Another Attack on British Libraries
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | British libraries could shut by 2020
This is another in the seemingly unending stream of attacks on British public libraries. Why should American librarians care? Because where their critics go, so do ours.
I just attended a program at WAPL that gave us the sad truth that we have to find alternative funding for libraries other than taxes. That is exactly what this critic says. He also says that we need to be open more hours. Yes, we do. But to say that we need to increase service without enough funding as it is, begs the question of how we are supposed to manage that.
Sadly, the critic also states that British libraries will disappear within 15 years. I completely disagree. At least here in America, public libraries are as busy as ever, poorly funded, but busy. The Internet did not undo us the way everyone predicted, because librarians instead adapted and became Internet experts. We will survive! As long as we are adaptable and responsive to change, we will survive. We will change, yes. Disappear? No!
