On the Closure of English Public Libraries

ABSTRACT

This article challenges the conventional assumptions about the serious decline of public libraries in England. The author asserts that, as shown by the comparative data for the United States and Australian public libraries, it has not been caused by changes in society or technology. Nor has government austerity been the driving force. The loss of public interest originated in the years from 1990 to 2010 when major alterations were made to the ethos of the service. The current budget cuts and moves to ‘hollow out’ and close library services have come because of the consequent fall in public affection.

KEYWORDS:

• Austerity
• closing of public libraries
• decline of public libraries
• England
• government funding
• use of public libraries
• government funding

Notes

1. Many reports of the Libraries Task force: Libraries Task Force reports and blogs. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/libraries-taskforce

2. The’ Idea Stores’, which replaced public libraries, in Tower Hamlets, in the east end of London, started with no books at all on the ground floor. ‘Discovery Centres’, which were a similar initiative removed large amounts of books from their shelves.

3. The list of recent amazing children’s authors in the UK starts with JK Rowling and Philip Pullman and then goes on with – Roald Dahl, Michael Morpurgo, and Anne Fine.

4. In the figures, data for US libraries comes from the IMLS; data for Australian libraries comes from NSLA; and data for England comes from CIPFA.

5. Libraries and Museums Act 1964 – Available at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1964/75.

6. The minister of the time was Tessa Blackstone, a member of Tony Blair’s government. See also Tim Coates’ report “Who’s in Charge, Responsibility for the Public Library Service.” Available at http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2004-01/libraries.htm.

7. At its peak, 15–20% of library visits were to use computers. In 2016 that number had fallen to 6%. See the ‘Shining a Light’ report.

8. See the Guardian – many articles on library closures. For example, https://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2017/oct/19/uk-national-public-library-system-community; https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/16/library-use-in-england-fell-dramatically-over-last-decade-figures-show

9. The Universal Offer – Society of Chief Librarians, UK . Available at https://www.librariesconnected.org.uk/.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tim Coates

Tim Coates has worked in the book industry for more than 40 years: in retailing, libraries and publishing. He has been managing director of several large book retailers, including Waterstone’s, the leading UK bookstore group, and of WH Smith in Europe. He has been UK general manager of YBP, the academic division of Baker and Taylor, and now part of EBSC0. He is frequently called upon to advise on and write reports for local and national government bodies on the public library sector.

He is an author of fiction and of historical works and an editor of over 40 historical papers about both the US and the UK. He holds Masters degrees from Oxford and from Stirling Universities. He is currently a principal consultant on projects in the US aimed at improving the relationship between academic and public libraries and leading publishers.