Thursday 3 June 2010

I'm not a trend bucker...

Well, actually, by association I am!! This article shows Welsh Libraries well and truly bucking the trend of declining and stagnant public library usage seen in other parts of the UK.

Leading from the front (as ever) are Swansea's libraries, with Swansea central Library coming in as the busiest library in Wales and more pleasingly, the 10th busiest in the UK, despite a fairly modest population.

Well done Welsh Libraries - we have proven that the public want and will use good libraries and this is a reflection on the hard work and investment that have gone in over the past few years.

We can only hope that the sucess of this service is in some way recognised by those wielding the budgetary axe in the months to come.

fingers crossed.

3 comments:

Avril said...

It's excellent to see this happening, and in the case of Swansea certainly proves that the great new central library attracts the number and variety of users which all public libraries should aspire to.
I admit to being sceptical when the suggestion to move the library to County Hall was first put forward, but it was done so well that it's really worked, and much as I sort of loved the old reading room in Alexandra Road, the library was really not fit for purpose in the 21st century.
Budgets will inevitably be carefully scrutinised but let's hope that the 'powers that be' recognise the immense value the people of Swansea (and beyond) place on their library service.

Unknown said...

Sadly, the loooong list of projects suspended by the government today includes the Libraries Modernisation Programme: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/politics/10341863.stm

A great shame, considering Swansea has clearly proven that modernisation works.

Swansea Libraries said...

Watch this space as the equivalent scheme in Wales is devolved via the Welsh Assmebly to CyMAL. The bids for this year have already been allocated (sadly we didn't get our funding this year)but we are already preparing next year's bid...