Lyn Brown Addresses UNISON Library Conference

Lyn Brown today spoke at a UNISON organised Conference on Libraries entitled “Libraries at the Heart of Learning”, in her role as Chair of the All-Party Group on Libraries, Literacy and Information Management.

Lyn addressed the event, attended by over 60 Trade Unionists working in the library sector, on her evaluation of the challenges that currently face the library sector and the ongoing work of the All Party Group in supporting the sector.

The speech she made is available below.

Lyn was elected Chair of the Libraries APPG soon after her election to Parliament in 2005.  She has been involved in the library sector since becoming Chair of the London Borough of Newham’s Leisure Services Committee in 1992, and was Chair of the Local Government Association’s Cultural Services Committee, from 2000 - 2005.  During that time she was instrumental in creating the London Libraries Development Agency and its groundbreaking online database. 

TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED BY LYN BROWN MP TO UNISON’S ‘LIBRARIES AT THE HEART OF LEARNING’ CONFERENCE, 17 FEBRUARY 2009

First I would like to thank Unison for organising this conference.  It is good to have this opportunity to acknowledge Unison’s very welcome proactive interest in and support for the library sector.  And to have the opportunity to applaud their initiative in commissioning the recent report “Taking stock: the future of our public library sector”. 

The reason I have been asked to speak today is that I currently have the privilege of chairing the Parliamentary All Party Group on Libraries, Literacy and Information Management. 

I also have the privilege of being the PPS, a parliamentary aide, to John Denham the secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills.  And here I need to make a disclaimer.

Today I am not talking for John or the department, or indeed the Government. What I say today - for good or bad - are my thoughts although anything you think interesting, novel - or rather unlikely - brilliant - is naturally the result of the pupillage and mentoring I am receiving from my minister. Any mistakes, gaffs or intellectual paucity are entirely of my own making.

I have been involved in Public Library issues for approximately eighteen years; I have sat on the Advisory Council for Libraries under both Tory and Labour administrations, chaired the LGA and ALG Culture Committees and was the political leader who fought to establish and build the London Library Development Agency.

I try now, from the position I hold, to ensure that Libraries are acknowledged as being significant to central governments policy delivery – and that’s policy developed across Whitehall not just by the DCMS.

And doing this is not uncontroversial. 

Some of you may have read a short piece I wrote in the Guardian last year where I wrote in agreement with a Guardian leader piece about spend on books and the closing of libraries, the piece argued that only a "long overdue revolution" would save them. 

The leader piece articulated that this revolution would include "jazz mornings" and "allowing users to eat or take phone calls while they read". 

I thought that it was the type of revolution I and others could readily sign up to, I agreed with the leader and called for libraries to be cultural marketplaces, which deliver upon the education, culture and information needs of our communities.

I reiterated the leader piece description of opponents to this vision as "the ageing band of traditionalists who shrink in horror at change".

What is far more interesting than either the Guardian leader piece or my own contribution was the response to my article.  Very few people agreed with the view and the insults were rather inventive. I particularly enjoyed the contribution that included the words a short piece of rope and a lamp post is too good for her. 

I almost hesitate – given the threats to my life - to reiterate my view of what a public community library is, can and should be.  

I do think we have been stuck in a debate for at least the past 10 years, a debate about form and purpose. On the face of it, it is an argument that worries about the introduction of coffee, computers and chatter but in truth, I fear is perhaps more about access to the opportunities that libraries, culture, information and learning provide.

Whatever the reality, the debate has lingered for far too long without a robust leadership to move us on – and I will come to this thesis in my conclusion later this morning.

My passion for libraries was created when I was a small child, growing up on a council estate in the heart of the London’s East End.  Daily, my mother would take me round the corner to visit our tiny local library where I developed a passion for reading and books and a love of this woeful facility with an extremely inadequate service and book stock. 

When I became a councillor in that Borough some twenty years later I wanted to change that reality – by then I had developed an understanding just how powerful libraries can be, wielded against ignorance, enabling and empowering those with a desire to learn, indeed kindling in the young and old alike a vision of other worlds, realities and possibilities.

Libraries exist as a challenge to the status quo and in our not too distant history were regarded by some as downright dangerous.

In the 1820’s - at the time of the formation of the Mechanics Institutes (including libraries) – the forerunner of Birkbeck College etc there was opposition to the expansion of learning opportunities. 

The “Weekly Messenger” of 16 November 1823 suggested that the effect on working men of evening education would be to make them “impatient, fantastic and mutinous”.     The “St James Chronicle” in May 1825 went a little further and observed that “a scheme more completely adapted for the destruction of the empire could not have been invented by the author of evil himself”.

I love it – libraries as fomenters’ of revolution – providing the working man – and woman with the tools to challenge their servitude, enrich lives and achieve to their fullest potential.

In 19th century Britain having something close to universal access to public libraries was an emotional cause. When the garden suburbs were built - libraries were at their very heart. They were hubs of knowledge, learning, classes, meetings (places to ferment revolutions, social changes, campaigns, protests etc.

The Library is a revolutionary place – an engine of radical social change.  Some choose to forget this - but they were created as part of an energetic social movement linking and fuelling the many agendas for change. 

The library was not created to be passive unchanging, static institution, or a museum for books.   

The UNESCO Public Library Manifesto of 1949 stated “The library should not tell people what to think, but should help them decide what to think about.

The library should link its activities with the work of other education, cultural and social agencies; it’s a University of the people offering a liberal education to all corners.   Citizens have need of such opportunities for self education at all times.”

Libraries deliver on the education agenda for school aged children through class visits, homework clubs, and reading groups.  But many are also engaged in the work that tackles anti-social behaviour or adds to the Sure Start agenda; reaching out to those who have much to gain from the opportunities that a library has to offer.

They play an important role with the education of adults, providing classes for English as an additional language, the silver surfing or click on sessions for over 50s.  They provide real access to information – civic knowledge. 

And now very importantly libraries have a role in employability, – the university of the people, assisting people to reach their aspirations though skills sessions, employability sessions, advice on getting into work.  Help with the basic skills of literacy and reading that are needed to survive and succeed in the world of work.

Good library services use the resources they have to explore how their remit is relevant to the communities they serve. 

Camden Libraries, in partnership with local refugee organisations, offered 39 work placement opportunities to refugees in local libraries. 17 of those involved have moved on to paid employment.

Portsmouth Central Library hold classes to support learners to prepare for British Citizenship Tests – providing support that builds confidence, improves written and spoken English and the acquisition of new knowledge. 

Our libraries continue to be a place of learning – despite the coffee and chatter, despite new interpretations of core service, despite new client groups with different needs. 

Some of our young people go there to do homework, some to re-engage with reading through computer games, some of us use libraries to indulge in a love of reading, exploring rich and modern texts with friends in a reading group, others to learn new skills and seek jobs. 

Some of the older people in our community are using libraries to explore that topic or interest for which they have not have time before, the genealogy of their family, the natural history of the Galapagos Islands or to learn computer skills to alleviate loneliness or solve difficulties that come from a lessening of mobility by learning to do a weekly shop on-line.

And all this is learning – all of it – including and especially the child, playing a play station game – who then borrows the comic book that accompanies the game – and reads – willingly – and with a thirst for perhaps the first time in his or her life. This too is learning and it belongs in a library.

Next week, my boss, John Denham is speaking at the CALL lobby of Parliament, he will speak about the explosion in informal adult learning - learning for learning’s sake.

And this explosion is something the Government wants to nurture.  Learning underpins all the aspirations we have for people, communities, society. Personal development, good health, strong communities, social cohesion and social mobility, innovation, employment, economic competitiveness – all depend on a culture of learning; on being a learning society.

And in public libraries we have seen this explosion that he is speaking of – we have seen the positive impact of Richard and Judy book clubs which have seized the public’s imagination. 

Essex Library Service alone supports over 400 ‘Booktalk’ groups.

and in London – we saw the read routes produced by the London Library Development Agency lead to the creation of reading clubs in places that had never seen the like before, in places like mine – in Newham, one of the poorest parts of the country – where people congregated and read and talked simply for the love of it.

Some of our libraries are providing opportunities to learn, that are easier to access than a college that may be a little too formal, too scary where a qualification is the end goal. Our libraries are free of the negative feelings that some people associate with more formal educational establishments, they provide many in our community with second and third chances.

People of all ages and backgrounds are changing the way they learn.  Once an adult learner would tend to frequent a single place, such as a library or an evening class and learn in one way – a reading group, illustrated lecture or film for example.

But today we combine learning – enjoying a TV programme can lead us to the internet and then to the local archive, and attendance at local history groups. And increasingly adult learners are likely to be self-organised - whether as individuals or as a group.

So perhaps the challenge for libraries is not just to offer something to their local communities - but to understand their role in what may be a much longer journey by the learner.

John wants to find a way to support all these kinds of learning to ensure everyone is able to get the learning they want, when, where and how they want it.

He has the vision of a network of places – all over the country, emerging and re-emerging, open to all, friendly, knowledgeable, who can incorporate encourage and train volunteers, a network that is able to reach out and slake the thirst that is there and encourage a thirst where it is not.

And he knows that this is not really something new. For this was the vision of those first pioneers who in the teeth of opposition created our public library network.

This was the vision when the Workers Education Association was created.

The vision of Harold Wilson when the OU was created.

And the vision when more recently we began a highly successful collaboration with the Trade Union Movement and Union Learning and Union Learning Reps were created. 

It is an evolving vision, a vision that needs to be renewed and refreshed, that gives all people, from those with only the basic of educations to those with a number of degrees, a real opportunity to indulge in learning for advancement, for enlightenment and for the sheer pleasure of it.

We want to this rich tradition of learning in communities and across communities strengthened and expanded.

Given this is Government – we have to have visions linked to strategies.  And as good governments do - we have consulted on a strategy for informal adult learning, which is due for publication in the next few weeks. The consultation had over five and a half thousand responses demonstrating a real interest.

I know I am stating the obvious – But I believe Libraries could, should and must be right at the forefront of delivering and organising a revitalised network of informal adult learning.

The consultation responses are being carefully considered, but it seems self evident to me that the library community - in its broadest sense - is in a good position to assist in tackling the issues raised in the consultation.   

Libraries are in every community.   They have accessible technology.    They have direct or indirect access to all citizens.  Partnerships with employers and special interest groups already exist although, I accept, only in some places.  

We need to join up local provision so that all partners work together to maximise the opportunities available. Who better to lead this work than the local library?

And seizing these opportunities will help establish libraries’ rightful place as pillars of a learning community. By offering new innovative services. Building new partnerships. Attracting new people in. This seems like a heaven sent opportunity to demonstrate the essential role of libraries at the heart of learning.

We must not let this opportunity slip by.

But let me return to the issue I alluded to at the start of my speech today. Leadership.

I am not sure that we, the workers, supporters and proponents of the library sector will be able to grasp this opportunity and demonstrate our capacity to deliver upon the agenda and demonstrate that delivery.

What gets in the way?

I could suggest "the ageing band of traditionalists who shrink in horror at change” but that would be cheap – dangerous – but cheap and also frankly not true.

First I fear there is an endemic professional uncertainty about the role of public libraries, some librarians express uncertainties about the direction of the service – leading to a paralysis. 

Secondly, Libraries do not have the service profile they deserve given the role they play and can potentially play in our society.  We are not recognised for what we are - as major engines of social change.

Thirdly - Libraries continually fail to prove their value to our governments and our public, we fail to engage and promote ourselves as a sector.  We fail to understand and respond to the real world of political campaigning, our lack of clear impact assessment measures is I fear, a potentially fatal flaw.

And in this changing world, there seems to be uncertainty about the precise skill sets required for the modern library sector.    There are problems of recruitment and retention.   There is a need for transferable qualification and clear career pathways.  There is a perceived devaluation of professional library qualifications which still needs to be resolved.  

I am told the problems stem in part from the fact that librarians no longer fill seats at the senior management team of a local council or educational establishment – their professionalism and the profession is not valued.

I think the issues above – are symptoms.

Symptoms that stem from a staggering systemic failure of leadership.

We need a Leadership, which enables this large glorious sector to convert the real potential that so many of our libraries show into a consistent celebrated reality.

Leadership for our library sector is needed now I feel, more than ever before. Now when more people need and use their local library service as the recession and the credit crunch begins to bite.

And it is now, as the recession bites and Local Authorities are trying to reduce the Council Tax burden and introduce “recession busting” measures – as my own announced – Libraries, which should be a core part of that agenda are under threat.

As we are part of the Local Government family – we know that in these crucial weeks between local Councils receiving their settlement and setting their Council Tax.  We know it is now when Council Leaders and Chief Executives look across their statutory responsibilities and decide that it’s easier to cut libraries than to risk reductions in children’s services or adult social care.

Public library provision and the cultural sector is always a soft target for cuts.  And that’s because some local Council’s simply don’t understand the power of what libraries can achieve.

And I think it’s the fault of a systemic failure in our library leadership.  We have not created impact assessment measures, we didn’t like the library standards – kicked against them and have replaced them with - nothing – unless you count the Library benchmark and frankly I don’t.

I know we live in an age when Government is seeking to dictate less to Councils about what services to provide and how – less ringfencing, less imposed standards.  The Government rightly believes that Council’s should be accountable for their actions to their communities through the ballot box about the services they provide.

But surely – we need a debate about what it means to have a statutory service because at the moment the public library provision is statutory in name only – there is no definition of what a library is and no regulation to assess, inspect or demand improvement to it.  Councils can, if they choose, decimate a service, with no sanction or intervention at all from government. 

And it’s in this context of localism that we need to consider who does and who should nationally lead the development of the library sector – and I believe this debate is urgent.

They say library reviews come in threes – unlike Boris’s buses in snowy London.  Unison got theirs in first – the Burnham review is progressing – and the All Party Group have announced theirs.  I called for proposals at the PLA conference and on receipt of contributions and on reflection; what is being done elsewhere; it is likely we will concentrate solely on governance and leadership of public libraries in England. Our Inquiry is intended to be complementary to the other reviews and we will invite submissions from organisations and individuals.

The Inquiry has a big remit but a very small budget, any further contributions and partnerships will be gratefully received. 

I’m delighted to have been asked to speak today, delighted to have this opportunity to share with you my passion for libraries, because whatever we do with our libraries, it should be done with energy and passion . And that has to be true of the sector’s leadership too. Our communities deserve that at the very least.

ENDS