Croydon's ambition for libraries is on the line

In opposition, Croydon Labour promised to rip up the library contract.

Their pre-election campaign was focussed on being 'Ambitious for Croydon'. See the manifesto here, which includes:

But, once in power, Croydon Labour went rather quiet on the matter of ripping up the libraries contract.

Whatever happened to that ambition?

A jumble of languages; not the ordered packed
shelves of a few years ago.

In opposition, they were keen to seek the help and advice of Tim Coates.

In power, they didn't even respond when they were advised that Tim had offered to travel to the UK, at his cost, to advise again on Croydon Libraries.

That's hardly ambitious.


The libraries have continued to flounder - less stock, fewer staff, and appalling promotion of what Croydon libraries have to offer.

It's lucky the lack of staffing doesn't show.

Do you think this is at all ambitious for libraries? 

It's not really clear how ambition features in what many view as a 'fingers firmly plugged in the ears, hands firmly clasped across the eyes' approach to tackling the issue at hand.

Messages featured on desks on entire floors of Central Library.

Rather than rip up the contract with Carillion, or hold Carillion to account for the service they are contracted to offer, Croydon Council has come up with... Ambitious for Libraries


The plan goes to the Cabinet meeting on Monday 21 March 2016, which includes a consultation period from 22 March through to May 2, 2016.

You can find the papers here:
Cabinet Meeting, Agenda item 8:
Ambitious for the Library Service in Croydon - gaining the views of the community

When asked what people thought previously, Croydon residents gave a clear message. 
You can find the details, here.

Croydon residents valued their libraries and the experienced staff that delivered the service so well; a service now ripped to shreds by privatisation. They did not want to run their libraries, nor feel equipped to do so.

Whether or not the current administration is really ambitious to address the steep decline in Croydon library services, only time will tell.

Let's hope for proper consultation this time round.

Cabinet decision on Croydon libraries imminent

So it seems Croydon plan to go ahead and work with Wandsworth to outsource libraries. The situation has been picked up again by national campaigners and the latest information appears on Public Libraries News: A million pounds a year: the cost of outsourcing libraries in Croydon. 

Decision to be made at Cabinet Meeting, which is open to the public.

Monday, 19th September 2011

Town Hall

Katherine Street

Croydon

at 6.30pm

Come along and observe the meeting from the public gallery, hear the debate and show your support for libraries. Entry is usually permitted from 6.15pm.

Papers for the meeting can be found here on the Council's website and hard copies will be available on the night.

Cllr Maggie Mansell speaks out on Croydon libraries

The following was printed in the Croydon Advertiser letters page on 15th July and is reproduced here with kind thanks to Cllr Maggie Mansell.

Since the Croydon Advertiser broke the news that the Libraries may be privatised (Croydon Advertiser 3 June, and subsequent reports) the Labour shadow cabinet has heard from an expert on Libraries, and community representatives. The Cabinet meeting received a paper reporting that the community was against closure of any Libraries.

The new proposal is “market testing” of the Library service, including the Central Library and all the district libraries, which could result in a decision to privatise or outsource to another council or voluntary organisation. My concern was that the paper did not define the service to be provided, and the paper was full of “maybe”, no firm guarantees. Labour councillors’ questions elicited some important assurances that I would like put on record.

Cllr Fisher says that the buildings will remain the property of the Council. The council will allow and facilitate an in-house staff bid.

Our concerns are that the overheads are high including an IT system, renegotiated by the Tories; there is no service specification, no business model, no option appraisal; there are efficiency savings to be made but we want Croydon to have the benefit, not another council or a private company.

The Library already gives good service. There are savings to be made with service improvements, decision making could be devolved to local level and local people should be involved. We expect a proper option appraisal would rule out privatisation very quickly, because it will be more expensive by comparison with other models.

Labour offered to work with the council in a proper commission, and we asked for a pre-decision Scrutiny. The Tories have opted for the Scrutiny process. This will be an opportunity to examine different service developments and management options. I would be glad to receive any suggestions from staff or users.

Maggie Mansell

Labour Spokesperson on Libraries, Culture and Sport

Public Libraries News: Croydon mention again

Public Libraries News: Book burning in the USA: "Comment As of this moment, it is unclear if the 'Book Burning Party' to be held if Troy Public Library (USA) closes is a joke or not. It ..."

Here Public Libraries News picks up the story again on the Croydon situation via two blogs on the situation in the absence of any official announcement to date.

"Croydon - Under-threat libraries: a timeline of council deceit? - Inside Croydon. LSSI given far longer time to express an interest in running libraries than others, Wandsworth will be "market testing" in September suggesting that their partnership with Croydon is not a strong one. "After all, the council has already chiselled more than £300,000 out of the libraries annual budget this year, while laying off half the borough’s qualified librarians. Anyone might think that they are deliberately trying to reduce the operation’s costs in advance of a commercial takeover of key libraries by a company given a head-start in what is supposed to be a competitive public tender process."

Another post on the same subject is Tall tales and strange silences on libraries - That Woman's Blog."

Four weeks on from a decision taken at Cabinet to go out to market test all 13 libraries, and not just the six that were subject of the original consultation, not one official notice has been spotted. Not even a simple A4 notice in any one of Croydon's libraries.

Croydon's plan to privatise its Libraries

Public Libraries News: Croydon and Wandsworth join Wokingham in wanting p...: "Comment In a week, three different London boroughs have signalled they will probably be privatising their libraries. They join a fourth, H..."


Details of the proposals can be found here.

Decision to be made at Cabinet Meeting, which is open to the public.

Monday, 13th June

Town Hall

Katherine Street

Croydon

at 6.30pm

Privatisation of ALL Croydon libraries? ACT NOW!

There has been little word of the latest turn in events on Croydon libraries.  Despite only consulting on potential closure of six of the twelve branch libraries in Croydon residents are expected to believe that the analysis of the responses has lead the Council to arrive at the plan to consider privatising the whole network of libraries; 13 in all.

Residents who have heard of this plan have already expressed their dismay that privatisation of the Croydon's libraries network is now being proposed and question how this idea has arisen. Despite speaking to thousands across the borough those leading various library campaign groups in Croydon have not heard support for this idea from residents at any point.

The papers for next week's full Cabinet meeting in Croydon, including 'Review of Library Services' are now up online.  You can find them here.

The cabinet meeting will be held:

Council Chamber

Croydon Town Hall

 Katherine Street

Croydon

Monday 13^th June 2011 

6.30 pm start.

The Council have done little if anything to advertise this.

Members of the public are welcome to observe the meeting from the Public Gallery and hear the debate on the important issue of the future of our libraries.  Please spread the word!  

Croydon Libraries report to Cabinet is out!

A public shadow Cabinet meeting was held last night.  Residents expressed their dismay that privatisation of the Croydon's libraries network is now being proposed.

The papers for next week's full Cabinet meeting in Croydon, including 'Review of Library Services' are now up online.  You can find them here.

The cabinet meeting will be held:

Council Chamber

Croydon Town Hall

 Katherine Street

Croydon

Monday 13^th June 2011 

6.30 pm start.

 Members of the public are welcome to observe the meeting from the Public Gallery and hear the debate on the important issue of the future of our libraries.