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SOME 111 PEOPLE had their open library membership temporarily withdrawn during the pilot open libraries scheme in Offaly.
The initial pilot was introduced in three branches; Tullamore and Banagher libraries in Offaly and Tubbercurry in Sligo from November 2014.
The government is now planning to extend the ‘My Open Library’ to a further 23 branches from January 2017, following what it deemed a successful trial in the three initial libraries.
However, a Freedom of Information request to Offaly County Council found that 111 members had their open library membership temporarily withdrawn due to breaches of terms and conditions.
Staff Our Libraries Community Group said these included incidents of tailgating, giving their card to another person to use and opening the door to allow access to another person.
One member had their open library membership permanently withdrawn due to being under the influence of alcohol. More worrying was the fact that there were six incidents of children being left unsupervised in the library during unstaffed hours.
Staff Our Libraries Community Group also stated that, “This is contrary to the report on the pilot scheme which stated that ‘There were no anti-social or other incidents in any of the three branches and all users complied with the terms and conditions of use’.
Speaking in the Dáil, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government Simon Coveney said, “The Open Library allows library members the freedom and flexibility to use the library at times that suit them.
It provides additional opening hours from 8am to 10pm, seven days-per-week, ensuring access to library services for users who cannot avail of them during regular staffed hours.
When TheJournal.ie asked the department about the incidents outlined in the FOI, it stated,
The provision and management of library services is a matter for the local authority in its capacity as a library authority. The Department has no direct role on these matters.
Speaking about the information revealed in the FOI, Independent Councillor Jim Cuddy, ‘These startling revelations should be a wakeup call to the government. They should suspend the rollout of staffless libraries immediately and reconsider this misguided policy.
It would be far more beneficial to increase staffed hours in our libraries and use the money to give more resources to the existing services.
Last month, Dublin City Councillors voted against the introduction of the service, stating that it is strongly opposed to the initiative and will support library staff and their trade union “to resist the introduction of staffless libraries in Dublin City”
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Libraries are wonderful places and we need to get our kids off their phones and into the library.
I don’t want staff less libraries.
Is is really such a big drain on resources to staff a library?
We are ripping the soul out of our communities in our pursuit of cost saving.
What hyperbole. How does the library staying open a little later without staff ripping the soul of of a community?
Tom’s referring to the pursuit of cost savings, of which staffless libraries are a ludicrous example. If Lenihan hadn’t guaranteed unsecured bonds, and FG upheld his anti-capitalist action (secured bond holders pay a premium) we might have had extended hours with actual Irish workers manning the libraries and paid for their work.
Tailgating? These library’s must be huge.
Big enough to teach you the plural of library
The drunkenness and the children left unsupervised highlight a big flaw in this crazy idea, Health & Safety.
Another big flaw is the countless community events and children learning sessions which will no longer be run.
Well done to the councillors that voted against this.
@Paolo:
How much of this kind of behaviour happens when they are staffed? A comparison would be useful
Why couldn’t communities organise events in libraries regardless? The only blame’s on the stupid parents who drop their child off to use a library after dark with no staff there, as I see it. Why wouldn’t they pay a babysitter to look after their child?
In Fingal, last month FF, FG & so called Independents aligned to both parties came together to vote down my emergency motion to end the scheme.
Oh so staffless libraries are a success? It would be cheaper to hire actual staff than to roll out this nonsense! And destroying my livelihood..
It’s the twenty first century. Time to leave things like libraries, quills and penny farthing bicycles behind.
Seeing as how a person can get a book for free in a library, they’ll always have a certain advantage even over a kindle. Putting them in the same bracket as quills and penny farthings is beyond stupid.
Librarys are without doubt a wonderful amenity. And they do seemto keep up with the times. My only issue is with staff wages. Head librarians are pulling 60k – 70k. The person running the local supermarket is on half that…..
I didn’t say anythimg about switching to Kindles, but there is nothing stopping free book-lending from being done electronically. Personally, paper libraries are useless to be as I am vision impaired, yet I am expected to pay for them throug my taxes.
Ironically, the people tasked with bringing literature into the 21st century have n9 imagination, and continue to tinker around the edges with gimmicks like self-service libraries. Meanwhile, people who don’t live near a library are crying out for broadband services that could benefit everybody.
There’s nothing wrong with my eye sight, but yet in all I have to pay for the “blind persons” tax credit and relief through my taxes.
Libraries are also information and advice centres and are one of the places where citizens can get access to further education, official forms and publications, remedial education, groups and clubs, local announcements, talks etc.
There is usually a librarian and library assistants. The librarian would be qualified at third level in social sciences.
Staffless libraries are book-swap facilities and I’d worry they would excuse councils for continually cutting hours. Libraries in Dublin used to open until 8 every weekday and 5 on Saturdays. That has been cut since the 80s and once cut it doesn’t revert.
My local library still does open until 8 pm, and on Saturdays. In Dublin. Not sure how valid your other points are now.
You’re right about the lack of decent broadband, but where else can people get large print books short of buying them? Libraries have a lot more to offer than books too. A friend of mine got great service there after an eye operation. They have enlargers now for books, large keyboards, online access for people without web access, and DVDs and magazines. I couldn’t subscribe to all the ones I read and am glad to keep up with developments.
@Neal, not Neil.: tell me what library stocks quills and penny farthing bicycles because I’d like to have a look at them. Our library just has books and computers – the computers especially are in great demand and provide a great service.
I’ve been a member of Walkinstown library for 45 years and can honestly say that the staff are the reason that its such a wonderful institution. They brought in a machine a while ago that you can use to take out and return books but I won’t use it. The knowledge that the staff have in recommending authors based on your reading pattern can’t be replaced by machines . Sometimes the old fashioned way just doesn’t need changing and surely with extended opening hours as normal in most areas you don’t need access to an empty library ( unless you’re dropping the kids for free baby sitting ffs)
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