Thanet Life

Is the reason for cuts related to under-usage? Older readers are more affluent and perhaps buy themselves books rather than borrow them and as for most youngsters, they do not know what a book is and certainly don't read them. Perhaps our libraries are an anachronism left over from the days when the deserving poor needed the facilities. Perhaps a KCC Councillor can explain the reasoning or are the Libraries just an easy target?

I am told that libraries loan more than books these days, cds and dvds for example.
I haven't bothered going to Margate library since they reduced their openng hours a few years ago so they were open less than my working day and also their response to my request for a particular book was " we have got one somewhere but we don't know where exactly and if we order one it will take at least a year and even then you probably won't get it.
In addition to that they brought out free interenet access so my idea of opening a cybercafe in Margate got shot down in flames,now it appears that you have to book in advance, are limited to a short time and anyway their computers are usually not in working order.
What a freaking shambles!

On the front page of KNet (KCCs staff internet pages) the top feature is “New deal on Cosmos holidays and flights” offering discounts of 15% to KCC staff on holidays and flights. A rather hollow benefit for staff facing redundancy!

It gets better when you actually read the article and see the first line:

“Paul Carter and Peter Gilroy have just returned from Virginia, USA and would like to highly recommend it as a destination for 2007.”

So the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive have had a nice trip to the USA! That’s really great when many of their staff in libraries are wondering how they are going to pay their mortgages and feed their children by the end of the year!

Presumably this visit was in connection with the Kent-Virginia Partnership. Look on the KCC website and it will tell you:

“This unique international partnership celebrates the historical links that Kent shares with the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the run-up to the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in 2007 and beyond.”

“The Kent-Virginia partnership will help the state of Virginia commemorate its roots in Kent. It is also hoped that the partnership will benefit tourism, education and business in both Kent and Virginia.”

A great project in times of plenty but how necessary is it when KCC are cutting core services? Or is it too good a source of trips at the taxpayer’s expense to pass up?

From April 2006 to December 2007 nearly 7,000 events were organised, in addition to core business.

655 storytimes, 39 of which were held at various locations other than libraries

892 baby bounce and rhyme sessions, 58 of which were held by staff at various locations other than libraries

442 reading group meetings.

222 homework club meetings so far this year, compared with an annual total of 43 last year

948 group visits to libraries and archives, mainly schools, nurseries, other children’s organisations and various local history groups.

281 sessions involving IT training, attended by 1,421 people

84 consultations with various groups

78 Health visitor clinics were held

11 MPs surgeries

41 registrar sessions

12 police surgeries

34 parish and district councillor surgeries

94 careers or job seekers sessions

200 adult education sessions

367 meetings of local clubs or organisations, mainly local history groups

552 promotional events, 92 held off site

24 Citizen’s Advice Bureau sessions

Various other community uses, social services and neighbourhood watch advice.

Quite an anachronism. Of course there are loads of other venues and staff prepared to facilitate these events. Are there?

Anon 12.53, these Virginia flights will I believe be as successful as that other KCC venture the Turner Centre.
Onward connections from there exist but are slow, for example from there to Orlando Florida (likely to be popular after the local delights are exhausted) it costs about $80 one way, is about 90 minutes flying time but because there are no direct flights it takes between 4 and 7 hours to fly to a hub and out again on USAir or Delta.

Anon 1.03am, you were up late/early.
Its a pity you are anon as you seem to have a wealth of useful info at your fingertips, thanks for educating me.
Sounds like we will lose a lot as a community if librarys lose staff.

Anon 6:07, I dont agree with you. You dont have to book in advance though it doesnt hurt to do so (theres an exception with four of them which you do have to book). The computers arent brilliant but bearing in mind its free access for an hour you cant object too much. The computers do work and only have problems if you try to make it do too much, which is a common problem with computers anyway. The time limit is there to stop people hogging the computers. Ive had no complaints with the library staff or the system. Some people expect too much of the library.

When was the last time you came to Margate Library?

Yes James I agree I expected too much, that was to borrow a book in a reasonable time frame of less than a year.
And to be able to go to a library that opened before 10am and closed after 5pm so a working person could actually go there when it was open.
I was totally unreasonable and thats why I haven't been there in 10 years and won't go there again.
I used to nearly live in a library in London when I was a kid, I am a bookaholic. Lucky I can now afford to buy them, even it is usually secondhand.

well well..the library opens at 9am and closes at6pm(late hight thursday 8pm).the staff are very helpful and i order books on a regular basis and usually get them from other branches within a week or so.you are restricted to an hour but if you need more time they will usually oblige.you can also get a cup of tea 30p and read the local and daily papers.i and many of my freinds are really grateful to have such a great service and are saddened that so many of these caring people are to lose their jobs.

On the wall to the left inside the entrance to Margate Library is a painting by Webb of Margate Jetty. Once the property of the Borough of Margate there is a question of ownership . KCC says it is theirs, but it appears on the TDC acquisition register as belonging to TDC. Surely they are not going to fall out over a 300k painting.

I get my info mostly from

http://uk.geocities.com/kentlibrarycampaign/news.html

You can too if you like.