Public Libraries the DWP, Police and Fire services.

Well folks welcome back to the crazy world of libraries during wartime (otherwise known as austerity!).

The prospect (and reality) of basing Police officers in static libraries has been with us for some time but recently I spotted what I thought was a new 'mobile' development in Shropshire until that is I discovered this Norfolk based story from 2010 !
Now the arguments against (invasion of trusted/safe public space, privacy/spying, just another cuts based shoe-horning exercise etc) and for (better public access?!?) police officers in libraries are well rehearsed but when you then find out that we will also be sharing with fire stations and DWP 'advisers' you start to think "WTF?!?!"

I can imagine the discussion between councillors before deciding on sharing with the Fire Service;

"what are we discussing tonight?"
"library cuts"
"oh i haven't used a library in years"
"neither have I"
"what are we proposing?"
"to have a 'library presence' in our fire stations"
"ooh great idea, that'll come in handy when we burn the books"

And as for the decision to place DWP 'advisers' in libraries well all I can say is the remaining part of the community that hasn't been alienated by the Police presence and the constant shrieking of fire sirens will definitely be alienated by the threat of sanctions due to missing their appointments due to the library only being open for 5 hrs a week due to all the staff being replaced by volunteers or the 'open+' staffless library failing due to crappy library software glitches. (see recent goings on in Barnet)

But seriously folks all these decisions are purely ideological and cuts based and will seriously undermine and erode the concept of libraries as safe & trusted public spaces (please don't get me started on bloody 'Digital Eagles') For similar concerns re DWP 'advisers' being embedded in GP surgeries see;
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/mar/02/activists-anger-scheme-embed-job-coaches-in-gp-surgeries

Hello, Hello, Hello, What’s All This Then?

A growing development in the often crazy world of collocation is that some authorities are closing police stations and are proposing to base officers in libraries. Warwickshire have been doing it for some time I believe, see;
http://www.warwickshire.police.uk/policingwarwickshire/policestations/alcester_warwickshiredirect

Can you imagine the conflicts that might arise? Someone noisily resisting arrest at the same time as a Baby Bounce session!

I mean where would you put them anyway, with 'True Crime' in the 364's?

But seriously, we already have a myriad of cuts affected services being shoehorned together with libraries, some possibly beneficial but many not, but in my opinion this is a step too far. As a colleague pointed out to me recently the notion that public libraries are neutral spaces is a false one, but there's certainly no hope of it now.

'Public will have to report crime at supermarkets and libraries'

The public face having to go to supermarkets and libraries to report crimes to the police as more stations are shut down to save money, MPs have heard. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9406755/Public-will-have-to-report-crime-at-supermarkets-and-libraries.html

'Leeds cops move out of police stations ... and into libraries'
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/leeds-cops-move-out-of-police-stations-and-into-libraries-1-6547417