Cutting libraries will increase poverty and inequality, says UNISON Scotland

Date: Saturday 6 February 2016

On National Libraries Day (6 February 2016), UNISON is warning that more local government cuts will have a drastic impact on libraries across Scotland, decreasing opportunities for all, and increasing poverty and inequality.  

Library services have been undergoing massive change, yet staff numbers have been going down, buildings are closing, opening hours are reducing and services are being cut. 

UNISON recent report, ‘Read it and weep’  raised the concerns of library staff across Scotland  who are simultaneously being expected to expand services while coping with front line cuts.  The report is based on qualitative research from UNISON members working across Scotland’s libraries, highlighting the impact of the cuts.

UNISON also recently highlighted cuts to school libraries, in a submission to the Scottish parliament petitions committee.  UNISON uncovered evidence of a consistent pattern of school library services being a soft target to meet budget cuts. School libraries are vital for young people’s learning and have a central role in equipping our younger people from disadvantaged backgrounds for the digital age; recent research has shown that  children struggle to discriminate between facts, fiction and paid for product placement online. Libraries are especially useful to children with no access to internet at home.

Gray Allan, UNISON Scotland libraries spokesperson said, 

‘Cutting library budgets is another way of entrenching inequalities. Libraries are a way that poorer families get access to the same breadth of reading materials as everyone else. And libraries are so much more than books. They provide information services for people of all backgrounds, they organise kids clubs and hubs for older people, computer terminals for those with no access to the internet can use to find job vacancies. And the support of skilled librarians to help you find the information you need.

'Fully resourced libraries support education, the economy and play an important role in bringing equality.  Despite knowing this we have allowed community and school libraries to be run down to skeleton services across Scotland. They are seen as a soft touch and we need to stand up for libraries and the work they do to tackle poverty and inequality.’

END

Notes: 
- UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland, and represents librarians in the community, schools, further education and higher education and in the NHS

- UNISON has made a submission in support of School Libraries Petition PE 1581 to the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee Dec 2015 : 
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/response/
ScotParlPetitionPE1581SchoolLibraries_UNISONEvidence_Dec2015.pdf

- UNISON report 'Read it and Weep' Sept 2015: 
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/
ReadItandWeep_LibrariesStaffSurvey_Sep2015.pdf

Cuts in school libraries include North and South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife and Shetland.

• South Lanarkshire proposals include reducing school library staffing by 15%
• North Lanarkshire is now proposing to review the school librarian service for a second time with the reduction of 2 FTE School Library Resource Manager posts. The last review saw all schools with pupil roll under 700 reduce librarian numbers to 0.7 FTE librarian. All new staff now are only employed term time. The Council has also removed the need for library staff to have professional library qualifications.
• East Renfrewshire Council is proposing moving from 1 fully qualified librarian from each of its high schools (7) to the FTE of 3.5. The original plans to use senior pupils to staff the library appear to have been dropped due to public opposition.
• Glasgow has reduced the school librarian service to 0.5 posts per school.
• Renfrewshire now has only 7 librarians across 11 schools.
• East Ayrshire has replaced 3 librarians with 3 library assistants. Means 9 secondary schools are now covered by 5 librarians and 4 library assistants.
• South Ayrshire has, l replaced a number of librarians with library assistants.
• In Dumfries and Galloway when the librarian retired from Dumfries Academy responsibility for the library was given to the Head of English. Lockerbie Academy also currently without a librarian and Annan Academy have reduced the hours to 20 per week
• Fife  - school librarians who have retired have been replaced with library assistants
• Shetland, where the school library service has always been integrated with the public library service, there have been cuts to school library book budgets of 20-30% over the last four years. While staff numbers have remained the same the working hours of staff have been cut from 8 FTE to 5.93 FTE.

Stand up for school librarians, says UNISON Scotland

Date: Monday 21 December 2015

UNISON Scotland has called on councils and Scottish Government to do more to protect school librarians. UNISON says the evidence is that local councils are seeing school library services as a soft target to meet budget cuts and are cutting school library services across Scotland.

UNISON has made a submission in support of School Libraries Petition PE 1581 to the Scottish Parliament Public Petitions Committee.

UNISON has evidence of cuts in North and South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife and Shetland.

UNISON spokesperson, Simon Macfarlane, said:
'There is a consistent pattern of the school libraries service being a soft target to meet budget cuts. School libraries are not class rooms with books. They are vital for young people’s learning. School librarians have a central role in equipping our young people for the digital age; recent research has shown that children face struggle to discriminate between facts, fiction and paid for product placement online. School librarians are ideally placed to support young people to be more discerning in their use of the internet for research. We shoudl be investing more not less in school librarians. It’s unacceptable that Scottish councils are taking the brunt of the austerity cuts. But we also canot let services like school libraries disappear’

END



NOTES
UNISON is the biggest trade union in local government. We represent education staff including librarians and school librarians

The picture across Scotland varies but there is a consistent pattern of local authorities using the school libraries service as a soft target to meet budget cuts.

LOCAL CUTS INCLUDE: North and South Lanarkshire, East Renfreshire, Renfrewshire, Glasgow, East and South Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife and Shetland

South Lanarkshire proposals include reducing school library staffing by 15%

North Lanarkshire is now proposing to review the school librarian service for a second time with the reduction of 2 FTE School Library Resource Manager posts. The last review saw all schools with pupil roll under 700 reduce librarian numbers to 0.7 FTE librarian. All new staff now are only employed term time. The Council has also removed the need for library staff to have professional library qualifications.

East Renfrewshire Council is proposing moving from 1 fully qualified librarian from each of its high schools (7) to the FTE of 3.5. The original plans to use senior pupils to staff the library appear to have been dropped due to public opposition.

Glasgow has reduced the school librarian service to 0.5 posts per school.

Renfrewshire now has only 7 librarians across 11 schools.

East Ayrshire has replaced 3 librarians with 3 library assistants. Means 9 secondary schools are now covered by 5 librarians and 4 library assistants.

South Ayrshire has, l replaced a number of librarians with library assistants.

In Dumfries and Galloway when the librarian retired from Dumfries Academy responsibility for the library was given to the Head of English. Lockerbie Academy also currently without a librarian and Annan Academy have reduced the hours to 20 per week

Fife - school librarians who have retired have been replaced with library assistants

Shetland, where the school library service has always been integrated with the public library service, there have been cuts to school library book budgets of 20-30% over the last four years. While staff numbers have remained the same the working hours of staff have been cut from 8 FTE to 5.93 FTE.

Fine words and ideals no substitute for investment: UNISON inquiry into Scotland’s libraries

Tuesday 8 September 2015

UNISON, the trade union for Scotland’s library staff, has published a report 'Read It and Weep', which outlines the experience of those working in Scotland’s libraries. It raises the concerns and difficulties of staff who are simultaneously being expected to expand services while being in the front line of cuts. 

The report is based on qualitative research from UNISON members working across Scotland’s libraries. The frustration on the part of staff is clear. They are well aware that the services they provide are not as good as they could be and they highlight the impacts that cuts are making. Library services have been undergoing massive change in recent years yet staff numbers have been going down, buildings are closing and opening hours reduced 

Gray Allan, UNISON Falkirk council branch spokesperson (and a librarian), said “There is no shortage of people willing to say libraries are a good thing. But what our libraries need isn’t just fine words and ideals but proper financing and investment. The Scottish Government has endorsed a national strategy for public libraries that talks of libraries being part of a shared civic ambition.

"There isn’t much point in giving every child in Scotland a library card if their local library is being closed or its hours have reduced so much it isn’t accessible. 

" Staff are keen to see their service move forward but that isn’t happening.”

END

UNISON Contact • Danny Phillips, communications officer 0141 342 2877 / 077944 664 110

NotesUNISON Scotland is the public services trade union. We represent library staff across Scotland. UNISON is the biggest trade union in Scotland.
The full report can be read here: 
http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/publicworks/
ReadItandWeep_LibrariesStaffSurvey_Sep2015.pdf

Bring together library members to share and learn

#uLGC15 Falkirk’s Gray Allan warned UNISON's Local Government Conference of the dangers of outsourcing library services as Local Government delegates pledged to campaign against the closure of library and leisure services but also called for support and training to engage in commissioning and procurement to ensure that UNISON can play an integral role in protecting jobs and services.

A librarian himself, Gray told delegates that he is not a local government worker but a “company man” after Falkirk’s library and leisure services were outsourced four years ago to Falkirk Leisure Trust Ltd.

“We are now under the microscope,” said Gray. “Visits are dropping, issues are dropping but polling shows that popularity is very high.”

He warned that statistics hand a weapon to Trusts.

“I am told my service is ‘failing’, that it’s ‘not generating income’, that ‘sports centres are keeping me in work’. And it’s the same for all library services in Trusts in the UK.”

Gray called for UNISON to bring together library members whether in local authorities or outsourced, to share experiences and to learn from each other.

“But above all we must work to bring library services back in-house and away from the madness of the market.”

‘Our libraries have never been under more pressure’ - UNISON Scotland

Fri 7 Feb 2014

On National Libraries Day (Saturday 8 February) UNISON warns that our libraries have never been under more pressure because of spending cuts.  National Libraries Day rounds off a week of celebrations that recognise the key role libraries play in our communities, schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

UNISON warns that cuts to college, university and local authority budgets has meant libraries across Scotland being forced to make cuts to opening hours and staff – and in some cases even closures.

In a UNISON survey more than 40% members reported cuts in service and two-thirds felt staffing levels in libraries were inadequate. Nearly 90% indicated public support for the service, but nearly two-thirds felt that the service was not valued.

Gray Allan, UNISON’s Falkirk Council branch secretary (and a librarian), said: 

Support your local library on National Libraries Day

Saturday 8 February is National Libraries Day. It rounds off a week of celebrations that recognise the key role libraries play in our communities, schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.

As a consequence of spending cuts our libraries have never been under more pressure. While closures in Moray grabbed the headlines, there has been a salami slicing of cuts to opening hours and staff in other local authorities. In a UNISON survey more than 40% members reported cuts in service and two-thirds felt staffing levels were inadequate. Nearly 90% indicated public support for the service, but nearly two-thirds felt that the service was not valued.

As local authority budgets are set next week, further cuts are likely as councils bear the brunt of cuts in the Scottish budget.

Scottish Labour MSP Jayne Baxter has tabled the following motion in the Scottish Parliament:

S4M-08949 Jayne Baxter: Celebrating National Libraries Day—That the Parliament considers that public library services are an essential part of communities across Scotland; welcomes what it sees as the role that they play in providing access to learning for people and in serving as community hubs; believes that the professional expertise and skills of library staff are important in delivering a quality service; considers that libraries best benefit society when they are well funded and supported through strong national leadership, and joins in celebrating the importance of the work of public libraries across the UK as part of National Libraries Day, which will be marked on 8 February 2014.

Branches should encourage members to write to their MSPs urging them to support the motion. Details on how to organise or support a local event are on the National Libraries Day website. You can also tweet your support using the hashtag #NLD14

#nldscot #nld13 UNISON urges support for library services – National Libraries Day 9 Feb

8 Feb 2013

UNISON today hit out at cuts to library services and urged councillors to defend libraries at the heart of local communities.

Tomorrow (Saturday 9 February) is National Libraries Day, which celebrates the role of libraries and the range of information and entertainment they provide.

However, recent years of cuts have hit library services hard, with closures around Scotland and many now operating reduced hours.

Gray Allan, Secretary of Falkirk UNISON branch, and a librarian, said: “Libraries offer a fantastic place for people to come to for knowledge and information and expert help from trained librarians. It is desperately sad and wrong that at a time of financial difficulties for so many, library services are being cut back. We need improved services, not to make it harder for people to access a library.”

UNISON said another worrying development is the loss of mobile libraries. A number have been axed in council cutbacks and more are under threat as budget decisions are taken this month. Aberdeen, Moray, East Lothian and Midlothian councils are among those that have closed or propose to close mobile libraries. Yet many elderly people, and others who can’t easily get to a nearby library, rely on the mobile service not just for books, but the human contact and interaction which libraries themselves also provide.

Dave Watson, Head of Bargaining and Campaigns, said: “Libraries, community learning centres and access points are more vital than ever just now. They provide accessible education and entertainment for people facing pay freezes, job insecurity or unemployment and rising costs.

“It is a false economy to cut these vital services and in some areas the cuts are severe.”

In Moray, the council is proposing to close seven libraries and one mobile library. This leaves eight libraries (four with reduced opening hours) and one mobile library to cover 2,238 square miles. This is in the eighth largest geographical council area in Scotland. Three librarian posts and one mobile library driver would go, with one librarian expected to cover four of the remaining libraries, while the book budget is cut by £25,000.

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said cuts to library services around the UK have a big impact:  “Children from the poorest families will suffer the most, as will their chances of a decent education. Low income families are struggling to afford the basic essentials, let alone books.

“Countless high profile writers have highlighted how crucial their local library was in their development. How many best-selling books will now not be written because budding writers did not have access to a decent local library.”

 

Note to editors:

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, including library staff in local council areas.

2. UNISON is supporting National Libraries Day on Saturday 9 February www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk

 

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Council cultural trusts: UNISON warns of higher costs and loss of accountability

UNISON today warns MSPS examining local authority cultural trusts about higher costs and loss of accountability.

Regional Organiser Dougie Black is giving evidence to today's Scottish Parliament Education & Culture Committee.

As reported in today's Scotsman, UNISON has major concerns about the increasing use of trusts and arms length external organisations (ALEOs) to deliver local government services. Many cultural trusts run leisure, library and museums services.

Dougie told the Scotsman: "Our museums and galleries hold priceless artefacts owned by us all. UNISON is concerned that large sections of public service delivery are being shifted off to arms length bodies with very little research into the effectiveness of such change."

The key driver to setting up leisure trusts is to save money by obtaining charitable status to avoid paying VAT. But costs can rise and accountability is very weak.

Our evidence to the Committee is here.

Mark Bramah, of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), also submitted evidence about "important issues of governance, accountability and scrutiny", and stated that he was misquoted in the Scotsman report.

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National Libraries Day 4 Feb – support your local library and its team of skilled, dedicated staff

Date: Friday 3 February 2012

As part of National Libraries Day on Saturday 4 February 2012, UNISON Scotland has called on councils to defend their local library services - not cut them. Falkirk Libraries opening hours have been cut from 54 hours a week to 45 hours along with cuts in staff hours. Glasgow is about to lose half of  its professional librarians over the next year.

Dave Watson, UNISON’s Head of Bargaining and Campaigns in Scotland said:

“On National Libraries Day, UNSION Scotland rightly celebrates the wonderful service that our members in local libraries provide to communities across Scotland. Libraries, community learning centres and access points provide an ever more vital role in this time of recession and economic uncertainty. They provide accessible education and entertainment for people facing pay freezes, job insecurity or unemployment and rising costs.

“But our library services themselves are increasingly under threat from cutbacks in opening hours and jobs. UNISON Scotland believes this is a false economy. We call on local councillors – and candidates in the forthcoming Scottish council elections – to campaign for decent library provision and proper staffing levels, not cuts to the vital service our members provide.”

Gray Allan, Secretary of Falkirk UNISON branch and a librarian, said:

“The opening hours of Falkirk Libraries have been reduced from 54 hours to 45 hours per week since last September. Libraries now do not open till 10am, they close earlier at 3pm on Saturday and 4pm on Wednesday. And they are now only open to 8pm on two nights each week instead of three. Meanwhile part-time staff hours have been cut and one professional librarian’s post deleted and replaced at a lower wage.”

The story of library cutbacks is being repeated in other councils. In Glasgow over half of the city’s 25 professional librarian posts will be lost over the coming year. And in Dumfries and Galloway, the library materials budget has been cut by 25%.

Gray Allan said:

“If you can’t afford a key book for your studies and the library can’t afford to buy it either how are you to achieve your full potential? If the library isn’t open, what can you do? And if skilled library staff are not available because jobs have been cut or downgraded, the service will be less effective. Access to knowledge and information is the key to a fair society and a well educated population will be the key to a better economy. And for that we need libraries - and librarians.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. UNISON is Scotland’s largest trade union representing over 160,000 members working in the public sector in Scotland, and represents library staff in local council areas.

2. UNISON’s UK campaign Love Your Libraries is online here: http://www.unison.org.uk/localgov/loveyourlibraries.asp  and we are supporting National Libraries Day on Saturday 4 February – more info on website here : http://www.nationallibrariesday.org.uk/

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