Library services

[EJTH]

Recognising that Southwark is not exactly a council that is rolling in dosh, can someone please explain why the library services are so bad? We came here from Tower Hamlets, one of the poorest councils in London, yet their libraries are thriving community centred buildings with classes, regular events, study rooms, and superb online services and digital offerings inclusion ebooks for iPads & kindles you can borrow. Using the library services in Southwark, Dulwich in particular, is like going back 30 years. How do school kids, small businesses, new migrants, book lovers, parents, cope with what's on offer in Southwark?

[Cora]

Being on of the poorest councils in London I imagine Tower Hamlets got large injections of money into their library services during the last government?...that's just a guess. Peckham library has got lots more going on I think, again probably because it attracted central funding targeting more deprived areas...I'm guessing Dulwich is/was not a priority when funding comes up.

[dukesdenver]

There was a review of library services last year; you can read more about it here: http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200062/libraries/2218/southwark_libraries_review/1.

On the positive side, no libraries have been closed and there has been investment in new shiny whizzy libraries (John Harvard and Canada Water). There are also plans for a new library at Grove Vale. Evening & Sunday opening hours at the larger libraries have also been maintained.

However if you don't live near one of the new shiny libraries I can see why you might feel short-changed. Agree with you about Dulwich Library. Lovely on the outside, dismal and damp-smelling on the inside. Unwelcoming enquiry desk with no signage. Half of the fiction selection is always on trolleys awaiting shelving.

Ebooks will come, I'm sure. It's just a question of when...

[Bic Basher]

The library stock at Dulwich and Peckham always seems a bit older compared to when I use Westminster libraries.

[minder]

Well Dulwich is a library so why should they have Ebooks, whatever they are! Also, I've never known it to be dismal and damp-smelling.

The stock at Dulwich library is great for all ages. Was there a week ago and they have loads of new books for every age and interest and study.

[Peckhampoet]

I was in there yesterday and have also noticed that books don't get shelved like they did. Is it because all the staff are now part-time? I guess it won't be long before the self service machines are installed like the ones in John Harvard library. I love Southwark libraries and will keep supporting the service.

[minder]

Maybe the staff at Dulwich are becoming part-time as for the past few months they do seem few and far between.

dukesdenver - going onto the southwark site you put up I was shocked to find the mobile library service ended last 1st April. Shame for the elderly and disabled people in the borough. Also, there were two library managers for the whole of Southwark libraries, now there's only one. Then they are trying to find ways of reducing staff less like getting volunteers to come in.

If Dulwich closed where would we in this part of the borough go? All the way to Bermondsey? If they are putting all their money in Harvard and Canada Water then it seems inevitable.

[edhistory]

If (East) Dulwich Library were to close the land would revert to the Dulwich College Estate and the buildings forfeited.

... unless the original covenant was revised.

John K

[dukesdenver]

Southwark libraries got off lightly compared to some local authorities: http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/about-public-libraries-news/information.

Can't imagine that Dulwich is in any danger of closing. It's just not at the front of the queue for any of the available ???s.

[Undisputedtruth]

Mindset is probably the real answer here.

Tower Hamlets reorganised their libraries at the end of the nineties where they combined adult learning, lifestyle issues, with their library services but having longer opening hours near retail areas. GIS and market research faciliatated the integration and so are more in tune with their library users.

Southwark on the the hand are quite happy in telling the public that they don't have enough money and seemed very much out of touch with people's needs. They think that spending money on marketing and new buildings away from retail centres are enough to convince us that libraries are improving without actually examining library users' needs.

[Lynne]

Unfortunately visiting Dulwich Library isn't really like going back 30 years, because 30 years ago Dulwich was one of the best libraries in South London. Now I hardly ever go. As has been said here, more books on trollies than on the shelves ( I did complain to them about that), poor stock - I think I own more books than they do. It got a lot worse a few years ago when the library got re-furbished. OK, it looks good, but they scrapped a lot of shelving so now have hardly any room for books. When I complained about that (yes, I know, Disgusted of Dulwich - that's me ) I was told that now it was a lot better for the staff. Well, pardon me, but as a librarian I didn't think I come before my readers. The new libraries in Canada Water and Peckham are much better, but have obviously syphoned off all the spare cash, expertise, enthuisiasm that's available.

Mind you, if you think Southwark's bad, go visit Lambeth

Lynne

[Undisputedtruth]

Tower Hamlets have built libraries too but actually thought more about revolving their services around users' needs and saving money through efficiency while Southwark have not.

[Bic Basher]

One thing that strikes me about Dulwich (and to a lesser extent Peckham) is the amount of staff on the counter, it's like going back in time compared to using other libraries in London.

And what does the member of staff do in the upstairs PC and reference room do?

[Lynne]

All purpose guarding and and question answering. You wouldn't believe what people get up to in libraries even with staff there

Lynne

[Undisputedtruth]

Bic Basher Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The library stock at Dulwich and Peckham always

> seems a bit older compared to when I use

> Westminster libraries.

Not just older stocks but the quality of books are not particularly good either.

[EJTH]

Wow thanks for all the responses. @minder I am a regular 5-6 books a week person but the ebooks offering at Tower Hamlets meant that I could also have a book on my phone for those times when I didn't have a book with me - stuck on the tube, longer wait than usual at the doctors etc. Being able to search the catalogue via the web, from work, home or on my mobile phone also meant I did not have to turn up and queue to see if a book I wanted was in.

It's a shame that the library cannot become the heart of the community again and if Tower Hamlets can do it then surely Southwark can? I do agree with the comments about the library stock and staff though - just because you are part-time does not mean you cannot be customer or user-focused. Times have changed and people want libraries that embrace the multi-cultural, multi-purpose offerings that reflect the local community. It used to be a real blast going into the Tower Hamlets libraries and seeing little kids learning their native languages, whilst older folk were being taught how to use the internet and middle aged women like me could pop in a grab a couple of novels. People oriented, friendly, happy spaces.

[Undisputedtruth]

EJTH Wrote:

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> It's a shame that the library cannot become the

> heart of the community again and if Tower Hamlets

> can do it then surely Southwark can?

That's the crux of the problem. Southwark officials have never been community focussed but rather self-serving idiots. I sometimes think that our Councillors have a difficult job in dealing with these officials.

[kabekay]

You can search the catalogue online! here:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200062/libraries/1854/search_the_library_catalogue/1

I like the libraries. Dulwich has both the best opera score borrowing collection- AND the best graphic novel collection- of any library system I've used. Although I suppose that might just show me us a bit of a bumpkin!

[dukesdenver]

Perhaps we could hijack the M&S/Iceland thread and suggest that the site be used as a new public library at the very heart of East Dulwich?

Well, you can dream....

[Bic Basher]

dukesdenver Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Perhaps we could hijack the M&S/Iceland thread and

> suggest that the site be used as a new public

> library at the very heart of East Dulwich?

>

> Well, you can dream....

Indeed, the best you'll get down the core ED end will be the moving of Grove Vale library to where the Dulwich Garden Centre is currently.

[James Barber]

Hi Bic Basher,

The new Grove Vale library which I've spent a lot of time getting to this point will be rented to Southwark on a 125 year peppercorn rent lease.

The Iceland/M&S site will be anything other than a peppercorn rent. Equally if a great library was built so centrally it would call into question the existing Dulwich Library.

[mrure]

I use all the libraries and I read several books a week. I see nothing wrong at all with the library services in this area and think we are well served.

[Undisputedtruth]

I've visited libraries in Lambeth, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, and Westminster so I can see EJTH and other's point of view. Southwark's libraries have got a lot better since the dark ages of the nineties but are nowhere near to the standard set by Tower Hamlets. Four years ago, I've visited the ideal Store in Canary Wharf and was struck by its clean bright interior and wide choice of publications.

Lambeth is pretty dire when it comes to libraries, though.

Here's a video of one of Tower Hamlets' smaller libraries.

@EJTH

The library at Canada Water is pretty good and possibly comes close to your experience in Tower Hamlets.

[Peckhampoet]

I love the libraries and have always supported them but I have noticed a deterioration in things since the new staffing policy. The jobs have clearly been downgraded and were advertised recently as part-time now they have become more customer service focused.It saddens me to see those books not on the shelves. I guess the next step will be advertising for volunteer shelf stackers.

[Fuschia]

I miss some of the familiar faces from staff who left

And the advice given doesn't always seem

Correct now

Emails to southwark libraries go unanswered