A new chapter?

Walking in my local library yesterday, I was impressed by the huge banner, all pink and full of promises, A New Chapter.

Looking at it, you'd think that things couldn't be better where library provision in the city is concerned: there is mention of 2,000 extra library hours, 100,000 extra computer hours, "tailored" mobile services and £1million to be spent on books.

And there is a consultation going, and an equally pink leaflet to complete to give your comments.

The questions are to do with further opening hours ( how many more hours would you like Compton Road library to be open for? Is Monday 9 to 7 good for you or would you like to offer another suggestion?), and with proposed locations for mobile libraries in the area.

Funny how, library CLOSURES are carefully hidden in the document. When I first looked, I couldn't find anything about Richmond Hill library. And I wasn't the only one. The librarian couldn't find anything on our library on the leaflet either!

So I asked for further information, and surprisingly (?) there wasn't any.
I did find the executive report on line, in the LCC website.

And I did find the mention of closures in the "consultation" document: it's on the very top of the second page, literally in small print and it says:

The costs and level of use brings the viability of Richmond Hill, Osmonthorpe and Swarcliffe Libraries into question. We 'd like your views on the proposals bellow.

Ultimately, the "views" asked, are about possible locations for mobile libraries which "could" visit the area, as it is very subtly mentioned ( and that, according to my poor English, means that there is a possibility that they mightn't.)

So please, find some time to visit the library and fill in the questionnaire.
Or you can do it on-line at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DTY7NMR

Residents in East End Park and Richmond Hill are used to living in a desert of public services provision: there is no sports' centre, no baths, and soon there will be no library. This is, according to the executive report because our library is underused. It is worth mentioning though, that Richmond Hill library only opens from 10 to 5 two days a week and half a day on Wednesday from 2 to 5, which means that it's no use to those who work or go to college. Still, it is used by the local primary school, by mothers and children, by old people, and by youths after school, if only for a brief period of time.

For me the library is very special: as a mother of small children in the area, it was my first port of call for information, books, printing, computers and more importantly as a place to go, to get out of the house and see other people, to teach the kids to appreciate the value of books and learning.

I know that the new mantra is that "we should all make sacrifices" (although apparently some of us will have to sacrifice more than others) but I also believe that some things, you can't put a price on.

Taking that very valuable service away from us, is bound to backfire:
We live in a poor area, where services are absent, internet use limited and with very little for young people to do.

I would like to paraphrase and old Greek saying for this instance that goes: where a school closes, a prison opens.

I would like to say: if a library closes, s**t happens..