Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Some food for thought
This was reported in last week's ALGA news:
"WA libraries cut
The future of the WA local library is in doubt after the State Government proposed slashing funding for books by up to 40 per cent, despite fears it could have a severe impact on literacy among WA children.
Under a long-running agreement, the State Government covers the cost of book stocks on a per capita basis, while local councils pay for the infrastructure, maintenance and running of libraries. After allocating $10.8 million to buy books in 2008-09, the Barnett Government cut funding to $7.95 million this financial year.
WA Local Government Association president, Bill Mitchell, told the West Australian that during negotiations with the Government, councils had been told the State planned to spend just $6.5 million on books next financial year. This was a 40 per cent drop in three years and half what the State's 139 councils needed to provide books and other resources for library users, Mr Mitchell said.
University of WA Dean of Education, Helen Wildy, warned the State Government not to cut funding to community libraries, saying they were a "pivotal point in the educational landscape of all children". She said that libraries were central to early childhood literacy and evidence showed children without a strong foundation in reading entered school "many steps behind".
About nine million visits are made to local libraries each year, ranking them second behind cinemas as WA's most popular cultural activity."
Barbara
"WA libraries cut
The future of the WA local library is in doubt after the State Government proposed slashing funding for books by up to 40 per cent, despite fears it could have a severe impact on literacy among WA children.
Under a long-running agreement, the State Government covers the cost of book stocks on a per capita basis, while local councils pay for the infrastructure, maintenance and running of libraries. After allocating $10.8 million to buy books in 2008-09, the Barnett Government cut funding to $7.95 million this financial year.
WA Local Government Association president, Bill Mitchell, told the West Australian that during negotiations with the Government, councils had been told the State planned to spend just $6.5 million on books next financial year. This was a 40 per cent drop in three years and half what the State's 139 councils needed to provide books and other resources for library users, Mr Mitchell said.
University of WA Dean of Education, Helen Wildy, warned the State Government not to cut funding to community libraries, saying they were a "pivotal point in the educational landscape of all children". She said that libraries were central to early childhood literacy and evidence showed children without a strong foundation in reading entered school "many steps behind".
About nine million visits are made to local libraries each year, ranking them second behind cinemas as WA's most popular cultural activity."
Barbara
Quiet in the library?
There have been a few interesting comments in the media recently about libraries and the need for quiet. Leslie Cannold wrote an article in The Age in February bemoaning the lack of quiet in the reading room at the State Library of Victoria and the Librarians' inability to enforce quiet, ''It's not like it was in the old days, love,'' an old codger told me (the "old codger" was a librarian). The article generated 53 comments - most of them seeming to agree with the writer.
Another essay has appeared in response to Cannold's article by Ian McShane (a research fellow at the Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology). He suggests "Rather than conduct a debate over decibel levels, behaviour in public libraries might better be analysed in terms of civility and public spiritedness."
What do you think? Should we insist on quiet in appropriate areas? Is it a lost cause because of a lack of consideration for fellow students and researchers? Will we lose our younger customers if we rigidly enforce a rule of quiet?
Another essay has appeared in response to Cannold's article by Ian McShane (a research fellow at the Institute for Social Research, Swinburne University of Technology). He suggests "Rather than conduct a debate over decibel levels, behaviour in public libraries might better be analysed in terms of civility and public spiritedness."
What do you think? Should we insist on quiet in appropriate areas? Is it a lost cause because of a lack of consideration for fellow students and researchers? Will we lose our younger customers if we rigidly enforce a rule of quiet?
Trolley art
Artist at work
Lisa creating her parting gift to Reference on completion of her training post.
The best trolley evah!
Detail 1 
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