Dear Editor,

Why are Harlow’s Essex County Councillors misleading the public about libraries?

“Books and reading are still far and away the top priority: that’s what 90% of users visit libraries for now and what survey respondents say is priority for the future.”

That’s a quote from Essex County Council. It is found in the document which Councillor Barker puts her name to, which they base the “Future Library Services” consultation on: Essex Library Services Strategy, page 19.

So why are Essex County Councillors Hardware and Souter trying so hard to tell Harlow residents the opposite – that we don’t use libraries for books anymore; that we all want to read ebooks; that we only use libraries to get online? 

In their recent blog post on YourHarlow “Harlow Conservatives discuss the future of Harlow’s Libraries”, Councillors Hardware and Souter state: “The use of libraries has clearly changed so much in recent years that more people come into a library to use the computers than to borrow books.”

This is simply not true for any of the libraries in Harlow. At Mark Hall and Tye Green Libraries, going by Essex County Council’s own data, book loans and renewals is ten times higher than computer usage. For Great Parndon Library – the second most popular library in Harlow – book loans and renewals are three times higher than computer usage. These are the three libraries under threat from Essex County Council.

From misrepresentation to lack of representation

The sad thing is Councillors Hardware and Souter know this. I attended their surgery in January and told them. I would have told them before but they didn’t show up to their previous two surgeries. At the beginning of March I sent ten pages of research, which included all the information found here, to Councillors Hardware, Souter, Garnett and Johnson – Harlow’s four Essex County Councillors – so they have it in print, as well.

I asked them to read it before attending the full council meeting on the 12th of March, at which they had the opportunity to vote for a motion to not only save our libraries, but to invest in them to develop income generation to maintain libraries in the future. Councillor Hardware was the only councillor in Essex not to attend that meeting. While Councillors Souter, Garnett and Johnson were there, they did not contribute to the meeting at all, so Harlow’s voice was not raised. Not one of them voted for the motion. Councillor Hardware also voted against a motion prior to this which would have improved the library service and generated more income long term to protect libraries. He stated on Twitter that he had voted for a budget which would include more money for libraries, but this was also misleading, as in real terms this just reflected a staff pay rise and other inflation, rather than new money.

This is quite the opposite of their vote at Harlow District Council to keep the libraries open. So why can’t they make the same commitment at Essex County Council level?

Libraries fit for the future

The research I sent to the councillors also showed that, across Essex, there is a direct correlation between book stock in libraries and usage in terms of active members and loans and renewals. If we take Harlow Town Centre Library as an example, book stock has reduced by just under 40,000 since 2007. By Essex County Council’s own admission, the main reason people use libraries is books, so doesn’t it go hand in hand that if book stock goes down there will be a reduction in library use?

Essex County Council has a statutory duty under the 1964 Museum and Libraries Act to provide books for loan and reference, and to promote the library service. What I think is actually happening is a diminution of service, and when was the last time that you saw any of Harlow’s libraries promoted (outside of the @HarlowLibraries Twitter and Facebook pages, which are not run by Essex County Council, but by a member of the public)?

Ebooks are stupid

Not my words, but a quote from the head of one of the world’s largest book publishers, Arnaud Norry, chief executive of Hachette Livre, who goes on to say the product is unlikely to see further growth.

Harlow’s Essex County Councillors are pushing the idea that ebooks are more popular today – apparently people don’t read books anymore. However, Nielsen’s UK survey found ebook sales are down, paper book sales are going up – especially with the younger generation: “In 2015, the Publishers Association found that digital content sales had fallen from £563m in 2014 to £554m, while physical book sales HAD increased from £2.74bn to £2.76bn…Nielsen’s survey of 2016 attributed the increase in print sales to children’s fiction and to younger generations preferring physical books to e-readers.”  

An opportunity to transform the service libraries provide to better meet community needs

Everyone would welcome this. Libraries reach the most vulnerable in society and bring together the community, with books at the very heart of their offering. 

In their blog, the county councillors state that “no decisions have been made [for libraries] and no specific proposals are actually on the table,” yet if this were the case, why were the libraries placed into tiers with their fates laid out prior to consultation? Surely, if it were a true consultation, outcomes would have been defined as a result of finding out what the public thinks.

This seems to be an attempt at politicking, rather than actually standing up for Harlow.

Why are Harlow’s Essex County Councillors misleading you about libraries?

So, Harlow people, the question you need to ask yourselves is why are your elected Essex County Councillors, who should represent you, trying to mislead you? Better still, ask them:

[email protected]
[email protected]

Emma Batrick


Save Our Libraries Essex