Letter in the Sidmouth Herald, 3 February 2006. This was published at a time when there was a furore in Devon over the proposed closure of many small libraries, including one in Sidmouth.
The closures had been presented as 'improvements to the overall service'. In truth, Devon County Council were in a panic over their latest cash crisis. In a parallel development, 100 staff at County Hall were to be made redundant.
Money is spent on 'dumbing libraries down'
MADAM - Is it any wonder that Devon Libraries are short of money? A few years ago, 30,000
People's Network (PN) computers were installed in almost every UK public library. They
cost £130 million or over £4,000 each largely because of the bureaucracy associated with
County Councils.
Traditional borrowers value libraries as an educational resource yet for many years both
buildings and bookstocks have been starved of funds. Now, when some small libraries are
threatened with closure (as a way of improving local services you understand!), all these
computers have been replaced. There is no shortage of money for enabling people to idle
away their time emailing across the world, playing 'pop' CDs and video games, downloading
music to 'IPODS' (and ring tones to mobile phones) and sending electronic holiday photos
back home.
None of these activities are central to core library values yet are provided 'free of
charge'. DCC is delighted that visitor numbers have increased - yet as part of the process
libraries are becoming little more than noisy internet cafes and with a 'dumbed down'
agenda. People wanting a decent book to read have to pay 90p for an inter-library loan and
wait three or four weeks. Anyone wishing to find a place for serious quiet reference study
would be advised to go elsewhere.
DR STEPHEN J WOZNIAK
Sidford
Sidmouth