Croydon - Heading for Judicial Review - Save Croydon Libraries - 20/12/12

http://soslibrary.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/croydon-heading-for-judicial-review.html

"Despite a cloak of secrecy, it's clear that Laing (JLLS) were the most likely bidder to be awarded the contract for Croydon Libraries. Many saw this as a done deal. Given the details and terms of the contract now known it would be hard to argue that Croydon didn't pave the way for the JLIS bid."

"The fight is not over and we may now need to go to judicial review."

UKIP joins forces with Labour for library judicial review - Inside Croydon - 18/12/12

http://insidecroydon.com/2012/12/18/ukip-joins-forces-with-labour-for-library-judicial-review/

"Croydon’s Conservative-run council is forcing through policies that are so unpopular that the local Labour group is joining forces with UKIP to oppose them.
This unlikely political alliance has come about to seek a judicial review of Croydon Council’s decision to hand over the borough’s 13 public libraries to a subsidiary of the building firm, John Laing."

"According to library campaigner Elizabeth Ash, the terms of the library outsourcing contract being offered to JLIS are to maintain the existing service, but the “service that has been run into the ground since before the consultation began, with huge loss of staff, greatly depleted book stock, and lack of service in our libraries as staff are often ill-equipped and untrained.
“The strain this has placed on our original staff, and on those new trying to fulfil the role, must be immense,” Ash said.
“What we know, if this contract goes ahead, is that the terms and conditions of our remaining staff will be maintained, as they have no alternative … but there is no commitment to keep the many staff we understand are on short-term contract, so new staff can be taken on with lesser qualifications, pay and conditions,” said the Sanderstead resident."

562 Public Library jobs lost in London since 2007/8

The following is just a very basic breakdown of the data relating to staffing and volunteers in London's Public Libraries, 2007/8 to 2011/12, from the latest Public Libraries Profiles sponsored by the DCMS and recently published by CIPFA. The City of London isn't included and i can only assume that they are one of the 4 authorities that CIPFA are hoping to release data on in the new year?

According to my calculations 562 full time library posts have been cut between 2007/8 and 2011/12, i can't tell from this how many cut were professional staff due the data not being broken down for 2007/8.
Funnily enough i was looking back over the London Library Change Programme documentation the other day specifically at the 'Workforce Benchmarking Study' which looked at ways (shared services, collaboration/partnerships) of cutting the 2006/7 London Libraries workforce of 3,900 FTE's by 10%, coincidence or hitting targets?

The authorities with the biggest cuts are Bromley with 54.5 staff lost and Bexley with 48.7 and the lowest are Waltham Forest with 2.9 and Hammersmith and Fulham with 4, believe it or not there are actually 6 authorities that report an increase and they are Camden, Hounslow, Lambeth, Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Lambeth with a whopping 46.7 increase!

Apart from the actual numbers lost the other thing that really jumps out from these figures is the deprofessionialisation of the service, Newham for 2011/12 record 2 professional staff and there are others with only 4/5! How can you run a comprehensive and efficient, statutory public service with only 2 professional staff?

 

In relation to volunteers no surprises that Merton, considering it is the flagship for the Mayor's Team London 'Library Champions' project, comes top with 539 closely followed by Lewisham with 336, three authorities Islington, Hammersmith & Fulham and Greenwich all record 0 figures for this! I'm not sure how this figure is calculated, do they include volunteers who assist (or run) the 'reading challenges', homework clubs, IT sessions etc or is it just purely volunteers who have replaced paid staff?

Obviously these are the figures up untill 2011/12 i would take an educated guess that the staffing levels will be even lower and volunteer levels even higher when the next set are published, if they are?

Brent
Staff 2007/8 133 2011/12 68 (20 professional, 48 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 10

Camden
Staff 2007/8 135 2011/12 144.9 (16 prof, 128.9 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 12

Ealing
Staff 2007/8 140 2011/12 123.4 (18.7 prof, 104.7 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 29

Hackney
Staff 2007/8 123.5 2011/12 99.5 (18 prof, 81.5 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 38 2011/12 26

Haringey
Staff 2007/8 113.8 2011/12 79.9 (30.2 prof, 49.7 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 8 2011/12 63

Hounslow
Staff 2007/8 94.3 2011/12 96.5 (10.5 prof, 86 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 11 2011/12 14

Hammersith & Fulham
Staff 2007/8 90 2011/12 86 (5 prof, 81 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 0

Greenwich
Staff 2007/8 101.2 2011/12 81.3 (7 prof, 74.3 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 0

Lambeth
Staff 2007/8 109.8 2011/12 112 (9 prof, 103 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 1 2011/12 2

Lewisham
Staff 2007/8 105.3 2011/12 152 (27 prof, 125 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 3 2011/12 336

Merton
Staff 2007/8 61.5 2011/12 47 (4 prof, 43 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 31 2011/12 539

Bromley
Staff 2007/8 171.8 2011/12 117.3 (15.4 prof, 101.9 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 58 2011/12 167

Harrow
Staff 2007/8 111 2011/12 78.5 (20 prof, 58.5 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 29 2011/12 35

Islington
Staff 2007/8 124.4 2011/12 98.4 (26.7 prof, 71.7 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 0

Kensington & Chelsea
Staff 2007/8 111.5 2011/12 84.8 (18.5 prof, 66.3 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 21 2011/12 40

Newham
Staff 2007/8 127 2011/12 103.4 (2 prof, 103.4 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 20 2011/12 181

Redbridge
Staff 2007/8 114.5 2011/12 108 (22 prof, 86 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 14 2011/12 55

Richmond
Staff 2007/8 110 2011/12 89.5 (15 prof, 74.5 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 156 2011/12 100

Sutton
Staff 2007/8 83.5 2011/12 69 (13 prof, 56 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 18 2011/12 105

Tower Hamlets
Staff 2007/8 131.4 2011/12 122.7 (4 prof, 118.7 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 20 2011/12 14

Wandsworth
Staff 2007/8 127.4 2011/12 110.8 (37.4 prof, 73.4 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 67 2011/12 79

Westminster
Staff 2007/8 145.1 2011/12 139.4 (31 prof, 108.4 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 88 2011/12 313

Southwark
Staff 2007/8 113.8 2011/12 108 (20 prof, 88 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 14

Waltham Forest
Staff 2007/8 75.9 2011/12 73 (5.8 prof, 67.2 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 4

Barking & Dagenham
Staff 2007/8 65.3 2011/12 71.2 (12.7 prof, 58.5 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 0 2011/12 41

Barnet
Staff 2007/8 157 2011/12 122.5 (48 prof, 74.5 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 38 2011/12 28

Bexley
Staff 2007/8 138 2011/12 89.3 (15.8 prof, 73.5 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 110 2011/12 184

Croydon
Staff 2007/8 134.5 2011/12 100.4 (22 prof, 78.4 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 25 2011/12 245

Enfield
Staff 2007/8 143 2011/12 128 (23 prof, 105 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 31 2011/12 117

Havering
Staff 2007/8 96 2011/12 104 (9 prof, 95 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 96 2011/12 200

Hillingdon
Staff 2007/8 125.5 2011/12 97.6 (10.6 prof, 87.1 other)
Volunteers 2007/8 17 2011/12 24

The Society of Chief Librarians and the Chief Leisure Officers Association

I've been asked to explain my view on the link between the SCL and the CLOA and why i think this relationship has had a significant bearing on the development of the role of Public Libraries and the way they are perceived by the public, the profession and government, so here goes albeit briefly;

The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) is a membership organisation made of all the Local Authority Chief Librarians in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1996 and describes it's role as thus;

"SCL takes a leading role in the development of public libraries, through sharing best practices, advocating for continuous improvement on behalf of local people, and leading the debate on the future of the public library service. Public libraries operate in a fast-changing world and are responding to this challenge imaginatively in communities across the UK. SCL works to ensure that this community-based contribution to national and local strategies is recognised and developed.
SCL supports chief librarians by providing regional networks that allow them to discuss current issues and concerns in a confidential environment. These regional networks also work closely with partners within their regions to deliver real benefits to services and customers such as cheaper procurement of services and easy access to books across all libraries in a region."

The current SCL President is Janene Cox, Commissioner for Culture, Leisure & Tourism, Staffordshire County Council. The history of the SCL talks of Chief and County Librarians but you will be hard pushed to find any mention of Librarian in many of the job titles of the new bunch!

The SCL, in my view, have developed very close links with the Chief Leisure Officers Association (CLOA) which describes its role as thus;

"The Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association (^cCLOA) exclusively represents senior strategic leaders managing public sector cultural, tourism and sport services. It works closely with central government and key national organisations to influence the development of national policies and to lobby for positive change in the cultural and leisure sectors. It is also a founder and leading member of the National Culture Forum."

The current CLOA Chair is Richard Hunt, Head of Service Development (Culture, Sport and Communities) Adult and Community Services, Suffolk County Council, his remit covers libraries, archives, arts, museums, sports, culture and tourism! In fact Richard Hunt, the Chair, Iain Varah, the Vice Chair and John Bell, the Honorary Secretary, all have, or have had at one time, libraries as part of their professional remits!

Under 'Current Issues' on the CLOA website you'll find "Future direction for arts, museums and libraries." and on the micro-site for CLOA London it states;

"London ^cCLOA is currently involved in two projects in London
Team London Libraries Project
A £100K community development project centred on strengthening local communities and civic engagement through increasing volunteering in Libraries. This project is funded by the GLA and the following boroughs are participating in a fast track pilot: Croydon, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Barnet, Ealing, Enfield, Hackney, Havering, Tri Borough (shared service) and Bromley/ Bexley (shared service) The project will produce toolkits and best practice guidance in the summer of 2012 and will support other boroughs through a formal peer to peer programme from September 2012."

their general view on the situation facing Public Libraries can be gleaned from the following document and its title!;

CLOA and the Public Library Service

Crisis or opportunity?

SCL and CLOA members attend some of the same meeting/forums and both meet regularly with representatives of ACE, DCMS, LGA, London Councils etc, CLOA London publishes agendas and notes from their meetings but you'll be hard pressed to find these for the SCL!

So the SCL and CLOA have a close relationship, so what?

Well in my own opinion this relationship can be seen most clearly in the way that the majority of councils position their library services within their departmental and directorate structure, more often than not libraries are lumped in with leisure, arts and culture or anything else other than education and learning!
This change in perception and focus makes it easier for councils, government departments and agencies to renege on their statutory duties through divestment and/or by telling the profession that their job can be done by anyone, anytime and anywhere, after all it's only another leisure option!
In my view this is not coincidental but part of a deliberate neoliberal agenda to position libraries within the leisure, arts and culture market making them more attractive to private financiers, 'Social Enterprises' and the like or as i touched on in the last paragraph just easier to cut,  'hollow out' or divest. Look at the privatisation of Greenwich and Wandsworth's library services to sports/leisure specialist Greenwich Leisure Ltd and the 'Localism' agenda with it's 'Right to Bid' and 'Community Asset Transfer' spin offs!

This isn't by any means the full story, there's the cuts to ACE and DCMS funding, the fact that ACE funding to libraries is based around creating partnerships with arts organisations, the role of consultants and attitudes within the library profession itself, but that's a whole new blog post!

I'll finish with a quote from a recent article on libraries by Jeannette Winterson;

"When we look back at the latest cuts in Newcastle, we can see where this confusion starts – "Libraries, leisure and culture". But culture is not leisure – though you need leisure to pursue culture – and libraries are not leisure in the way that a sports centre is leisure. Libraries began with the highest purpose in mind – to educate through the agency of a book. The first public libraries were aspirational and proud. Libraries were not community centres with books in the way."

Judicial Review - Save Croydon Libraries - 17/12/12

A message from Save Croydon Libraries;


It seems clear that the intention is that Laing (JLLS) were to be awarded the contract for Croydon Libraries. This is likely to take some time as scrutiny applied extra conditions to the contract which will need to be negotiated with Laing and there may be other delays to come, should any of the bidders wish to challenge the process. Residents have been advised that the decision needs to go back to the full council in any case, which won't be until January now.

The fight is not over and we may now need to go to judicial review. We cannot do this until the final announcement is made but this does not stop us considering all options before this time. We would not proceed unless we had a very good case but from all the campaign knows we have a case on several key points.  We need a group of residents to take this forward to explore further.

Support for a judicial review has already been indicated by Croydon Labour and now UKIP. The fact that so many Conservative Councillors called in the decision indicates unrest within the party pushing the outsourcing through.

Please get in touch if you can help.  We need people to stand up to be counted or we will lose the library service we so value. It is clearly not to late to rebuild what we have lost but we must not let it deteriorate any further. Check out what Laing have done to Hounslow Libraries if you are in any doubt.  

What we know, if this contract goes ahead, is that the terms and conditions of our remaining staff will be maintained, as they have no alternative under TUPE, but there is no commitment to keep the many staff we understand are on short term contract, so new staff can be taken on with lesser qualifications, pay and conditions.

The terms of the contract are to maintain the existing service - a service that has been run into the ground since before the consultation began, with huge loss of staff, greatly depleted book stock, and lack of service in our libraries as staff are often ill-equipped and untrained.  The strain this has placed on our original staff, and on those new trying to fulfil the role, must be immense.

Many residents are still unaware of the plans. Thanks to all who have sent a constant stream of information to the Campaign in the form of observations, comments and photos.

We need to mobilise.  Please get in touch! 

Regards

Elizabeth

for

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Save Croydon Libraries Campaign

savecroydonlibraries@gmail.com

www.soslibrary.blogspot.com

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PFI-Perfidious Financial Idiocy - Question Everything - 8/12/12

By the ever excellent Ruby Malvolio from his ever excellent 'Question Everything' website;

http://questioneverythingtheytellyou.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/pfi-perfidious-financial-idiocy.html

"If Newcastle City Council want to blame anyone for having to cut libraries I think they have to look at themselves mainly, going for the neo-liberal wonga option will haunt them for many years to come. "

Council forced to report monthly on Laing library performance - Inside Croydon - 9/12/12

http://insidecroydon.com/2012/12/09/council-forced-to-report-monthly-on-laing-library-performance/

"It took a special meeting at the Town Hall last week to insist that the management of Croydon’s public libraries should be monitored monthly, rather than the annual reporting period proposed by the Conservative-run council as its privatises the service under a £30 million, eight-year contract for John Laing Integrated Services.
With such a new way of running the borough’s 13 public libraries, regular monitoring of Laing’s performance will provide a vital safeguard for the interests of Council Tax-payers, who own the properties and whose money will be used to pay for Laing’s management."

Although i agree with the comments above about monthly monitoring being a safeguard i really doubt if Laing will agree to this and wether those in the council analysing the data, which might not be worth the paper its written on, will really know what to look for except for increases in issues and the user count and as we all know this doesn't give the full picture!
Also the library staff will be put under a huge amount of pressure, as they are in Hounslow, to hit performance targets otherwise Laing will be penalised.
This is of course a move which is in direct contrast to LSSI's secrecy in the US where they have recently lost a contract due to their lack of transperancy over profit margins etc.