Simi Valley to weigh letting county run library for another year - Ventura County Star - 11/05/12

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/may/11/simi-council-urged-to-reject-proposals-to-run/

"The Simi Valley City Manager's Office is recommending the City Council reject three outside proposals to run its library in favor of letting Ventura County continue to administer it for another year.

An unresolved lawsuit against the city by Service Employees International Union Local 721, which represents more than 20 library employees, makes it infeasible to meet a July 1 deadline to have a new administrator take over the library on a more permanent basis, Assistant City Manager Laura Behjan wrote in a memo to the council. The council will take up the issue Monday night.
The lawsuit alleges the city acted improperly by approving a resolution in December to withdraw from the Ventura County library system. Superior Court Judge Henry Walsh heard arguments in the case last month and will issue a ruling at an unspecified date.
In the meantime, his order temporarily blocking Simi Valley from contracting with any private company to run the city's one library remains in effect. In response to a city request in February, Maryland-based Library Systems and Services LLC — the nation's largest private administrator of libraries — plus the city of Thousand Oaks and Ventura County submitted proposals to run the library."

Greenwich libraries - Workers show fighting back can win - The Socialist - 09/05/12

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/717/14493/09-05-2012/greenwich-libraries-fighting-back-can-win

"The two days of strike action already taken by Unite members in Greenwich, south London, have sent a clear message to Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), that we will not accept attacks. GLL has now taken over the library service.

The most likely attack would have been an attempt to drop council library workers' pay and conditions to the level of staff employed at GLL. But, in response to the campaign, GLL has now offered to come to an agreement that will confirm they will not do this."

Greenwich library workers statement - Alan Gibbons Blog - 05/05/12

Greenwich library workers statement

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Alan Gibbons

WHY WE ARE TAKING INDUSTRIAL ACTION
GREENWICH COUNCIL IS ‘TRANSFERRING” ITS LIBRARY SERVICE TO A PRIVATE COMPANY, GLL
GREENWICH REFUSED TO CONSULT THE PUBLIC WHO ARE TOTALLY AGAINST THE TRANSFER
GREENWICH WILL PAY £3.3 MILLION A YEAR OF YOUR MONEY TO GLL TO RUN THE LIBRARIES
THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GLL PAYS HIMSELF £175,000 A YEAR.
AT THE SAME TIME LIBRARY WORKERS WILL FACE CUTS IN PAY AND CONDITIONS.
GLL EMPLOYS MOSTLY LOW-WAGE AND SESSIONAL WORKERS WITH FEW RIGHTS
GLL HAS A RECORD OF INTRODUCING CHARGES FOR SERVICES
ONCE THE LIBRARIES ARE PRIVATISED YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THEM BACK
GLL WANT TO PRIVATISE AS MANY COUNCIL SERVICES AS POSSIBLE
THE STRIKE IS ABOUT OBJECTING TO OUR PAY & CONDITIONS BEING CUT. BUT YOU TOO WILL BE HIT BY THE TRANSFER. WE KNOW THAT GLL WILL CLOSE LIBRARIES. THEY WILL GET RID OF THE MOBILE LIBRARY AND THE SMALLER LIBRARIES WILL BE NEXT
THIS IS WHAT GLL SAY ON THEIR WEBSITE :
“We may not be the cheapest in raw price terms, but if accountants were able to properly quantify the ‘social added value’ of our work we are confident we would always offer best value. Social Enterprise can provide more sustainable solutions in a stormy financial climate for Libraries, Parks, Play and a whole host of services. There are real opportunities for enhanced services at reduced costs.” – M Sesnan GLL Managing Director
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN BY DOING THE FOLLOWING:-
Write to the Chief Executive – Mary Ney, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6HQ
Write to the Leader of the Council – Cllr Chris Roberts, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6HQ
Send a Message of support to the strikers – C/o Greenwich UNITE, Old Town Hall, Polytechnic Street, Woolwich, SE18 6PN
Make a donation to the campaign – Cheques payable to Greenwich Unite, Old Town Hall, Polytechnic Street, Woolwich, SE18 6PN
Join The Walk To Save Your Library Service (Details Overleaf)
WALK TO SAVE YOUR LIBRARY SERVICE 5th MAY 2012
ASSEMBLE 11.30 AT ELTHAM LIBRARY – 2 ARCHERY ROAD,
ELTHAM, SE9
MOVE OFF 12 NOON
WALK ENDS WITH A RALLY IN GENERAL GORDON SQUARE – WOOLWICH
LIBRARY WORKERS SUPPORT YOU, THE PUBLIC
PLEASE SUPPORT GREENWICH LIBRARY WORKERS

The re-election of Boris and what this could mean for London Libraries.

Well like it or lump it in London we've got Boris for another 4 years, what could this mean for London's public libraries?

Let's look at his record on Libraries up until now.

In January 2011 Boris announced that he was planning to set up a trust to run libraries that were at risk of closure, after the announcement no detail emerged and the plans seem to fade away until December the same year when he announced the 'Team London - Library Champions' initiative! Merton was used as the template for the scheme and now has over 450 volunteers working in its libraries!
So within the space of a few months he had moved from the position of saving libraries to doing nothing to stop the closures and staffing the ones still open with volunteers!
In February 2011 he muddied the waters by stating;

“…there is no statutory obligation to provide a library service, but there is plenty of ill-thought-out legislation about equalities and heaven knows what, emanating from Westminster, imposed from Whitehall and slavishly obeyed by local authorities. Councils are not obliged to have libraries…”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/8337324/What-ski-helmets-can-teach-us-about-keeping-libraries-open.html

something that was clearly untrue and possibly, along with similar comments by the LGA, meant to undermine the sector, or was it just another gaff?

Off course before all this came the Mayor's 'Cultural Strategy' with the immortal;

"The Mayor strongly endorses the efforts that

library staff, local authorities and others are making

to continue to innovate. In recent months, MLA

London in conjunction with the London Cultural

Improvement Programme has overseen the London

Library Change Programme (LLCP) to assist this

process and to address many of the strategic and

resourcing issues. It is also looking at different

governance models, exploring how services can

be made more efficient through possible sharing

or contracting out, while still preserving local

democratic accountability. It is important that the

LLCP delivers tangible, long-term outcomes for

customers, such as improved stock, more flexible

opening hours, improved use of digital technologies

and greater convenience."

The London Libraries Change Programme (LLCP) was run along the lines of a masonic lodge, secret and only for the privileged few namely members of the ALCL, Chief Leisure Officers and the now defunct MLA! No one outside this circle was privy to the reports and findings and no one really knows what impact the programme has had, except that their 'workforce benchmarking' study with it's proposals to cut the London Library workforce by 10% might have already hit its target?

Recently Boris has spoken out publicly in support of the Brent Campaigners, a move that many saw as a cynical election ploy!
Mr Johnson spoke to the Times exclusively about the controversial issue.
He said: “I think it is a great shame. It’s very sad what’s happened to the libraries in Brent. I read that Brent had closed more libraries than anywhere else in the country. Closing them is something that is actually avoidable as there are boroughs that have actually opened libraries recently.
“I think Hammersmith is one of them so it goes to show that they are still used.”
Mr Johnson added: “I have heard about the efforts of the campaigners and various community events they have held to fight for them and I admire them for that.”
Brent & Kiburn Times 01/04/12

With Boris's emphasis on volunteers and private finance, the ALCL seemingly supporting his position and the push towards privatisation I don't envisage there being much of a comprehensive and efficient, publicly funded or accountable library service left in London come the next Mayoral elections in 2016!

  

I'm famous in Tracy!

Today Tracy tomorrow the world!

http://savetracypubliclibrary.webs.com/apps/blog/show/14538504-tracy-s-antics-have-gone-global-

"Yesterday, we received a letter from Alan Wylie in London, England. He copied us on a letter that he sent the Director of Community Services Rod Buchanan, as well as other City of Tracy staff. He also emailed Stacy Aldrich, State Librarian."

Fight privatisation: Save our libraries - The Socialist : 2nd May

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/716/14456/02-05-2012/fight-privatisation-save-our-libraries

"Over the last year more than 100 libraries have either been closed, are now run by volunteers or have been made into social enterprises, ie privatised. Here Paul Callanan, Socialist Party member from Greenwich, south London, describes the onslaught by a Labour-led council carrying out government cuts. He also explains the huge battle, led by the Unite union, including Socialist Party members, involving possibly the first strike against cuts in libraries. "

Trouble in Greenwich with GLL - Save Croydon Libraries Campaign - 03/05/2012

http://soslibrary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/trouble-in-greenwich-with-gll.html?spref=fb

"Croydon Libraries are in the process of being outsourced and five companies and organisations have been short-listed. Inside Croydon has written of those short-listed in this comprehensive article here.
Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) is just one of these bidders and and an article highlights the troubles in Greenwich where GLL are taking on the running of library services. The full article can be read here. The article explains,

"GLL have made clear that following the transfer, there will be a "harmonisation" process, in reality to bring library staff down to GLL levels. GLL negotiators have confirmed that new library staff will be employed on poorer pay and conditions."

The article claims that the council refused to accept a potential compromise whereby staff would be seconded over to GLL, rather than transferred, which would give staff staying as council employees a better safeguard against attacks on pay and conditions."