Charity Greener Bexley to run Bexley Village library from July 19

11:25am Tuesday 26th June 2012 in News By Alan Woods

Bexley Village library. Bexley Village library.

CHANGES are in store for Bexley Village library users, as charity Greener Bexley takes over in charge from July 19.

The charity will lengthen the library’s opening hours from 16 hours each week to 25 and plans are in the pipeline to introduce a cafe, wireless internet and an art lending library.

Although the library remains free, users will have the chance to pay an annual subscription allowing them to borrow more books and enjoy longer loan periods.

Bexley Council cabinet member for leisure Councillor Donald Massey said: “We’re confident customers joining the community library will have access to a range of services, supported by experienced council library staff, who are being seconded to Greener Bexley.”

Items borrowed from the library remaining on loan after July 19 will need to be returned to one of the council’s 11 other libraries.

The library will open between midday and 5pm from Tuesday to Friday and from 11am to 4pm on Saturday.

Comments(6)

Alan Wylie says...
5:26pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Firstly what experience does 'Greener Bexley' have in running Public Library services, secondly by introducing a premium service through your annual membership scheme you are creating a two-tier system which surely is against all that a comprehensive publicly funded statutory service should stand for and thirdly library staff should not be used to prop up this venture, they should have some pride in their profession and refuse!

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steadz says...
9:27pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Alan. You obviously work for the library service, hence you are a bit "miffed" by this. Library services in recent years have been taken over by the internet, amazon, and book reading devices.
I think this is a great idea and well done to the people who are running it. There is, as it says in the article, 11 other libraries to use if you dont wish to pay for the pleasure of a local Libary.
Get over it!

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Alan Wylie says...
2:02pm Wed 27 Jun 12

Steadz, although i'm sure that can't be your real name, i wouldn't be using my real name if i worked for Bexley Libraries due to the fact that i would be risking losing my job for criticising my employer! You are obviously one of those lucky people who are completely IT literate and have absolutely no need for guidance or help, only one of the important roles undertaken by trained paid library staff! You also seem very happy about returning to the victorian days of charities and philantrophists running public services on a subscription basis, I'm not, I would rather see them publicly funded (that's why we pay taxes!), democratic and accountable!

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steadz says...
9:33pm Wed 27 Jun 12

Alan. With great respect to the library workers. you do not need to be trained to show people where a book is, or instruct on basic internet use. these jobs can be be done by a 16 year old school leaver. A librarian is not a profession, just a job. Get over youself..

Well done Greener Bexley, and thank you.

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Alan Wylie says...
3:09pm Thu 28 Jun 12

Steadz with great respect you haven't got a clue mate, have a look at this http://laurensmith.w
ordpress.com/2011/10
/06/what-do-public-l
ibrarians-and-librar
y-staff-do/

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steadz says...
11:12pm Thu 28 Jun 12

Alan, I have looked at your link and it is the biggest load of drivvle I have ever seen. It is written by a librarian council worker who is trying to justify their job. Anybody who works with the public has to do the things written in your link, whether its a worker from the council offices to a member of staff at mcdonalds. I could pick out loads of quotes from your link, but this has to be the funniest:-

"Being unfazed by complex enquiries which could be of a sensitive nature" like what Alan!!!!! I think that is more for your doctor than a libraian!

Once again. point people in the direction of a book and show how to type "google" in a search engine, easy. Any 16 year old could do it.

Once again. A Librarian is not a profession, just a job. Get over it.

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