The original British Dancehall --- er, Library

The debate about what a public library should be rages on in Britain. Last month, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham used the Public Library Association conference to announce yet another review of the future of libraries in Britain: “There are some incredibly interesting things going on in our public libraries, far removed from the stereotype of dusty books and silence, that we should celebrate. The review will look at how we share and build on that innovation, to make sure that our libraries have a vibrant future.” Initial suggestions included sharing space with public swimming pools, or installing coffee shops to reduce the “solemn and sombre” atmosphere.

The media was not slow in jumping on the bandwagon. The Guardian published an editorial praising “Ideas Stores”, the new generation of libraries in Britain, which hold allow visitors to eat and even take calls while reading. (I’m no aging traditionalist — apparently the only people who reject these innovations — but do note that most Ideas Stores actually have to get rid of books when opened, to make space for public discussion areas and enormous DVD sections. It’s not clear what happens to the discarded volumes, but why should The Guardian care?) The Independent, on the other hand, made a plea for the silence rule at least to be retained. A couple of days ago, Lyn Brown MP, chair of the all-party parliamentary committee on libraries and literacy, penned her list of demands of the review, arguing that “libraries must be cultural marketplaces, a place to browse, display, share and articulate different cultures via the written and spoken word” and suggesting disbanding the Museum, Libraries and Archives Council.

So what are we to make of the fact that in the midst of all this debate, the Public Library Budget Survey revealed a drop in spending on books for the third year in a row? Apparently books spending now accounts for only 8% of overall budgets, while audio visual spending has gone up by 4.5%. Things could get even tighter with the planned rollout of e-books – a Bookseller story by Benedicte Page reported that US company Overdrive intends to start offering e-books next year, if legal loopholes are closed in time. Librarians are considering lending out Sony Readers for users to download the books onto. At £200 ($350) a pop, the Readers will surely squeeze out yet more old-fashioned, boring, dusty paper books.

I went into a couple of libraries this week. Neither of them have yet been affected by the new all-singing, all-dancing regime. People had come in to read, browse the internet for free, and work. It occurred to me, looking around, that the people worst affected aren’t going to be casual readers. Anyone can read a novel in a café, the park or their bedroom. (Although with the advent of e-books, people who don’t have computers, living in areas that can’t afford Readers, will presumably fall lamentably out of touch with modern literature.) But what about those people who need a place for quiet study and have nowhere else to go? How are they going to be able to work when groups of kids are hanging out in the crime section, entrepreneurs are doing deals next to the business shelves and violinists are tuning up over by the welcome desk? I guess well-off liberal journalists don’t need to worry about that.