Should we care about libraries?

Yesterday (13 January 2011) London Evening Standard reported on plans by Boris Johnson to set up a trust to run libraries in London at risk of closure. 

This is not just a London issue but across the country, as local authorities look to save money, many libraries and other cultural and recreational facilities are at risk of closure.  The Guardian has featured several articles recently - How will the cuts affect our libraries? Tell us your experience of how government policy is threatening the future of libraries across the country.

If we are to accept that closures are inevitable there will be many local communities who will be looking for alternative means of delivery.  Trusts could be one answer but could local ownership provide a more successful alternative? Pubs, village shops and football clubs are considered vital services to local communities and there is now good evidence to support local community ownership and co-operative models.

The Government’s Community Right to Buy is welcomed by The Plunkett Foundation, calling for more rights for rural communities.  As a federal member of Co-operatives UK Plunkett advise:
“There are 247 community-owned shops in the UK.  39 new community-owned shops opened in 2009 alone saving 10% of shops that would have closed otherwise (400 village shop closures last year).  The total number of volunteer time per year going into keeping community-owned shops open is over 1 million hours.  In 25 year, 255 community-owned village shops have opened and only 8 have ever closed – 97% of community-owned shops that have opened are still open.”
“Communities need access to a decent period of time alongside appropriate support and finance and we hope that these needs are considered as part of the government’s vision for communities taking over and running essential local services.” 

The Guardian article  “The localism bill: the key points for local government” writes: “The 'people power' elements of the bill gives the community the right to challenge the council over the provision of local services, and a new right to bid to buy local assets such as libraries, pubs and shops. There are of course many examples of this kind of community challenge and involvement, but we must ask what will motivate more people to want to take over services or assets rather than have the council deliver them. “

To Buy, to Bid, to Build - Community Rights for an Asset Owning Democracy demonstrates how ownership of local assets by community organisations and individuals, particularly in low-income areas, can help liberate people from social inequality, economic dependency and entrenched poverty.   It points to community shares as the means to finance community ownership of assets.