please empty your brain below
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Has something happened to Twickenham library (Richmond borough)?! I took literally thousands of books out of there when I was a child; I'll be sorry if it's gone now...
hampshireflyer | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 2:22 a.m. | #
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OK, I've changed "Whitton" to "Twickenham, Whitton". I assume that's the one you mean.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 6:43 a.m. | #
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Councils aren't statutorily required to run libraries or swimming pools for that matter. If LAs wanted to demonstrate what 28% cuts feel like they could close every library and swimming pool in the country and all the parks as well. It wouldn't be much fun but it would be fairer than a lot of other things that are being proposed and it might bring home to everyone what is actually happening in this country.
ganching | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 6:48 a.m. | #
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Who would have thought Hillingdon and Enfield are the capital's two most literate boroughs?
Marc | 24.11.10 - 6:51 a.m. | #
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Harrow may have nine libraries but they soon wont have any librarians as it is currently planning to repalce 45 staff with "supermarket- style" scannnig devices to speed up the return and taking out of books
peewit | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 7:24 a.m. | #
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But the main function of library staff is not stamping books but assisting readers to find books they like or need. Mechanising that work frees them up to do more demanding work.
Richard | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 8:15 a.m. | #
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Ah, but, local councils *do* have a statutory duty to provide, "...a comprehensive and efficient library service, set in the context of local need: that is, specifically of those who live, work and study in the local area," under the 1964 Public Libraries & Museums Act 1964.
http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/libraries/3416.aspx
And self-service machines are great (we've had them wehre I live for a number of years. They free up librarians to do real librarian work - like enocurage kids to read, and help the public find the information they need - online or on paper).
Blue Witch | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 8:19 a.m. | #
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Should/ does this include Westminster Reference Library, on St Martin's Street, or are you not including reference libraries.
Great work though. These sorts of lists are always fantastic to have.
Tom | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 9:38 a.m. | #
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Is it meant to be a list of static libraries only ? Otherwise you have left out Bromley's mobile library. There may possibly be others. Croydon's one survived until a few years ago. I suspect that in reality semi-rural Bromley is the only borough with a real need for one.
Pedantic of Purley | 24.11.10 - 9:42 a.m. | #
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Have you missed The Gate, in Forest Gate (Newham)?
Brad | 24.11.10 - 10:18 a.m. | #
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There is a Twickenham and a Whitton library - they are two separate places about two miles apart.
Debster | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 11:15 a.m. | #
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what does it say about me that I could name both the libraries pictured?*
Oh, and libraries closing = sad and bad. I pretty much grew up in Southfields Library, later getting my first Saturday job there, then working full time at West Hill (RIP), all of which shaped my degree (BA(Hons) Information & Library Management) and career choice.
* Haven't seen the Roehampton one for 20 years, and have only ever seen internal pics of Peckham.
Wayne | 24.11.10 - 11:25 a.m. | #
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Under Redbridge libraries, you've listed 'Claybrook' - it's actually 'Clayhall'. :-)
O | 24.11.10 - 1:24 p.m. | #
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Twickenham very definitely a separate library from Whitton's.
David | 24.11.10 - 1:31 p.m. | #
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Canada Water will be something of an outlier; it's actually getting a new library next year! It is being funded by developer contributions to the council (Southwark) from the large development alongside.
To be fair it will replace the existing Rotherhithe one so not a wholly new facility, but perhaps a very rare shining light in London's library world. (Except that there is some talk that there will be no librarians as such, just self-service tills and building security - really hope it isn't that thinly staffed.)
SELondoner | 24.11.10 - 1:37 p.m. | #
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I'm kind of sorry to ask the question, but how people do actually go to libraries these days?
It seems like an easy place to cut without affecting too many. I wonder if a Lovefilm-like national library system would work and be more efficient. You could still have local pick-up and drop-off points even?
sweek | 24.11.10 - 1:59 p.m. | #
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Twickenham Library is in Garfield Road Twickenham (off York Street). I used to go there a lot as a child.
Their web site is still active and says they are open ( with some repairs to the roof taking place) which as far as I am know is correct. It was certainly open earlier this year!.
Whitton library is in Whitton a 281 bus ride, or next station on the train away from Twickenham libray.
John | 24.11.10 - 4:37 p.m. | #
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In Hounslow Borough the Hanworth library which was a single building on its own site with a small car park, has this autumn moved a short distance, and is now incorporated within the council owned swimming baths/sports complex. Maybe more people will use the library service there, it should also save costs not having a separate site. Expect the old site will be used for apartments.
John | 24.11.10 - 4:47 p.m. | #
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OK, some changes made.
Richmond confused me by pairing off libraries. I've now unsplit Twickenham from Whitton (and Castelnau from Kew).
I've added "The Gate" in Forest Gate.
And no, I decided not to include mobile libraries. Even Tower Hamlets has a mobile library - it comes to my end of Bow every Saturday morning.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.10 - 4:55 p.m. | #
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Here in the far east (Norwich) we make good use of our libraries, see the stats below. There are probably more up-to-date figures somewhere but they are still rising.
Visitors have risen from 3.58m in 2000/01, to 5.29m in 2007/08
New members have risen from 31,500 in 2000/01, to 52,600 in 2007/08
Active users up from 20% to 25% of the population
Unit cost per head reduced from £3.35 per head in 2000/01 to £2.14 in 2007/08
Millennium Library now the busiest in the country
Pop artist | 24.11.10 - 5:47 p.m. | #
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What would be interesting to know is libraries per head of population in the different boroughs, or are they all much the same?
Andy S | 24.11.10 - 7:59 p.m. | #
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And Tory Westminster has more libraries than poor old Southwark.
Well that's not a surprise now is it people?
Philip in Dulwich | 24.11.10 - 11:55 p.m. | #
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Might be being blind, but have you missed out Bromley Central Library?
dg writes: Yes, sorry. It's in now.
Clair | Homepage | 27.11.10 - 10:53 a.m. | #
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