LSSI secure contract, a Punk archive and 'The State of Reference Collections' report.

Library related stories that have recently caught my attention;


LSSI wins contract in Upland, California.

Library Services and Systems Inc. (LSSI) the US based library operator has just won a 5 yr contract to run Upland Library in California.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/government-and-politics/20140625/upland-council-approves-outsourcing-of-library
Although claims are being made that this will lead to an increase in opening hours and stock budgets not everyone is happy with the decision;

"Becky Coyne, an Upland resident for 35 years, says she has been has been a library patron all those years and has been a volunteer the last four.
“The idea of LSSI taking over the library is just appalling to me,” Coyne said.
Coyne said library staff continued to give 200 percent despite numerous budget cuts, and shutting the doors on Fridays and Saturdays. It also means she will not volunteer for a privately run library.
“Public library — just take away the public. I just cannot believe you are doing this,” she said. “If I can’t trust you to run my library how can I trust you to run my city?”

I suspect the staff will also be apprehensive about the whole thing considering that they will be laid off and then will have to re-apply for their positions as LSSI employees which could mean that some will lose their jobs. LSSI tried to secure this contract 2 years ago but it was dropped due to opposition;

"LSSI is the same company the city attempted to work out a contract with two years ago but those plans were put on hold after several library supporters voiced opposition."


Punk Archive



The District of Columbia Library has decided to document the area's punk scene in a new archive;

"As part of the public library's Special Collections/Washingtoniana unit, the DC Punk Archive is going to feature "multiple formats including photographs, published materials (books, zines, articles), recordings (vinyl records, tapes, CDs, videos, live recordings, oral histories, film footage), and ephemera (fliers, posters, set lists)."
http://boundbooksandlibraryblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/dc-public-library-establishing-punk.html

What an excellent, inclusive and creative idea.


The State of Reference Collections

Being a Reference Librarian myself I was interested to see that Sage, the academic and reference publishers, have just published a new report entitled 'State of Reference Collections'. The report concludes;
"The future of reference is far from grim, despite competition from Google, Wikipedia, and other resources and despite budgetary constraints. Librarians are still interested in resources that make research easier for their patrons and will buy those resources when there is a clear use case for them. This includes integrating into reference the notion that the types of resources that now define reference include article, statistical, and video databases."
It's a positive one considering the cuts to library services and the loss of specialist staff but then again they are trying to sell their products.

Proposal to cut the Library Enquiry Service in Somerset

Somerset County Council are proposing to cut their specialist Library Enquiry Centre based at Taunton Library, the service deals with 1600 enquiries a month;

"the service relieves other front-line staff

from the weight of reference enquiries normally associated

with a public library service.

70% of enquiries come direct from the public. The remaining

30% come from library staff."

The proposal goes on to outline the savings and the new model of delivery;

"It is proposed that the service should be stopped over two

years, 50% of the budget being withdrawn in 2013/14 and 50%

in 2014/15 (£100k in total)."

"The basis for this savings proposal is that the role of the

Enquiry Service can be fulfilled in other ways, including

through the rolling out of the Council’s Customer Strategy

(including face to face, phone and web access) and the Library

Service Review, and through existing access channels such

as Somerset Direct, NHS Direct, the People’s Network (which

provides publicly-available web access in Somerset libraries),

and relevant websites."

It also states;

"Outcomes for users, in providing them with the information

they need, will be achieved differently but without a necessary

loss of effectiveness."

Four specialist information staff will lose their jobs, staff who have probably spent years training and building up knowledge and experience in order to do their jobs 'comprehensively and efficiently' and the council states that there won't be a "loss of effectiveness" in cutting them!

"Capacity issues will arise for front-line

library staff unless effective mitigation is put in place to offset the loss of the service."

This is happening at the same time that the SCL, ACE and partners have announced that 'Information' will be part of their 'Universal Offer' to Public Library users, obviously no-one has told Somerset about this?

http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/council/board10%5C2013%20January%2029%20Item%206%20Medium%20Term%20Financial%20Plan%20-%20Cabinet%20MTFP%20Report%20-%20Appendix%20I.pdf - see 13.211
http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/council/board3c%5C2012%20December%2012%20Item%208%20Libraries%20Service%20Review%20Appendix%20A%20-%20D.pdf

The last of a dying breed?

I'm a Public Reference Librarian, a dying breed if you look at what Enfield, Havering and the others are doing!
I work in a large Reference Library for a London authority that will remain unnamed and have specialised in Reference and Information work for roughly 18 of the 22 years I've worked in Public Libraries.

Reference work is a specialism and requires years of experience and training, in fact when i first started i had to shadow an experienced Librarian for 6 months before i was let loose on the desk and public! The role of specialist Reference and Information staff is now even more important with an ever growing digital divide and the push towards the 'e-government' agenda.
Reference and Information staff have a deep understanding and knowledge of how to source and retrieve good quality information, they can guide and assist users through the maze whether it be online or hardcopy. At our core is knowledge, information and learning, not forgetting our commitment to social equity and the public sector ethos!

So what do I and my colleagues do on an average day? Here's a snapshot;

contact details for a doctor working in a hospital somewhere in Canada
" have you got a phone book for Napoli"
"how do i find a visa form on the Ghana High commission website"
"I'm looking for an Asian jewellers in Leicester"
leasing commercial property through the council
apprehending a user stealing vouchers from the newspapers
helping a user with mental health issues find local advice and support
"have you a list of free ESOL courses"
asking a group/s of noisy students to be quiet x 100
asking people to silence their mobile phones x 100
"have you got information on local Poor Houses"
"I can't open an attachment can you show me" x 100
"i need to log on to Monster.com but don't know how to use a PC" x 100
asking users not to trail laptop leads on the floor
"have you any information on European Human Rights law"

and on top of working on the desk and answering enquiries there's - updating fact sheets, ordering new leaflets and weeding old ones, managing the periodicals collection, delivering staff training, organising events, stock work, 1-1 IT training sessions with the public, organising tours of the library, outreach, staffing ENQUIRE etc etc

It's very hard to know out of the 2000+ library staff that have lost their jobs how many
where Reference staff, but what we do know is that many authorities have cut, downgraded or integrated their Reference services and in doing so have lost specialist knowledge and collections that no amount of 'online resources' and generic staff training, although important, will ever replace!

And please don't dare suggest that a volunteer would or could do my job!