Press Release: For Immediate Release - Save our Local Libraries: Read-In and Speak Out!

“Public Libraries are priceless, Reading is Free, Bliss is a good book, and a nice cup of tea!”
– Jeff Cloves

Summary: A variety of authors, illustrators and campaigners will read from both their own books and their favourite books, engage audiences in activities and talk about why they love libraries and why they find Gloucestershire County Council’s proposals (2) for the Library Service unacceptable.
There will also be discussion about the national government’s approach to the financial crisis, in particular about alternatives to massive public spending cuts and privatisation.
This will be a family-friendly event - a peaceful protest against the County Council’s plans, which will celebrate public libraries, their value, and their place at the heart of our communities. It is hoped that this event can help to bring together people from all over Stroud and the surrounding area who believe that public libraries are an essential public service that cannot be cut by 43%.

February 5th will see events taking place in libraries across the country to protest against redundancies and service changes in local Library Services, and the closure of libraries. It is estimated that up to 800 public libraries—18% of the UK total—could face closure. At present, almost 400 are already on the chopping block - many councils are yet to report on the future of library services within their jurisdictions (3). In Stroud, supporters of public libraries are being encouraged to speak about why they love libraries – bringing a book they would not have discovered without public libraries to read from, or perhaps just an anecdote. Local literary celebrities will join campaigner and members of the public.

Celebrity speakers are still being finalised, but so far include children’s author Jamila Gavin (4), UK best-selling author of contemporary, humorous romances Katie Fforde ( http://www.katiefforde.com/), writer Sue Limb ( http://www.suelimb.com), novelist Alice Jolly (5), and author/illustrator Hannah Shaw (6). Local poet, writer and campaigner Jeff Cloves will also attend to read the poem quoted above and speak on his experiences of libraries.
Alice Jolly said: “I am a Gloucestershire writer and I am entirely opposed to these library cuts. Libraries are an essential service and are vitally important to local communities. At present, social mobility in this country is at an all time low. Cutting funds for libraries is only going to make that situation worse.” Sue Limb added: “The writer Jorge Luis Borges said, 'I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.' So what the threatened library closures amount to is Paradise Lost.”
James Beecher (7), a member of Stroud Against the Cuts and organiser of the event said: “Once we lose our libraries we won’t get them back. We must act now to save our libraries.” He added that “We are being told that “There is no alternative” to the cuts. This is clearly not true - tackling tax avoidance and evasion is just one of many alternative solutions to the financial mess the banks have left us in (8). These cuts are ideological and their effects will fall hardest on the poorest and most vulnerable. It is simply immoral to be cutting library services while bankers take home inflated bonuses.” Mr Beecher will give a presentation at the event on “Deficit Hysteria and Alternatives to the Cuts”.
When the library closes at 4pm, campaigners will take their protest to the streets of Stroud. Plans for this protest will be discussed and agreed on in the library from 3.15 pm.
All are welcome, and all events are free. Requests will be made for donations to the Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries campaign (9), who are co-ordinating February 5th events locally - though this group is not responsible for directly organising the Stroud event. After a well attended library protest during work hours on Monday 24th January, and the well-attended anti-cuts protest march on Saturday 29th, it is hoped that hundreds of people will take part in some way.
Timetable:
12 noon – 1 pm. Introduction to the Friend of Gloucestershire Libraries campaign, and the day’s events. A reading of Philip Pullman’s speech about the libraries ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/27/philip-pullman-defend-libraries-web), followed by an “open-mic”, where anyone is welcome to talk about their experiences of libraries and read from books

1 - 1.20pm Author Alice Jolly will run a session (exact details tbc)

1.20pm – 1.40pm Author Sue Limb will run a session (exact details tbc)

1.40pm - 2 pm Author Katie Fforde will run a session (exact details tbc)

2 – 2.45 pm “Why I Love my Library” creative poster-making session with illustrator Hannah Shaw. For children (and older children!)

2 - 2.45 pm Concurrent session - “Deficit Hysteria and Alternatives to the Cuts” a presentation by local campaigner James Beecher

2.45 - 3.15 Children's author Jamila Gavin will run a session (exact details tbc)

3.15 - 4pm Discussion on how to take the celebration/protest to the streets following the meeting.

4pm Rally outside Stroud Library, followed by street protest as agreed on in the previous discussion (till 5.30pm at the latest).

Notes for Editors:

1. February 5th is a National Day of Action to Save Libraries, see: Benedicte Page – ‘Day of protest planned against library closures: 'Read-ins' timetabled for February, as councils draw up final cuts budgets’, Guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 December. Available online at:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/21/protest-library-closures.

2. In Gloucestershire, the County Council plans to cut the Library Service budget by 43%. 11 static libraries are under threat, and the further 5 mobile libraries will also be scrapped. Hester’s Way, Matson, Cinderford, Brockworth, Bream, Newnham, Micheldean, Tuffley, Michinhampton, Berkeley and Lechlade libraries will close unless community groups come forward to run them. Even if this happens, the library service offered may be unrecognisable. In addition, Bourton, Moreton, Nailsworth, Stonehouse, Churchdown, Prestbury and Wotton libraries may close if community partners are not found to aid their running. Even when run by the council and a partner organisation (and known as ‘Library Link’ facilities), these libraries will have a severely reduced service with fewer books, reduced services, self-service machines and minimal staffing (around 3 hours per week). Services will also be reduced at another 11 libraries - Bishop’s Cleeve, Up Hatherley, Chipping Camden, Fairford, Tetbury, Winchcombe, Lydney, Charlton Kings, Quedgeley, Hucclecote and Longlevens – which will open for only 3.5 days a week (Hester’s Way is currently the only library in the county to open 7 days a week, so this is a serious cutback).
The Council claims that their proposals are the result of a ‘survey’, which was only filled in by less than 1% of the county. Fewer than 400 people suggested cutting library services as a way of dealing with the Council’s financial situation. It is likely that many of these 400 people would oppose the scale and breadth of the cuts GCC proposes. Meanwhile, GCC has refused to vote on a 13,000+ strong petition organised by Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries opposing the proposals. The Library budget represents just 1.45% of the County Council’s budget, so these drastic cuts will not even save that much money.
The public-sector union UNISON estimates that around 100 jobs will be lost, but has also issued a report arguing that GCC’s proposals are “deeply disturbing” and “may be illegal” under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act.

3. The estimate is referred to here:  http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/01/26/bye-to-the-books/. A national map of threatened libraries can be seen here:  http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/?page_id=765

4. Jamila Gavin has lived in the Stroud area for over thirty years, during which time she has published numerous books for children of all ages including The Surya Trilogy and Grandpa Chatterji. her novel "Coram Boy" was a Whitbread winner for Best Children's Book of the Year. She is a regular visitor to schools and libraries. For more information see:  http://www.jamilagavin.co.uk/.

5. Alice Jolly lives in Rodborough. She has published two novels - What the Eye Doesn't See (2003, Simon and Schuster) and If Only You Knew (2006, Simon and Schuster). Her most recent play 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' was performed at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature in 2009 and a second play has been commissioned for the Festival this year. Her prize winning short stories and poems have been published in a wide range of anthologies and magazines. has broadcast for Radio 4 and her articles have appeared in The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday, The Bulletin and The New Writer. Alice teaches creative writing at Oxford University, leads writing workshops in schools and is currently working on a new novel. She is a trustee of Red Dog Theatre Company in Stroud.

6. Hannah Shaw is an Author and Illustrator who lives in Stroud. Her picture books include Evil Weasel (Winner of the Cambridgeshire Children’s Picture Book Award 2009), and Erroll as well as Sean Taylor’s Crocodiles Are The Best Animals Of All (Shortlisted for the Road Dahl funny Prize 2010) and Anna McQuinn’s The Sleep Sheep. She has also illustrated a number of chapter books, including and Katie Davies’ The Great Hamster Massacre (Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2010). This year Hannah is the official illustrator for the Hay Festival. Her new picture book School for Bandits will be published later in the year by Random House. For more information see:  http://www.hannahshawillustrator.co.uk/ or  http://weaselsmeasles.blogspot.com/.

7. James Beecher is an Economics PhD student at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.

8. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has produced a useful document explaining this case in more detail entitled ‘There is an alternative: The case against cuts in public spending’. Available online here:  http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/campaign-resources/there-is-an-alternative-the-case-against-cuts-in-public-spending.cfm.

9. Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries (FOGL) is a county-wide campaign of concerned citizens that has regular public meetings. They are still collecting signatures for their petition. For more information see:  http://foclibrary.wordpress.com/. This event is not organised by FOGL.