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Bookworms fight to keep libraries public

June 24, 2011

Worried book lovers have launched a campaign calling on the council to put an end to its plans to hand over management of the borough’s libraries to a private organisation.

Campaigners led by members of the Liberal Democrat party are urging people to sign up to the Save Our Libraries petition which was launched after Wokingham Borough Council’s executive gave the go-ahead for a tender process to begin earlier this month.

Council officers are looking for a partner to take over control of the borough’s 10 libraries in a bid to save £170,000 a year.

But the campaigners say the only way a private company will be able to make a profit will be to close libraries and increase charges for residents.

They also said there is no requirement outlined in the council’s competitive dialogue process which will require a partner organisation to keep the existing libraries open.

Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey, who launched the campaign with Anthony Vick, said: “How is the private company going to make money if the council cannot? They are going to have to close libraries or cut services. Private companies have to make money.”

Ms Shepherd-DuBey, who stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate in the Winnersh ward in the borough elections in May, said she also feared a private company would introduce a charge for borrowing books.

Councillor UllaKarin Clark, executive member for internal services, said there were no plans to close any of the boroughs libraries and the process was about improving the service on offer.

She said: “There is a statutory obligation to provide a library service. We are looking for a partner that could be a church or the voluntary sector or it could be a company.

“Somebody has to come up with something and the executive will have to decide if it is for the benefit of the people that live in the borough.

“If it is not then it is not going to happen but we are in need of a cash injection. We are looking to improve our library service.”

Anyone who wants to learn more about the campaign can visit http://save-our-libraries.blogspot.com.

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Let's deal with facts: Wokingham Council's executive committee has put out a tender for our library service; the deadline for submissions of interest (a pre-qualification questionnaire) passed on July 18th; the tender does not require libraries to remain open; and, the council's executive members are hoping to outsource the library service by next May.

The question everyone needs to ask themselves is whether they think this is a good idea.

I believe it's self-evident that a private company will seek to make a profit, through maximising a return on its investment, and charging as much as possible for its services. I worry about where this will leave the less prosperous who rely on the service? What will remain of our libraries after 5 to 8 years of private management? Whether we'll be able to reverse the changes? And, if our libraries will become glorified Blockbuster, CostaCoffee or Waterstones outlets?

As Cllr Keith Baker points out, the final decision has not yet been made, Wokingham Council is evaluating offers and may ultimately (fingers crossed) choose not to outsource our libraries. I don't believe that registering our concern is either laughable or madness. The Save Our Libraries campaign is about asking Wokingham's executive to re-think its plans, and, if we get enough signatures, forcing a debate in the main council chamber.

If you're concerned too, then please sign the petition, you can sign on-line from http://www.save-our-libraries.blogspot.com/ , or sign a paper copy outside your local library when you see one of our campaigners. We'll be posting news and updates on our website and invite you to join in and help out.

Anthony Vick
03/07/2011 at 11:27

I do feel sorry for all those residents who are signing this petition from the Liberal Democrats as we have NOT made any decision to award anything to anyone regarding the libraries. We have asked potential providers to make suggestions as to how the library system can be improved. So they are signing a petition asking for soething that has not been agreed (only in the Liberal Democrats minds).

As one of the Executive Members who made the deciison to ask them for the input I can categorically say (and have been doing so many, many times including your newspaper / web site) I have NOT voted for the passing of the management to an external company.

I do not understand why this usually good news media continually gets it wrong. This is the 4th article on this, the previous being 20th & 25th May and 10th and 24th June. Each time we have had to correct you to say we have not agreed to privatise or outsource the management of our libraries.

Let me do some h0omework for you, the competitive dialogue document you referred to above has the following statement clearly stated:

"The Council would only proceed with the Invitiation to Tender if it was satisfied that:

Outsourcing would result in demonstratable improvements in the library service and secure its long-term future."

I can tell you here and now (as I have done several times before) I and my fellow Executive Members will not move this forward to the next stage unless this requirement was totally and utterly satisfied.