I went to the Friends of Seaford Library Annual General Meeting. FOSL, in spite of the advanced age of its members (aged 51 I was the baby of the meeting), is a very active group and as well as raising funds for has been campaigning for a new library for Seaford for some years. Norman Baker reminded the meeting that Seaford is the largest town in the constituency, bigger than Newhaven or Lewes. Why then do we have a library better suited to a village or a suburb?
I was puzzled that they haven't yet linked up with other campaigns around the country. They had a meeting with other East Sussex campaigners, but it would be useful for them to connect with the Library Campaign, and perhaps some of the groups detailed on the Good Library Guide blog. I'm not going to give detail of the meeting. The Sussex Express carried a more-or-less accurate account, though the local news for Seaford on their site is lamentably out of date
A new library is now a possibility. An old Rover car show-room, empty since the collapse of the last of the British automotive industry, could be the site for a new development, This depends on a property speculator, who in return would take a very large site for housing (in other words yet more flats, not affordable housing) and shops, but we were shown plans which seemed quite detailed. I'm worried that the plans will go ahead without any thought for what people might want or need from a 21st century library. There is more to the library than the building itself. I have a nasty suspicion that East Sussex County Council feel that, if they deliver a new building, they have fulfilled their responsibility. To my mind, there needs to be a full public consultation, not only on the buildings but on what the library should contain and do. Here's what I'd suggest:
Radically improved opening hours. Seaford library is never open after 6 pm and closes for a half-day (how quaint), so evening and Sunday opening are vital.
Free wireless access and lots more computers; the public access computers are always in use, better bandwidth would be good too.
Considerable investment in stock: the existing stock simply will not do, and a new library will attract more use. This would be the golden opportunity to add recorded sound. I cannot understand why I have to order CDs from Lewes or Eastbourne, and pay for the privilege.
Increased staffing, including at least one qualified librarian on site
Coffee
A meeting room, bookable by the public, community organisations etc
Thinking more widely, no library is an island. East Sussex need to start investing in their libraries (they are one of the low spenders of English local authorities when it comes to libraries). A new library management system is long overdue, with an up-to-date catalogue, that not only allowed readers to see what East Sussex has, but links out to other library catalogues with a single search interface, links out to Amazon and Google, allows readers to post reviews, delivers RSS feeds and so on. At the moment, if I want to ask for something East Sussex do not have, I have to fill in a paper form and pay a fee. What price Universal Availability of Publications? Why can't I simply fill in a request on the e-library website?
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