Despair

Libraries offer functions other than lending books now. Many of them are the only place where people can go and have social contact. A local one where we lived in S. Wales was the hub of the Community with all sorts going on there such as craft afternoons ( in amongst the book shelves) and other rooms housing computers for training people(many older) who did not own a computer and who had never used one. There were meeting rooms as well. In many areas these places are vital - this one I was talking about has since been closed and the building demolished! If the people wish to access any similar facilities they need to travel on the infrequent bus or get someone to take them the other way over the mountain where no bus service exists. Many areas need more facilities not less. Most of the activities at this centre were run by volunteers and fund raising events were held to assist with costs.

The library my brother uses is a useful resource in the same way, welshwife. But that still doesn't mean all libraries are still needed everywhere. I'm not arguing against libraries, just wondering if, everywhere, they really are as much needed as they were in the past when that was all people had.

When we lived in Edinburgh (in a poor part) the local secondary school welcomed learners other than school age kids and the local health centre had a playgroup.

Same throughout Wales now Welshwife, we need our libraries , people want books

There was also a library which the city council wanted to open on Sundays but local Labour Party members argued against that. I would have happily worked as a library assistant on Sundays.

I think you've missed my point ab: that there are other ways of getting books nowadays. Not for everyone, obviously, but for a lot of people.

And getting books cheaply too.

A lot of classics, for instance, are free on kindles and tablets.

thatbags, it is not possible to get new books here unless one buys from Smiths, not cheap.

Bags Ab lives in Wales. Takes time.

Oh shoot! I've done it again!

Sorry Ab!

Is it possible to get new books at most libraries? Not here it aint. Never has been. Oxford, yes. Argyll, nope.

You probably can at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow though.

I think it's unreasonable to expect city services in all rural areas.

Round here the libraries seem to have become local authority offices. Books are the least of their functions it would appear. They do bus pass forms, provide hearing aid batteries, receive back loaned walking sticks and crutches, run after school clubs, book groups for the elderly (including fish and chip suppers) etc etc. They really are community hubs.

It is here thatbags, means a waiting list but not everyone can afford to buy new books .

Jingle, I read England thinks it should follow Wales in housing the homeless

Our local libraries do buy new books.

I agree, ab. Some people really rely on libraries. I am not arguing with or disagreeing with that, only pondering about whether as many people, proportionally, need libraries as much as they used to.

Some libraries have expanded their uses to include other community benefits. That's great, but that doesn't address my ponder either.

Stuff like bus passes and disabled parking badges are done at council offices here. Admittedly, they are spanking new council offices. They have adapted and expanded an old school building. It's great.

But I'm still unsure about whether I need to get anxious about reduced funding for libraries and about some library closures.

Not going to start on the council, they closed the town offices and built a new one over a mile outside the town,Mathis means the elderly have to take a taxi

We are suppose to be having a new library built thatbags, the one we have in the middle of town was only built in the sixties ,heaven knows where they will build the new one

MrBags and I just drove over to Drymen (30 miles away) to take our petrol mower for a service and we were talking about the library issue. He agrees that new fiction books are the problem when there's no local library.

It occurred to me that, so long as one has a valid library ticket, one should be able to phone and ask for a book to be reserved. I haven't tried it myself but I might just to find out if it works. Paying the reservation fee might be an issue but one could pay that when one collected the book, surely? I guess some people might never turn up to collect their book though. Hmm.

Do you think that here could be a market for people donating new fiction they have bought, read and no longer wish to keep? I sometimes have books I buy to read for for the book club I belong to and some are not really my cup of tea - ipI would happily donate books - and I am not a person who defaces a book in any way. Maybe there could be some sort of local points system where you were given some sort of reward or discount for doing this.

Our library is far too smal for the size the town is becoming with all the new houses being built, so the book area has shrunk and shrunk to make way for the children's section, the computers, the DVDs, etc. I used to love being able to just browse the shelves for fiction but that pleasure has gone.

Re EU funding, Norfolk is supposedly rich so has never got much funding from any direction. So we've always had to start things ourselves. Our town council held a meeting five or so years ago to ask what direction the town should go in. It was well attended by foolish people such as myself who suddenly found themselves a member of a Group! Things like dementia support groups meet in church halls with everyone contributes to the cost. Once they're up and running it's usually possible, with enough perseverance, to get a little funding and donations from local councils, supermarkets, anyone who has money and a reason to be nice! Many of the large multinationals have charity funds and are worth approaching. The money is there, it's getting at it that's the problem!

I see further down this thread there are comments on the parable of the Good Samaritan. I think you are missing something there.
The question was "Who is my neighbour"
The man who fell among thieves was an ordinary person. The rich man and the lawyer both passed by. The person who stopped to help was from Samaria, a despised set of people. (Think Romanian immigrant!) He didn't see a Jew, an Arab, an Englishman, he saw a man in trouble. And helped.

This has nothing to do with Annie's problems. In Jesus' day, there was no social security, all taxes went to the Romans to keep the Army going. Today, we presume our National Insurance, and taxes go to helping those that need it, but that just isn't happening any more.
Maybe we should all stop paying taxes to the Government and use the money for local support.

I am heartily fed up with people justifying their reluctance to give to charity by putting the old "they pay people high salaries" argument.
There are many different types of organisations operating under the legal status of charity, from U3As to Oxfam and Cancer Research.
I never give to a charity that is local as I can never be sure that their boards of trustees are operating in a professional manner. And I rarely give to charities that have not got their act together to reclaim Gift Aid. Anyone can start a charity in memory of their pet budgie and the charity commission do not have the staff to be able to oversee effectively.
But there are:
charities that are basically membership organisations e.g U3A
charities that run something through the efforts of volunteers - the friends of the local churchyard etc
charities that fund things like refugee aid or cancer research and these have to employ good people if they are to make effective use of funds. The normal state of affairs is that people working in this sector are on employment packages that are seriously inferior to equivalent workers in the state sector
and charities that provide services e.g. Age UK, RNIB, Women's Aid.
I realised a couple of years ago that these big national brands are actually an umbrella under which many local branches sit each of which is a separate charity This means that the "admin costs" look low, if you look at the national organisation. Because they have outsourced most of the employment, and hence the salaries, to the local branches.
My remarks about the "big society" scam by the Tories relates to the last of these categories - those delivering local services. And these are the ones that rely on government funding, which has to be bid for.