Sunday 10 July 2011

WCC Library Report Part 05: Community Analysis - All Libraries Warwickshire

Do not Destroy this Achievement
Jump to: Part 01Part 02, Part 03 and Part 04

In this section, Community Analysis (pages 275-278). I wish I knew how many people have bothered to read the Library Report this far? As for the wiK posts, they end up in may places, see the screen on the left on how whatsinKenilworth has 4 (out of 5) of the Top Stories at Voices For The Library Links.

The document starts off telling us 15 petitions with 10,041 signatures were received. Then, it throws out many numbers and percentages which are quite meaningless. 

Try this for size: Q1 – What is The main way you are involved with libraries? 94% say they are a customer. The graph looks like this.

There were 426 impact letters/emails received. Now that would be a good Freedom of Information request - which would be denied, (my guess citing data protection - know different get in touch).

So, what's the Impact on the Customer? Main Themes from Public Meetings top out with Impact on the vulnerable - Children 12 

Main Themes from Road Shows - No numerical data - what? Themes from Letters and Emails top out with 234 people saying they will lose a meeting place and community focus. This is followed by distance to travel and then two sets of cost (parking and travel).

There is one statement that follows which I have NEVER seen before which sits as the Mount Everest of data to me: Area Facts (page 277) Population within two miles of Library (based on best fit of super output areas) - 88% of households = approx 470,888 population of Warwickshire. 

If I was designing a Library Service or Community Meeting Place and achieved half a million people within two miles - I would like to think that was a success - It is. And what are Warwickshire thinking of doing? Taking 16 of these places away. That may be the correct course of action, but I cannot see it. 

I wonder what a medical, educational or charity professional would think if they were in Africa and set up help famine bases within two miles of 88% of the population? I do - they would work day and night to achieve the other 12%.

That's 283 pages (of 326) reviewed which is 88%, next up the other 12% - how weird is that?


2 comments:

  1. So, the Councillors will have digested and understood 326 pages pf facts and figures since the release of this document on Wednesday, will they? Makes you almost think that this is a done deal, doesn't it? Surely not.

    They will realise the immense importance their decisions will have on the future of library provision in Warwickshire?

    They realise they will make around 100 people redundant and have them replaced with volunteers?

    I don't know how these local politicians and the library managers can sleep at night.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I believe Councillors and certain WCC Officers would have received the report in advance of Wed last week. How long, I do not know. But will ask tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete

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