lolli_pop Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I guess that you would have to regard it as a social service, not just a book-lending service per se. Indeed, and people presumably use the mobile library because they have difficulty getting out and about generally, so it's probably a valuable piece of social contact - a social service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenyoung Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 We have to make our voice heard now! Get down to your local library for 11am on Saturday 5th March, grab a book and start reading. Make signs and banners to explain why you are there, why you value your library service and why you are opposed to ALL cuts to public services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Looking at the Doncaster figures they appear to have one vehicle and one and a bit staff so my assessment seems comparable. There's lots of understandable objections but can somebody suggest a sensible working alternative? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM01 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Looking at the Doncaster figures they appear to have one vehicle and one and a bit staff so my assessment seems comparable. There's lots of understandable objections but can somebody suggest a sensible working alternative? You estimated £100 000 per vehicle; the spreadsheet for Doncaster suggests an annual cost for one vehicle of £30-40 000. How is that comparable? You have over-estimated the costs 2-3 fold! Do you work for George Osborne by any chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazel Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I have used libraries since the age of about 8. Iam nw 74 and library books are now brought to me as I have difficulty getting to my local one Once every 3 weeks two librarians visit me and leave a selection of books. My quality of life would be the worse if this service was stopped. In the last 5 years I have used my local library for-- Creative writting classes, Readers group, Chairobics, Computer when needed, Photo copying etc. I was given confidence at creative writing classes to branch out into having work published, one of which was a poem about sheffield libraries. If it helps your campaigne you are welcome to use it. hazel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey19 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 It must be viewed partly as a social service. Enabling contact between people who are unable, for whatever reason, to meet socially whilst borrowing books. Such services are part of our way of life and should be preserved. Once lost they will never return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 PeteM01, look at my calcs - which incidentally, I am very happy for you to correct if you have better information. Doncaster's spreadsheet is rather muddled but you seem to have completely misread it as their 10/11 mobile library budget is £171,380, not £30k-£40k. They seem to have one vehicle and some other travelling services but I don't have time to investigate further. For Sheffield I assumed 4 vehicles working a 5 day week less bank holidays. Just the costs for 2.5 staff on each vehicle (to cover H&S and holidays) exceeds your figure. Please feel free to come back with better info' if you have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM01 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 PeteM01, look at my calcs - which incidentally, I am very happy for you to correct if you have better information. Doncaster's spreadsheet is rather muddled but you seem to have completely misread it as their 10/11 mobile library budget is £171,380, not £30k-£40k. They seem to have one vehicle and some other travelling services but I don't have time to investigate further. For Sheffield I assumed 4 vehicles working a 5 day week less bank holidays. Just the costs for 2.5 staff on each vehicle (to cover H&S and holidays) exceeds your figure. Please feel free to come back with better info' if you have it. I agree the spreadsheet is very confusing. Doncaster have a mobile library comparable with Sheffield's and a separate travelling service that calls at individual houses and so is much more expensive than the mobile service. The mobile service is £30-40 000 per vehicle and not the £100 000 per vehicle that you guessed. http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Leisure_in_Doncaster/Libraries/Mobile_and_Home_Library_Service/Travelling_Library.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 How do you even pay 2.5 FT staff with £30-£40k? I'm also guessing that they have a vehicle rather than handcarts. Seriously PeteM01, come back with some numbers to correct me if they are out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolli_pop Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Surrey spends approx £70k a year on each of its 5 mobile libraries and 1 residential home service (total ££446,000) http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Mobile-libraries-facing-chop/article-3173787-detail/article.html I think there's a danger of falling into knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. If you split the cost of things like mobile libraries between the number of taxpayers, it actually costs very little to keep services going, compared to huge sums of money being spent elsewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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