CILIP Big Day 2012 – Speaker five – Lord John Shipley

CILIP Big Day 2012 – Speaker five – Lord John Shipley, member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Libraries and former Leader of Newcastle City Council

Lord Shipley noted he was proud of Newcastle City Library which had been built at affordable cost and he viewed public libraries as essential to a civilised society.

He discussed the public service ethos and his thoughts on three critical issues. Firstly there had been 28% cut in government support to local government and the nature of the library service had changed due to drivers such as technological developments also. Secondly it was important to get children to read as a method to reduce social inequality. Thirdly there was access to services – public libraries were places people could get to easily that were free and where people could do things.  So the ‘buggy test’ for him was whether a mother with one child in a buggy and another in hand could get to the library. He noted that for rural area’s this was obviously different, it might be a bus pass test, the free bus pass helped in this for people.

He discussed the passage of the Localism Bill (now an Act) through the House of Lords and the place of the Lords as a significant revising Chamber. He noted the community right to challenge and the community asset register.  The community right to challenge allows local groups to challenge their councils to do specific things within their area. The community asset register can be any community asset, whether owned privately, voluntarily, by the council, once assets are on the register any proposals to close them need to demonstrate that a similar service will be provided.

Lord Shipley gave his view that can never replace trained professional staff with volunteers, but volunteers can enhance the experience. He gave example of this. He thought it important to examine how can expand the social hub role of service – libraries as places to go for help and advice, this already happens, but with pressure on budgets it becomes what additional services can be provided access to at the library.

He talked about health inequalities and 8 million people having no internet access. Local government need to drive the equalities agenda for social equality.

He reiterated that he was a huge fan of the library service, it was part of civilised society.