Peter T Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 The residents of a town down South (West) are looking into the legality of Library closures. I was wondering whether any group in Warrington have been looking into this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I doubt it Peter as does anyone really care anymore other than the people working there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 I went to Grappenhall library this afternoon and although small it is still well used, I would think mostly by us wrinklies and young children, they had a petition for us to sign a few weeks back but I doubt it will do any good as the Council have already made their minds up to close it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 24, 2011 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Perhaps the best route Pierre would be via the ECHR?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 To close post offices is terrible. To close libraries is diabolical. I find it unbelievable in a more and more illiterate country. Â Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 but when you can buy books from asda and tescos for a few pence in some cases, is it the loss of the books or the loss of the facility that is the issue? Â I last went to the library to rent a book when I was at school; over 30 years ago, however I have shelves of books at home which I have bought and in some cases actually read too ..... also with the advent of the internet, I can get more facts about more things than any encyclopedia could ever offer and more up to date too...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverlady54 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I doubt it Peter as does anyone really care anymore other than the people working there  Libraries are a valuable resource which we can't afford to lose. Many youngsters use them to do homework in peace, away from the chaos at home in many cases. Where are they to go? They are often a first port of call for people new to an area to find out what local facilities are available, such as mum's groups, scouts/guides and not least, to borrow books! This kind of information can be hard to find if you don't have access to the internet.  We will be much worse off without them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 SL, do you really think that in 2011, fhe vast majority of families with young kids don't have access to the internet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 According to this, 73% of households have access to the web:  http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/iahi0810.pdf  Although it says that "Where the person completing the survey was under 50, the survey found that the number of children in a household had little effect on the likelihood of the household having Internet access.", it then states that "...92 per cent of households with one or more dependent children [have internet access].  However, only 63% of households who were in rented accommodation have internet access.  I'm with Harry and SL on this, libraries are about much more than just borrowing books. If the "Big Society" is ever gonna happen, libraries are going to be at the centre of it: they're shooting themselves in the foot by closing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I presume you mean access in their home. Â Most libraries provide internet access and there is quite a lot of info you can get from the library that you could not get on the internet. As an avid reader in my youth (and now) I was a regular visitor to the library, often calling in on my way home from school to return books and borrow some more. Given the price of even paperbacks these days, it can be easier to borrow the latest best seller from the library rather than purchase it. Â In saying that I am not a member of the library at present due to lack of time to get there and browse the book shelves but I do intend to get a membership before too long. Â Sadly reading a book seem to have gone by the board in these days of console games and mobiles phones etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I am not so sure that the internet or computers will ever replace or better reading a good book. For those who are blind, local librarys have loads of talking books. For those who are housebound the mobile library is a god send, and what could be more 'green' than sharing books, dvd's, computers, etc rather than everyone buying their own. I also feel that library's are part of the community, an opportunity to meet people and be part of the 'Big Society'......... oops I am beginning to sound like a Tory now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 ... and where pensioners can go for a warm and a free read of the papers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I presume you mean access in their home. Â Indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 Why not just open up the school libraries outside school hours? Â It would cost next to nothing, the current stock of books and equipment in the closing public libraries could be re-located there, it would provide a "study space" for anyone who wants it, could provide internet access and local information points, and be open at more convenient times for the majority of people who work during the day than maybe just the one evening per week. Â It's always seemed daft to me to have duplicated facilities - often within a very short distance of eachother - and have neither open in the evenings or weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverlady54 Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 Why not just open up the school libraries outside school hours? It would cost next to nothing, the current stock of books and equipment in the closing public libraries could be re-located there, it would provide a "study space" for anyone who wants it, could provide internet access and local information points, and be open at more convenient times for the majority of people who work during the day than maybe just the one evening per week.  It's always seemed daft to me to have duplicated facilities - often within a very short distance of eachother - and have neither open in the evenings or weekends.  I agree on the duplication, although some children would only use the library at school because it was handy at the time. Didn't I read somewhere that many schools were getting rid of their libraries, so sadly there is even greater need for community ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugtifino Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 Aren't the public/school libraries at both Birchwood and Padgate one and the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 So if the same idea was rolled out to the other high schools in the borough then the level of service delivered could be significantly higher at much lower cost. Â Or is that too much like joined up thinking to be recognised by the public sector? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 So, which school in Grappenhall would you suggest?? Lymm Grammar or Bridgewater? I don't think they would take kindly to folk wandering around the two junior schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 And not to forget that you won't be allowed to park within a half mile radius of a school in "inky world" Â Joined your thinking up for you:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 So, which school in Grappenhall would you suggest?? Lymm Grammar or Bridgewater?I don't think they would take kindly to folk wandering around the two junior schools. Â Why not both? Â And Sir Thomas Boteler is only a short walk or bus ride from there too. Â (BTW, Lymm hasn't had a Grammar school for over 30 years now. I know, I was in the last year of the Grammar intake.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 I don't go for these new names. It will always be Lymm Grammar. Same with Padgate High, now known as Lysander. Â WHY should it be necessary to have to travel when there is one on the doorstep. You are making assumptions in that the elderly are able to walk the long distance to a bus stop. Â They hit the elderly with Post Office closures, when are they going to stop? Why not kill people when they get to 50? Then you can get rid of ALL of the things that help life to tick along. Â The latest idea to hit old folk is to take the fuel allowance and bus passes off them. Â Perhaps people should be encouraged to smoke and drink and die early. Apologies if I have offended anyone who might have lost a friend or family because of the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 And not to forget that you won't be allowed to park within a half mile radius of a school in "inky world" Â Joined your thinking up for you:lol: Â Most high schools have ample parking on site to cater for a public library open at weekends and in the evenings. Â And, had you actually read it, you'd know that my suggestion was for parking restrictions close to schools only for half an hour or so at the start and end of the school day in order to tackle the chaos and danger caused by inconsiderately parked school run mums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 School libraries don't hold the same sort of books as general libraries nor do the have the same reference material.  Anyway that aside I have now decided not to use the library anymore although I only started using it again before Xmas.  I was late returning my books and got charged around ?9 (my own fault) but hadn't finished with them so renewed them without them being stamped.  I have now just received an email reminder that they are due for return TWO WEEKS AFTER THEY WERE ACTUALLY DUE so now I face more than ?20 in fines again.  OK so I guess this is my own fault again but could someone please tell me why I didn't get an email (or other) reminder before they were due back rather that two weeks after the event as I thought they were renewed for 6 weeks  I'll stick to reading on the internet from now on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 School libraries don't hold the same sort of books as general libraries nor do the have the same reference material. Â True, but they would if the stock from the libraries being closed were to be relocated to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 25, 2011 Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 Never thought of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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