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A
S you are all no doubt aware, libraries in the US are facing increased pressure – both on finances and threats
against collections, since President Trump came to power just over 100 days ago.
In fact we could probably fill the page of this and every future issue of Mediawatching with tales from the other side of the pond, but it would not make for happy reading. So, instead of that we are limiting ourselves to one at the start and one at the end. And with that, here is the first of US stories, from the pages of The Guardian (
https://tinyurl.com/MWSummer251) and a tale across borders. “There is only one building in North America, probably in the world, where one can browse bestsellers and children’s books by crossing an international border and then sit for an amateur theatre troupe in a regal opera house with each half of your body in two different countries.” – this is how the newspaper introduces Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which does indeed sit on the US/Canadian border – half in the US village of Derby, and the other half is in the Canadian town of Stanstead.
Unfortunately for users of the library, recent cross-border antagonism between the two countries has resulted in the US taking action. The Guardian reports: “For weeks, curious onlookers, outraged supporters and gaggles of media have descended on both Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vermont, after US officials announced the main entrance to the library, which sits in Vermont, would soon be cut off to Canadians. They cited drug traffickers and smugglers ‘exploiting’ the accessibility and said the closure meant ‘we are ending such exploitation by criminals and protecting Americans’ without providing evidence.” Next, to South Wales and a library that is taking simple steps to help local biodiversity. Pontardawe Library in Neath Port Talbot has installed swift boxes to the front of the building. These boxes have nothing to do with making a swift book drop off or collection out of hours, but have been place to encourage migrating swifts to set up home as part of a nationwide campaign to increase numbers. South Wales
Summer 2025
Migrating birds to make swift use of library buildings.
Guardian (
https://tinyurl.com/MWSummer252) reports local Councillor Cen Phillips saying: “Visitors to Pontardawe Library will also be able to enjoy seeing the swift boxes, hopefully the swifts investigating and nesting in the boxes and learn more about this declining bird.”
Andrew Shenton has been in touch with a Valentine’s Day episode of Radio 4’s A Point of View. Although first broadcast on 14 February (
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ m0027v4y), the episode, entitled ‘The Joy of Archives’ doesn’t actually have any connection to romance. Andrew says: “Much was crammed into the ten- minute segment and I would consider it essential listening for librarians and records managers alike, even though they will probably be familiar with many of the issues raised. The real value of the programme, though, I think lies in establishing the importance of archives in the minds of listeners beyond information specialists.”
We have two conflicting animal stories to end this edition of Mediawatching, and as promised the last one will be from the US. But first up is Library Assistant Lisa Pontins-Medes whose pet guinea pigs have become a local hit at Newent Library in Gloucestershire. Lisa has been bringing her six furry friends into the library where they are regular visitors to an over-50s club. And even better than reading about
them, you can follow this link to the BBC and watch them (
www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ cvgn0jgw00eo).
And so to our final furry tale and a Daily Mail report of Pepper the cross- eyed cat. But be warned, this story does not have the same warm fuzzy feeling as Lisa’s guinea pigs. Instead it is the story of group anger targeting a small, defenceless creature and forcing it from its home. The headline (
https://tinyurl.com/MWSummer253) screams “Adorable cross-eyed cat called Pepper is EVICTED from Texas library where she lived after local complained”, foreshadowing the unhappy episode which saw locals in the Texan town of Fredericksburg turn on the young cat. The Daily Mail reports: “an adorable eight- month-old stray kitten was evicted from the Texas library that sheltered her after a fuming local complained.
“The tiny feline named Pepper was kicked out of the Pioneer Memorial Library in Fredericksburg on 15 April. Pepper had been residing at the library for an undisclosed amount of time when she was discovered by furious locals who did not want her there.”
Despite a concerted effort by animal lovers, a local court ruled that Pepper should be forever banished from the library. In case anyone cares, Pepper was adopted by a loving family shortly after being collected by the local animal shelter. IP
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