Blogpost by Emma Batrick

Library numbers don’t tell the full story

THREE of Harlow’s libraries are set to close under Essex County Council’s Future Library Services plan, but the numbers don’t tell the full story.

Usage figures only show how many times library cards are used – for taking books out or using WiFi.

Many schools visit but don’t borrow books or use computers; people use the books to study but leave them in the building, or go in to read with a child but don’t take the book home. While all of these visits involve using core library services (books) Essex County Council’s consultation numbers don’t include them.

The usage numbers also don’t include people who visit the library to attend groups such as Rhyme Time, children who read to a therapy dog (something you can do once a month at Old Harlow), or those who go to the many groups that meet in the different libraries – regular events such as knitting club, chess club, weight management, life coaching, employment and housing advice services, and integration services, or the Essex County Councillor surgeries.

Libraries also throw one-off events. Fancy a boardgame day? There are free sessions running over six weeks starting on 24th of January at Great Parndon and Tye Green libraries to beat the winter blues. Rainbow Services is one of the main partners of this, as is Essex County Council, but ECC will not count the attendees in library usage numbers. Love Harry Potter? Tye Green has an event 7 February. Once again, your visit won’t count in ECC’s numbers.

Legal responsibility

Under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 Essex County Council has a statutory duty to provide an efficient library service for the borrowing and reference of books. Yet reference numbers have not been included in the consultation. The whole tone of the Future Library Services consultation is that usage has gone down. How can they plan closures without the full story?

Within the same Act Essex has a duty to encourage both adults and children to make full use of the library service. Did you have any idea that a therapy dog was available? Or that a Harry Potter event was coming up?

Essex County Council won’t hear from those most affected

Young people in Harlow are set to be affected most by Essex County Council’s Future Library Services plan. Tye Green and Mark Hall libraries have been earmarked for closure, and Great Parndon is planned to become community run and move to a different building. It’s unclear what would happen to the current building. Percentage-wise, the people who use these three libraries the most are aged 0-19: for Tye Green this is 65%; Mark Hall 55%, and Great Parndon 46%.

Town Centre Library changes

Harlow Town Library is also not safe. I have been told by Essex County Councillors that the plan is for a bank to move into the ground floor, and the library itself to move to the first floor. Based on current usage, Old Harlow Library is safe, despite having lower usage levels than Tye Green and Great Parndon, because of its location, but this may not always be the case.

Would your child’s school still be able to get to the library if only the town and Old Harlow were available? Would a community run Great Parndon Library in a different location mean that it is closed more often?

How to help

I’ve been trying to think of things to do and a Harlow Libraries Facebook and Twitter profile have been set up to promote local libraries further. I’ve also looked at fundraising, but you can’t give money to libraries as they’re not a charity; building hire doesn’t go to the library, it goes into ECC’s property fund. The best way to donate is with brand new books, but there’s no guarantee they’ll stay in Harlow, and by all accounts ECC’s repository is well stocked, so this should not be necessary.

But all of this doesn’t solve the real problem, which isn’t about money – Essex County Council doesn’t have the full information to act on.

Give your views

The best thing that we can do to help, I have been told, is to fill in the consultation, which is open until 20/02. You can do it online, ask for a paper copy or call and request an appointment to fill it in over the phone – 0345 603 7639. There are two more consultation events where you can speak to officers coming up – Old Harlow Library 19/01 14:00-16:00, and Mark Hall Library 24/01 14:00-16:00. Even if you attend these events you still need to fill in the consultation for your views to be recorded. Would you use libraries more if the opening hours changed? Tell them!

Councillors don’t think people care

I have also been told by two of Harlow’s Essex County Councillors that they haven’t heard from many residents, so the feeling is that people don’t care. Is that true? If not, tell them. Invite them to whatever event you attend at the library so they can see how great they are, as they don’t have much experience of libraries today. The next Essex County Councillor Surgery with Mike Hardware and Clive Souter is at Great Parndon Library, 26/01/19 10:00-12:00. You won’t count as a visitor to the library in ECC’s numbers though.

Tell them why you love going, and whether you are one of the 25% of Harlow residents who don’t have access to a vehicle, and would rely on public transport to get to the town centre or Old Harlow libraries, potentially making library visits an unaffordable luxury – as one of the most deprived areas in Essex, this is a real consideration. Have you already been affected by the cuts to youth services and the library is one of your last places to go? Does your child’s school have children arriving without the communication skills needed to take part? Or do you rely on your local library for job searches? Share your thoughts.

If library services end, it will felt by us all. Our young people need you to speak up. Please take part in the consultation.