tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post3026879959406173267..comments2024-03-28T13:48:12.219+00:00Comments on Alan in Belfast: Greater Belfast Library Review - proposals to close half of Belfast's librariesAlan in Belfast (Alan Meban)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04647690758839987063noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-59395668434930303962010-02-08T15:48:58.635+00:002010-02-08T15:48:58.635+00:00Will be interesting to hear what has to be said at...Will be interesting to hear what has to be said at tonight's meeting in the mountNiall Ó Donnghailehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14082851019697601022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-58785960542470935702010-02-05T16:22:19.504+00:002010-02-05T16:22:19.504+00:00I was at the meeting in Cregagh library and there ...I was at the meeting in Cregagh library and there wasn't a single person in support of LibrariesNI's vision - yes, all-singing, all-dancing libraries would be great, but NOT at the expense of access.<br /><br />Ballyhackamore doesn't just have the 3rd highest suitability score of the 33 Greater Belfast libraries, it also has<br /> the 3rd highest number of loans<br /> the 3rd highest computer use<br /> the 3rd lowest maintenance backlog<br /> the 4th highest % of library business<br /> the 5th highest number of visitors<br /> the 10th highest % of active borrowers against population of area ......<br /><br />..... and they propose closure?!?<br /><br />I too would be very sceptical of the reasoning behind this bizarre decision.<br /><br />6 out of the 14 proposed closures are in East Belfast, and your map, Alan, makes the landscape look bleak.<br /><br />If Ballhackamore, Ballymacarrett and Woodstock all close and transfer to Holywood Arches, numbers there would more than treble! Could they cope? Not at all - they already have queues at times for facilities.<br /><br />If only a <i>quarter</i> of visitors transferred, Holywood Arches' numbers would still rise by 56% and there would be a loss of over 132,000 library visits - yes, that's more than 2,500 opportunities lost to the community <i>every week</i>.<br /><br />We cannot afford that. We need to be supporting literacy and access to literature much more positively.<br /><br />It beggars belief that LibrariesNI has not studied in detail the possible effects of their 'vision' on the community. Where did this 'vision' originate? Was anyone consulted apart from the Board?<br /><br />Certainly, if it goes ahead as planned, the Board will gain great kudos from their flagship libraries. And the thousands who will be thereby denied an adequate local service will be entirely forgotten.<br /><br />You can probably tell I'm incanescent about this - let's keep fighting!JWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-37765301641319348702010-02-05T14:47:58.886+00:002010-02-05T14:47:58.886+00:00Thanks for this overview. I'm also a member of...Thanks for this overview. I'm also a member of Woodstock library.<br /><br />There must be more innovative alternatives to consider so that library provision remains in these areas eg. Tullycarnet library is close to a school and community centre. If the building has to go surely these can be considered...Jonnyhttp://www.scrabopower.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21098869.post-23192268603689143202010-02-05T09:58:15.792+00:002010-02-05T09:58:15.792+00:00The closure of Woodstock is a particularly relevan...The closure of Woodstock is a particularly relevant one for me... presumably the alternative is Cregagh library, which is a good couple of miles away, and is, in fact, much less used.<br /><br />While it's nearly always possible to use a computer in Cregagh Library, the ones in Woodstock are almost constantly in use. Woodstock has a much greater need for library provision than Cregagh, but they seem to be ignoring that.<br /><br />If I was in charge of libraries, they would all have nice coffee shops (or at least a good reading area, with tea and coffee available to buy), WiFi access for those bringing their own laptops, and they'd be integrated to leisure centres, shopping centres, or community centres.ScatterCodehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12303268210112033871noreply@blogger.com