INTERVIEW
We are ready
Last month Isobel Hunter, CEO of Libraries Connected, told Information Professional how these are the best of times and the worst of times for public libraries. In this follow-up she talks to Rob Mackinlay about solutions to the sector’s immediate and long-term challenges.
EVERYONE knows the next few years look difficult for public services. “There’s a pretty consistent picture coming out now about the number of local authorities that are going to find themselves in deficit or near deficit positions,” Isobel Hunter says. “That’s what we’re hearing from our mem- bers as well – I think the level of deficit that some councils are in, serious cuts will have to be made but this time it’s particularly worrying because the causes are not going away. You might get the budget under con- trol now with lots of cuts, but in two years the same problem will still be there.”
A plan
But she says: “We are ready. It feels like the start of the pandemic when we had to re-engineer everything. Now we’ve got a real sense of what we can do and the power of the peer network. We’re ready to deploy that and get it focused on getting every- one through the crisis. This is going to be tough. We’ve just got to stand together, and we’ll get through it and be in a position to regroup and regrow after that.” To tackle the problem directly, Libraries Connected has set up a support hub for libraries who are likely to go into section 114 or face financial challenges. “So far 35 library services have joined,” Isobel says, “That’s over 20 per cent of our members.” Although practical support is the aim, it
36 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Rob Mackinlay(
rob.mackinlay@
cilip.org.uk) is a journalist at Information Professional
will help with morale too. “When people go through one of these major crises it can be a very lonely place. You have a lot of information that you can’t share with your colleagues or your team. It might be personally very distressing. All your boss wants are answers with no time to provide you with support.
“By bringing people together you can share advice and ideas from those who have been through it before. It’s also important to be able to offload and be listened to help people through.”
FAQs
“One of the initial things we’ve done with the support hub is gather frequently asked questions – the ones you get asked in times
January-February 2024
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