NEWS
CILIP sounds alarm over library buildings ‘fire sale’
THE Government’s latest Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) package for 19 local authorities could trig- ger a ‘fire sale’ of library buildings, CILIP has warned. This year, the EFS framework allows for around £1.5bn of funds for services to be raised through sell-offs of assets or loans, on top of previous year’s EFS worth around £976m. CILIP’s fear relates to these sums not being reached with new money but instead by relaxing of rules on borrowing and selling assets. Jo Cornish, CILIP interim CEO said: “This
‘exceptional financial support’ announced by government is in reality nothing of the sort. Instead, central government is suggesting that cash-strapped councils should do the equivalent of using their savings (long-term investment budgets) and selling property to cover day-to-day running costs.” This interpretation of the support is
shared by Jonathan Carr-West, CEO of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), who said: “We know how desperate these councils were to receive this excep- tional support. For them, it is a last-minute reprieve that wards off immediate financial collapse… But we should not mistake this for generosity on the part of the govern- ment. They are simply allowing councils to borrow and to sell their own assets. We should not mistake [this] announcement for a sustainable long-term solution to local government funding.”
It means councils will raise the money from
their own resources. Jo Cornish said: “This framework creates a material risk that councils will sell off parts of their proper- ty portfolio, including libraries, to a ddress the funding shortfall caused by the with- drawal of central government grants. We know from our experience supporting library services across the UK, this is a one- way trip – once a library building is sold
off, it permanently impairs the life chances and property values of local residents. It’s a one-way deal and very much like using the credit card to pay the mortgage. “We urgently call on central government to work with councils to provide long-term sustainable investment to protect local services and halt their decline, including statutory public library libraries provision.” A recent LGIU report, The State of Local Government Finance in England 2024, published in February, has also highlighted that: “Universal services such as parks, play- grounds, refuse collection, libraries tend to face cuts,” adding that “although councils are under a duty to provide ‘a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons’, exactly how that duty is carried out is open to interpretation. Many users will have seen branch libraries closing and the provision of books and periodicals reducing as councils have switched resources to meet pressures in other service areas.”
Make the E-Book crisis accessible
A NEW website in the US gives librarians tools and talking points to communicate the nature and gravity of the e-Book crisis to a wider audience.
E-Books for Us (
https://ebooksforus.com/) features comics, interactive games and quizzes to highlight critical e-book issues. In a blog post about the project, Michelle Reed, Research Manager at Library Futures asked: “Have you ever tried to explain the labyrinth of library licences to a friend? and Want to know why The Wok costs your library over $100 for a 24-month licence when you can get the same e-book on Amazon for under $30 and keep it forever? or Why, despite your best librarian hacks, you can’t find the audiobook of Barbara King- solver’s The Poisonwood Bible in your library? We’ve got answers. And more importantly, we’ve got actions! “Whether you’re a librarian, a lawmaker, or a citizen hoping to make a difference in your community, the E-Books for Us project site gives you the tools and talking points you need to shift the bal- ance back to a system that supports access to e-books for all.”
March 2024
Kenny Keil for Library Futures. INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 5
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