
Workers have described the move as 'disgusting' and are going on strike for the next five days.
They claim the new company will pay them much less than the wages the currently earn as employees of Greenwich Council.
They claim staff who work at GLL do not receive the London Living Wage of £8.30 an hour."

Greenwich Library staff go on strike over transfer of service

Library staff in London Borough of Greenwich commence 5 days of srtike action tomorrow ( Fri 27th) after 89% voted in favour of action in order to protect their terms & conditions threatened by proposed transfer out of Library service.

http://853blog.com/2012/04/25/greenwich-libraries-takeover-gll-boss-speaks-out/#comments

The City of Tracy fights to save it's one library from the 'Privatization Beast'!

http://savetracypubliclibrary.webs.com/
"The City of Tracy has one library branch and it is part of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library System (SSJCPL).

In the spring of 2010, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors sent out a Request for Purchase to determine if there was another viable source to run the county portion of the library system. There was only one respondent to the RFP, a company called Library Systems and Services (LSSI). After much debate and a rallying of the community, the Board of Supervisors ultimately decided to keep the library system together and renew their agreement with the City of Stockton to administer library services.

On 12-6-11, the Tracy City Council sat through a presentation by Rod Buchanan, Director of Community Services for the City of Tracy. In this presentation, Mr. Buchanan asked for permission from the Tracy City Council to begin negotiation with the County to respond to a bid from another source to provide library services and terminate association with the current library service provider, the City of Stockton. There were many unanswered questions from this presentation, and public concerns and questions did not seem adequately addressed. The Council voted 3-0 to allow the City to begin these discussions"

Privatized Libraries: Not An April Fool’s Joke - The Pulse: Blogs - 01/04/12

http://thepulse-mag.org/2012/04/privatized-libraries-not-an-april-fools-joke/

"Whenever local libraries face a budget crisis, which never happens, LSSI is there for you. At the behest of barrel-wearing city governments, LSSI takes over the management of said city’s library system and proceeds to wring out magical savings, often through reducing staff, replacing union librarians with non-union librarians, and eliminating employee pensions. You know, the usual corporate chicanery."

A breath of fresh air!

Commissioner pushing to privatize Orange County library system - www.wftv.com

http://www.wftv.com/videos/news/commissioner-pushing-to-privatize-orange-county/vGk4Y/

An Orange County Commissioner is looking to save money by privatising the library service, LSSI is mentioned!

Isle of Man Libraries to be funded by online gambling firm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-17585066

"An Isle of Man-based e-gaming firm has come forward with funding to secure the future of the Manx library service.

Pokerstars, which has headquarters in Onchan, will fund the family and mobile service for the next three years.
The announcement comes after a controversial government decision to close the facilities down.
The funds, which will be donated through the Manx Education Foundation (MEF), will maintain the current level of service and safeguard all jobs."
see also:
http://www.energyfm.net/cms/news_story_203044.html

A new spin on the private funding concept! What does Pokerstars want in return i hear you ask? Well we don't know yet but it definitely raises concerns surrounding suitability and sustainability!

Croydon Council spends £40,000 on library consultant - Croydon Today - 02/04/12

http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Croydon-Council-spends-40-000-library-consultant/story-15693695-detail/story.html

"CAMPAIGNERS have criticised Croydon Council's hiring of a £40,000-a-year consultant to oversee the cost-saving outsourcing of the borough's 14 libraries.
The authority told the Advertiser it had employed the "highly specialised" worker since the end of January to ensure "quality control throughout the life-cycle of the project".
But library preservation campaigner Sally-Ann Voak, from Old Coulsdon, said: "I am appalled; £40,000 would have paid for about six months' worth of Bradmore Green Library's costs, staffing and maintenance.
"How can they possibly justify creating another job when the department already has staff to do this?"
Fellow campaigner Elizabeth Ash, from Sanderstead, deemed the hiring "outrageous".
She added: "If the council is incapable of running its own library services, how can it be in a position to decide who can accurately oversee the process?
"It is doing it on a wing and a prayer. It should be going back and doing a proper consultation about the libraries' futures – with all library users."