Gateshead Central Library

The main entrance of Gateshead Central Library.

If my local library ends up closing then Gateshead Central Library will become my local library. If my local library ends up a community-run library then the Central Library will probably still end up being the library I visit most because the community-run libraries will not be able to order in books from the core circulating stock.

Although not as big or well-stocked as Newcastle City Library, Gateshead is a warm, well-lit, clean and welcoming place.

The Central Library with the new extension on the right and the main entrance on the left.

Comfy chairs and sofas in the fiction section.

Gateshead Libraries Consultation

Gateshead Council are continuing with their library cuts consultations which have now entered the second phase. Any changes to the service will be implemented by June 2013, at the earliest.

A meeting was held today at one of the branch libraries earmarked for community-run status in order to gauge the level of interest in volunteering.

A handout detailing which services the council would continue to provide and what would be required of volunteers was distributed.

There were many local people at the meeting who were interested in volunteering in order to keep the library open. Some of the concerns raised were:

• the issuing and collection of late fines (volunteers do not seem keen to handle money unsupervised and there are legal issues surrounding how the collected money would be used, i.e. volunteers can't collect money for the council) 
• the lack of supervision from a qualified library employee
• the need to form a committee of core volunteers in order organise the other volunteers effectively

Whatever happens to the library come June 2013, it will definitely not be run in the same way as it is now.

Library Cuts in Gateshead

Gateshead needs YOU! Join the Volunteer Army

Like so many councils across the country, Gateshead Council also plans to make budgetary savings through cutting expenditure to the library service. They propose saving £748,000, in part, through making five branch libraries community run, i.e. run by volunteers.

The libraries affected are:

• Lobley Hill
• Low Fell
• Ryton
• Sunderland Road
• Winlaton

Meetings to discuss the level of interest in volunteering to keep these libraries running will be held from the 9th Jan to 17th Jan at various locations in the town.

Although I am not really happy about libraries being run by volunteers (see discussion here), it is better than having no library at all.   

I don't mean to sound uncharitable (sorry Dave, I don't buy your Big Society concept), but the idea that all librarians do is check books in and out, and that they can be replaced by unqualified and unpaid volunteers, is complete codswallop. 

Question: What's the difference between a book repository and a library?