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MEA Culpa to end this year’s Mediawatching column, and as is usual in these cases we are having to say goodbye
to yet another underpaid, under- appreciated intern.
Last month we reported on the sale of the Thomas Parry building and campus in Aberystwyth, with a remark that it may be “less recognisable” for some readers because it was part of the agricultural college. On checking the Mediawatching inbox I was delighted to see a slew of stories for inclusion in this month’s column, only to discover a slew of polite corrections aimed my way. It turns out the site also housed the library school for many years, so is in fact quite recognisable to some. Apologies from all in Mediawatching Towers, and thanks to Jane Mansfield, Matthew Phillips and Kelly Blake for alerting us.
Now on to the real action and we head to Edinburgh and a reminder that libraries hold more than the books on their shelves. And in the case of the National Library of Scotland that means a whole street. The BBC (https://tinyurl. com/MWDec241) reports that “Behind a door deep within the lower floors of the National Library of Scotland lies a forgotten street which gives a glimpse of how Edinburgh looked centuries ago. “Libberton’s Wynd, in the heart of the old city, was demolished to make way for George IV Bridge in the 1830s – but part of the street still remains. It can be found between the bridge walls and the library building, with access through a hidden door.”
Nicknamed the Void by library staff, the hidden street was first discovered in the 1990s and Bill Jackson, former director of the library, said: “My torch was hardly illuminating anything, it was very dark when I went through and a bit scary and I wanted to get out of there.” With the party season bearing down on us, there is hope for all those with a busy social life and not enough outfits to keep up with engagements. Oswestry Library has opened its own fashion store (
https://tinyurl.com/MWDec242) where
December 2024
Scotland in winter.
library users can borrow an outfit from more than 200 in the shared wardrobe. Created in collaboration with sustainable fashion movement With Love From..., the pilot scheme will run for a month. Siobhan Shaw, library operations and development manager at Oswestry Library, also added: “We are so proud to be supporting this project with Lizzie [founder of With Love From…] and together, we believe that we can increase visibility and accessibility of sustainable fashion options for local people.
“Public libraries are fundamental to the sharing economy and as such are committed to both protecting the planet and supporting their clientele to borrow more and spend less, while working with communities to minimise financial barriers to the information, equipment, and resources they require.” Next to the land of the free and the home of the lawsuit. New York’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) has been hit with a $4.6m claim from library worker William Martin, who says he has been forced to work on a small desk, which caused him “to suffer serious mental health problems”. Mr Martin, who is 6ft 2in tall and weighs more than 25 stones claims management intentionally scheduled him to work at the “crampy” desk in
order to show him “who was boss”. A spokesperson for the SNFL told The Independent (
https://tinyurl.com/MWDec243) that the claim was “without merit”. Moving to Cheshire where Parish councils have agreed to help deliver longer opening hours for local public libraries. Cheshire East Council had looked at cutting hours for a number of its libraries, as part of a £100m savings drive. However parish councils in the area, which are not normally responsible for library funding, have stepped in with additional funds as they look to prevent local residents losing our on vital library services. The BBC reports (
https://tinyurl.com/ MWDec244) that Bollington Town Council is putting the most funding in, with contributions paying for 50 per cent of its current opening times. Our final story takes us to East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, where sun- starved library users are being offered a chance to replenish depleted vitamin D stocks. Four local libraries are now stocking special lamps that replicate the effects of the sun, as part of a Wintering Well campaign (
https://tinyurl.com/ MWDec245). The lamps are available to help tackle seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which has symptoms including emotional challenges, lowered mood, and feelings of anxiety. IP
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