Stop the privatization of Public Libraries: Civica pull out of Croydon/Wandsworth privatisatio...

As minuted in Wandsworth's Scrutiny committee papers of 19th April, Civica have withdrawn from the bidding process for Croydon and Wandsworth Libraries.  The campaign group has been aware of this but have been waiting for an official announcement from Croydon.

Alan Wylie's blog has the details, which you can read here.  Stop the privatization of Public Libraries: Civica pull out of Croydon/Wandsworth privatisatio...

That's Croydon, the council who gave residents every assurance that they would be keep informed all the way through the process.

That's Croydon, who the Croydon Advertiser exposed for spending £40K on a procurement consultant  after an advertisement was spotted for the post. This later post catalogues Croydon's record on transparency in this process.

Not looking good, is it?

Trouble in Greenwich with GLL

Croydon Libraries are in the process of being outsourced and five companies and organisations have been short-listed.  Inside Croydon has written of those short-listed in this comprehensive article here.

This short-list will be whittled down further in the coming months to just three bidders who will go through to the competitive dialogue phase. The process is being handled by a project manager, bought in at a cost of £40,000 to oversee the process, the whole procurement process expected to cost in the region of £250,000.

Staff in Croydon libraries are under huge pressure to keep the service running after a huge cut in staffing, so drastic that when the service faltered and failed on numerous occasions, the council had no alternative but to employ more staff, both agency and permanent posts.

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) is just one of these bidders and and an article highlights the troubles in Greenwich where GLL are taking on the running of library services. The full article can be read here. The article explains,

"GLL have made clear that following the transfer, there will be a "harmonisation" process, in reality to bring library staff down to GLL levels. GLL negotiators have confirmed that new library staff will be employed on poorer pay and conditions."

The article claims that the council refused to accept a potential compromise whereby staff would be seconded over to GLL, rather than transferred, which would give staff staying as council employees a better safeguard against attacks on pay and conditions.

Unite assert that this dispute has highlighted the limited protection offered by TUPE. The legislation only gives protection at the point of transfer. 

"All employers need do is find a reason to attack pay and conditions not linked to the transfer - usually by crying poverty." 

There is a march organised for May 5th with a possible strike action planned.

Croydon spends £40K on library consultant

The Croydon Advertiser has covered the news that £40K is being spent on a consultant to oversee the outsourcing of all Croydon libraries. You can read the full article here. 

We encourage you to read the comments, including those of the campaign group:

“Anyone who wants more details can follow @SaveCroydonLibs @SaveSanderstead on twitter, the blog soslibrary.blogspot.com and website www.savesandersteadlibrary.co.uk 

We need to ask ourselves why is Croydon Council so shy to share any details of their plans. The council only consulted on six libraries, ignored the "do nothing" option and admit it was mainly the users of only those libraries who responded. They have denied residents the breakdown on 412 responses they say informed their decision and are outsourcing the whole network without consulting users of the other libraries. 

There is also the plight of Upper Norwood Library @SaveUNlibrary and the announcement that New Addington Library will close and move to a yet unknown part of the cramped accommodation within the CALAT centre.”

and the detailed response by Cllr Timothy Godfrey:

“Basically Croydon Conservatives have lost control of the budget. The Library budget is approx £8million a year. They run 12 libraries and one central library for this. Upper Norwood Library, run jointly with Lambeth costs £400,000 a year (it is far larger than a branch library) with £200,000 being contributed by Croydon. 

Given how popular all the Croydon libraries are, with residents keen to get involved and support their local library, this is a golden opportunity to devolve the running of the libraries to local library panels. Keep the staff on Croydon payroll. Devolve the library budget, just like the government did over 15 years ago to schools (LMS) and you could end up with big savings and involve the community in setting priorities, and help to grow library use. 

Based on the costs of the much larger Upper Norwood Library, a budget saving of at least £1.8million could be made. Here is the maths:
Croydon branch libraries 12 x £400,000 = £4.8millionCroydon Central Library and home book service = £1.2millionUpper Norwood Library Contribution = £200,000Total budget requirement = £6.2millionBudget surplus: £1.8million
Instead of spending £40,000 on an expensive consultant, the Council should work with the local community to release a new era in community run libraries.  

I have set these plans out at full council and have written about this on my blog (timothygodfrey.net) You can read the post in full here.  I have also has an article published on this on the website of the national Co-operative party (party.coop).

The Tory Council ignore these positive suggestions because they are only interested in selling our libraries off in one contract and not working with local Croydon communities."

The comments left clearly demonstrate that local residents view the council's plan as ludicrous.

MyVoice in Croydon Libraries!

The MyVoiceUK project, led by young people aged 11-19, has been running in Croydon for a little over a year now.  We only found out about it recently, but regularly attend the monthly meeting at Ashburton Library to organise library events, promote the use of local libraries and… eat pizza!

Last month we hosted a celebration of all the MyVoice UK work in Croydon so far, with a guest appearance of the Rap Poet Chris Syrus and LoveLife6958, who had worked with the MyVoice group in Croydon before we joined.

We also showed a video to summarise the work and events that had been organised by the MyVoice group in the last year, and interviewed some of the young people who participated in the running of the events. 






The Mayor of Croydon was unable to attend but the Deputy Mayor and his wife attended to show their support for the project. 

Unfortunately Liz Rose, the librarian who organises the MyVoice group, was ill on the day and unable to attend. I think she will be proud of what we achieved and we look forward to sharing our photos and videos with her.

Although the MyVoice project is not well advertised in Croydon, full details are on the Reading Agency site (where we discovered it!).


It is certainly a great opportunity for young people to get more involved in their libraries, and we personally feel that it is just a nice thing to do with your time. Hopefully the MyVoice group at Ashburton will soon be able to set up what some other MyVoice groups have done by setting up our own Twitter account, Tumblr site and Facebook page to better advertise what we do and what is on offer in our great Croydon Libraries!  Liz Rose, the librarian in charge of this project at Ashburton, is currently looking into this.

We would highly recommend trying it out at Ashburton Library. The next planning session will be held on Saturday 21^st April from 2.00pm to approximately 3.00pm, although it can run on much longer.  It is good fun and a great constructive thing to be doing with spare time!

To find out more or to get involved, get in touch with Ashburton Library’s Liz Rose by calling her on 020 8726 6900 or emailing her at Liz.H.Rose@croydon.gov.uk

We hope to see you there!


Amber and Poppy

You can find Croydon MyVoice on the Reading Agency site at http://www.myvoice.org.uk/croydon/ 
You can follow the Reading Agency MyVoice project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/myvoiceuk
and on Twitter @myvoiceUK and @readingagency

Save money by chucking £42K at it, and the rest!

Anyone else find it curious that Cllr Sara Bashford, who gave her assurances that residents would be kept informed of developments on libraries, omitted to mention this position being advertised back in December?

That's the same Cllr Bashford who assured residents their views would be listened to, yet disregarded the data from parts of the the council consultation document on six libraries as the document was confusing.

The same who took the decision to outsource all 13 libraries on the basis of this flawed consultation, involving just six libraries in any case.

The very same council who got caught out meeting with LSSI before the decision to explore outsourcing was taken.

That's also the council that have not been able to fully answer FOI requests for the breakdown of responses that Cllr Bashford claims informed the decision to outsource.

The same that assured residents no libraries would close, though since then jointly run Upper Norwood is under threat and then the closure of New Addington was announced. But surely there would be reassurances about how Croydon might provide a service to this area.  Apparently not.  According to the newspaper article Cllr Bashford rubber-stamped the death of New Addington Library without any regard for the space that might be available in the CALAT Centre nor could she give any reassurances about the bookstock that might be accommodated.

Gavin Barwell MP won't be drawn on the situation, still claiming no library will close.

That's also the council who have been caught out for not advertising National Libraries Day but then again why would this be any different? Whilst other authorities celebrate libraries and promote the activities they offer Croydon have for some time now been erratic in publicising events, some receiving no publicity at all!

And let's not forget the great book cull, still continuing to be noted by residents across the borough, which Croydon also failed to mention to residents. Seems less is more.  So Croydon!

The same who kept silent about the shortlisted organisations.

Not a great track record for transparency, is it?

Croydon Libraries bidders named but campaigners' concerns misrepresented

Save Croydon Libraries Campaign appreciates the Croydon Guardian covering the ongoing saga of Croydon Libraries with a further article on their website today but we do question why they will not engage directly with the campaign group to verify the facts. The same article went into the printed edition, without correction.

No one debates that the local press must have great difficulty verifying the real situation as Cllr Sara Bashford and Croydon Council are almost silent on the matter, pushing through the privatisation of all thirteen libraries, knowingly having only consulted with the users of less than half the libraries in the network.


Since then the Upper Norwood Library run jointly with Lambeth has run into trouble as Croydon no longer wishes to provide funding for it. Cllr Sara Bashford is also quoted in the local press announcing the closure of New Addington library without any planning of the space that might house the 'replacement' of this well-used, purpose built library or what book stock might be available.  In her own words, when asked if the new building will house the same number of books as it does presently, Cllr Bashford is quoted as saying she could not make any promises.

"I could not say there will be the same number of books definitely," she explained."We do not know what the square footage available will be in comparison with the library."

How reassuring.

The Save Croydon Libraries Campaign continues to work with and receive information from residents across the borough as well as national campaigners. We can only assume this Croydon Guardian article is based on the information which first appeared on Alan Wylie's excellent Stop the Privatisation of UK Public Libraries blog on March 20th and in the detailed article by Inside Croydon on March 21, which contains a great deal of research into the organisations involved.


To clarify, Save Croydon Libraries Campaign is not concerned that outsourcing the network of libraries will lead to immediate closure. During the bidding process, Croydon have already altered the plan by announcing the closure of  New Addington. Prior to this there was a drastic reduction in staffing in our libraries and then a huge cull of book stock. Croydon were also caught out by residents and the Bookseller for their woeful lack of activity for National Libraries Day - hard-pushed staff cobbling together some makeshift displays at short notice, to cover up the omission, after the Bookseller article was released. Thanks to residents who have sent us photos and the facts across the borough. In many locations there was nothing to photograph and enquiries met with blank expressions or apologies for not being aware but here is just a sample of the details we were able to record.  Judge for yourself.

 No special activities and leaflets on the board without actual dates for activities, though printed for January to March 2012. What does "one Saturday a month" actually mean and how can people plan to attend if the date is not available?

 Children's display in a Croydon Library.  Enticing choice of reading matter, don't you agree? This was taken early on in the day.  The resident straightened the books casually thrown at the display.

 The entrance display was a real treat. UK Citizenship test booklet anyone, or perhaps you fancy brushing up on the Highway Code?

 A children's display in another library, though no adult display.  At least better than some with no display at all.

And this has to be our favourite.  The only activity that perhaps might have been considered special was author  Monica Carly at Central Library that day.  But can you spot the similarity?  An eagle-eyed resident did and these events are being held at other libraries too. Unfortunately Croydon hold few of local author Monica Carly's books in stock but that is a minor detail surely!


We've already covered the concerns regarding LSSI's early involvement and their track record in the US and the Inside Croydon article along with Alan Wylie's blog covers many of the concerns with privatisation of libraries in general and the organisations Croydon have short-listed specifically.


We do not believe residents want external organisations to run our libraries. Why would we want someone else to make a profit from our libraries? We want the local authority to run the service effectively, correctly and to provide the comprehensive service that is not available to many at the moment.


We want staff to work without undue stress, with training and with knowledge of the local communities that they serve. Residents do not want staff to apologise, as they do with great regularity now. Residents are greatly concerned for staff who deliver a service under extreme pressure, often with little or no training. Residents are concerned that we will lose even more of out loyal experienced and qualified staff.


And things could surely not get any worse. We already experience a greatly reduced service in our libraries, and this is nothing new. National campaigners listen to Croydon and are aware of the problems in Croydon.  We really need the local press to back residents on this and expose what is really going on before it is too late.


As always, we remain open to offering the local press all the evidence we have and to put you in touch with a wide range of residents affected across the borough.  National campaigners are aghast when we've shared details with them. What do you think Croydon Guardian? Will you afford us the same coverage that is offered to campaign groups elsewhere?


Updated 29/03/12

"Residents help shape future of libraries" in Wandsworth

The text from today's Wandsworth press release can be read in full here.

Wandsworth announce that Friends of Libraries groups could be rolled out to libraries across the borough to create more community involvement in the service. Wandsworth Council has agreed that a Friends of Tooting Library pilot group be established as a model for the creation of similar groups across Wandsworth.The Friends of Tooting Library will be formed of local residents, stakeholders, current library members and those who have been recommended by an existing Friends member.

The group's primary task will be to support the maintenance and development of the library, ensuring it meets the needs of local people and encourages participation and community involvement.

It will also aim to strengthen partnership working, raise funds, promote and publicise the library's services, and act as a co-ordinating body for volunteers and the additional services they help deliver at the Tooting site. 

This raises the serious question how it is possible for Wandsworth, a local authority that has made a commitment with Croydon to outsource all libraries in both boroughs, to make such a move whilst still consulting with the undisclosed five short-listed organisations bidding to run libraries in both boroughs.  It certainly did not stop Croydon closing New Addington LIbrary. Nor has it stopped Croydon enlisting volunteers.

The press release goes on to state that,

"The move represents on ongoing drive by the council to give members of the community an opportunity to take part in the running of various services. The founding pilot group will be established by converting the Tooting Library Management Advisory Committee into the Friends of Tooting Library.Decisions of the group on any one topic related to the library would be achieved by majority votes, but individual members would be free to dissent should they wish."

And Wandsworth's Cllr Jonathan Cook, Wandsworth's culture spokesman, is quoted,

"This plan will enable residents to help shape Tooting Library's future by allowing them to play a part in its maintenance and development. It is designed to allow the community to take a more hands on role in the library that they use, that they are passionate about, and that they want to see thrive."

More concerning though, Cllr Cook adds,  

"And if the Friends of Tooting Library pilot group proves successful, it is our hope that similar groups will be set up at all of the borough's libraries so more communities can get involved with their local library."

How is this possible, in the middle of the outsourcing? Is this the plan on the table for both boroughs or have relationships already broken down?