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How far to a library?


Athena

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Some data was posted a few days ago, about a research done on how far Dutch people have to travel to get to a library: Link (text in Dutch, but you should be able to understand the graph.). I will summarise the text on the page below.

 

In 2014 there were 1030 libraries, while in 2012 there were over 1070. Government subsides cuts have led to the lowering of the service level and the closing of some libraries. Some people have to travel a bit to a library, others less so.

 

One of the consequences of the 'library thinning' (?) is that people have to travel further to a library. The people in Friesland (up north) and in Zeeland (south west) have to travel on average 2.9 kilometres to the closest library. People of the towns Menameradiel, Dongeradeel en Littenseradiel in Friesland in the north have to travel over 4 kilometres to get to library, the people of Ferweradiel over 8.5 kilometres. The citizens of the town Noord-Beveland in Zeeland have to travel the furthest, their library is 14.6 kilometres away [note from Athena: 10 km is about the distance from here in Helmond to Eindhoven, a bigger city. For comparison). In the neighbourhood of Kamperland in this town the people have to drive for 18 kilometres to a library. The people of the small neighbourhoods Kloosterveste in Assen and Centrum Swifterband in Dronten live very close to the library, they have one at average 100 metres away from their house.

 

See the picture of the site (I am unsure if it would be allowed to post it here). The CBS does all kinds of researches and data collection about many things in the Netherlands, they are the number one resource for data like this (at least that's what my schools taught me).

 

When we just moved here, in 2000, there were I believe 4 libraries in Helmond, the central one and three smaller ones. I went to the small one that was nearby our house, once. I don't know how long after that, but the 3 smaller libraries were closed some time ago, I can't remember when. I am lucky though that the central library isn't too far away from here. Hmm, I just looked it up, apparently it's 4.7 kilometres. That seems longer than I thought, I guess the research though was 'on average' for people and we do live a bit on the outskirts of the city.

 

Anyway, I thought I'd share the article. Does anyone know of any similar research done in your country?

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That's very interesting! I found an article where it said that people in Finland live 5,6 kilometers away from a library on average. Half of the households in Finland live less than 2,1 kilometers from a library. I think that's pretty good! Personally I've always lived less than 2 kilometers away from my closest library :smile2: I've been really lucky! 

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I've never seen any figures for the UK, although at the rate they're closing libraries over here, it'll increase exponentially for most people soon :(

 

This blows :( :(  :empathy:  :empathy: It's such a tragedy  in my opinion. 

Edited by frankie
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I know … I saw an article yesterday saying one of the cities near to me are considering closing seven of their libraries as they have to make over £1 million in cuts to the library budget for the next financial year.  Then I saw someone local to one of the threatened libraries say that they'd closed a community centre to use the building for a new school, and now they've heard the library was closing to make the building a new community centre   :banghead:   Nothing confirmed yet, but it does make me sad when any community loses their library. :(

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7 libraries closed, in one city alone? That's just absolutely absurd! I hate it that they are closing down these common premises in order to build new ones which will work as new premises for similar things. Why do they always need to re-build?? Wouldn't they save a lot of money by not re-building :rolleyes: They are thinking about closing two to three libraries here in Espoo because they want to make a new library in the area :rolleyes: And they are going to build a huge new central library in Helsinki. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind new libraries at all. But it's disgusting when I know that at the same time some of the smaller libraries are in jeopardy in different places. I don't know about the funding, maybe the tiny Joensuu library in jeopardy gets money from the city and not the state, and thus it doesn't have access to the money that's been used to build the new Helsinki library, but it's just.... It doesn't make sense to me! (I know, I know, I'm clueless about the money resources and the bureaucracy and all, but my common sense says stop re-building and use what you have! :thud:  And you can call me old-fashioned and an obstacle for advancement but I don't care!!)

Edited by frankie
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That's right, librarians will be sacked :(  The big new Helsinki central library they are thinking about building will be a new modern one with focus on the modern technology and they will make it like a modern livingroom. It's going to be huge, but at the same time it read in the article that they are only going to employ 10 librarians. To this huge library! There are more than ten at the Sello library which is mostly likely a lot smaller than the one they're building  :rolleyes: Saving money in the wrong places again!! And they'll probably actually hire security guards because the kids will probably go crazy in the library, having a place to muck about, not having to worry about librarians telling them to keep it down. :rolleyes:

 

If you like, you can take a look at the pictures of what it's going to be like at the library (I just read that it's been already decided that they're going to build it). Check out the sixth picture in particular. My eyes were immediately drawn to the girl on the left, taking a selfie at the library :thud: Selfies!! I hope that in the future the selfies are not the way to borrow the books (i.e. taking a selfie of oneself showing the books one's borrowing). 

 

Although maybe I shouldn't judge... Maybe the girl's just really excited about being in the library and wants to take a photo. 

Edited by frankie
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Hmm, I'm in two minds about the picture of the new Helsinki library, frankie.  It looks huge, and plenty of bookshelves, but the books are all too low … I rarely look at the bottom two shelves in a shop or library, because I get lightheaded when I bend down to look at them, so almost all my reading comes from the shelves above it!  I know a lot of older people don't like low shelves either as they can't get down to them.  

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Hmm, I'm in two minds about the picture of the new Helsinki library, frankie.  It looks huge, and plenty of bookshelves, but the books are all too low … I rarely look at the bottom two shelves in a shop or library, because I get lightheaded when I bend down to look at them, so almost all my reading comes from the shelves above it!  I know a lot of older people don't like low shelves either as they can't get down to them.  

 

Personally I don't see enough books or bookcases in the pictures! I need more. People need more! And I agree about the books being too low. People don't want all the books to be so low you have to crouch into position in order to check them out! :( 

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Ah, okay :D But they could triple the amount of them by getting taller bookcases ;):giggle2: I also like libraries having rows and rows and rows of books, not too far apart. Not one row in a long line, which makes you walk a kilometer in a line, if you know what I mean? All the bookcases need to be together. So one has to meander. So one has to actually go into at least a bit of trouble finding one's way out of the bookcase jungle :D 

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I also like libraries having rows and rows and rows of books, not too far apart. Not one row in a long line, which makes you walk a kilometer in a line, if you know what I mean? All the bookcases need to be together. So one has to meander. So one has to actually go into at least a bit of trouble finding one's way out of the bookcase jungle :D

I agree with this!

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I live in a small town, so we only have one library - it's in the centre of town and is about 45-50 minute's walk from my house, or a 10-15 minute bus journey (with a 5 minute walk to get to the bus stop). It's not a huge library, but it has a decent selection and they order in books for free, which is great.

 

I do, however, live within a 45-minute drive of possibly the most beautiful second hand book shop in the world - Barter Books in Alnwick. This somewhat makes up for it!

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Here in Birmingham, we have the rather bizarre circumstance of a lovely new central library, which cost £189 million to build, and has now had its opening hours cut from 73 to 40 per week and some staff made redundant. At the same time, there is a proposal to shut 4 (out of 39) of the community libraries that we have within Birmingham. While I couldn't give you figures, the only consequence of that will be a greater distance for people to go to get access to books.

 

I was also reading (Private Eye) that libraries are making qualified librarians redundant and replacing them with unqualified interns that they can get through an art's council scheme. These are, of course, paid a lot less.

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  • 1 month later...

One third of all libraries have closed since 1990. Sweden has about 1200 regular public libraries now. Add to that around 4200 school libraries and 80 hospital libraries. Of Sweden's approx. 9,5 million inhabitants, 2,8 million are active library users. Then there are around 100 book buses for people who live outside a city. 

 

I don't know how far everyone has to the nearest library, but I know I have a 3 minute walk to my nearest library. 

Edited by emelee
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  • 5 months later...

Hello Friends.

 

Interesting posts covering what  is a very important subject.  Libraries are facing big cuts and closures in the UK so i made the decision to stop buying books and use the library more.  The next decision was what one to use.

 

15 minutes walk is my nearest branch.  small stock levels as it is in the academy school and the opening hours are not suited to when i can go.  very rarely used but good for school kids which is important as they are the future bookies.

 

10 minutes car drive/20 minutes cycle ride is the one i use more.  Opening hours are fine with a late night until 8pm.  Better selection of books and a little garden to sit in and a sofa at one side.  Even a coffee machine but not sure if that is for patrons or staff (must ask).

 

10 minutes drive in another direction is the main library.  Big selection of books but no late night but generally ok as i would do other shopping in town whilst visiting it at the weekend.  Some soft seating area and a loo.

 

With my council looking to outsource the library service i can see many closing and thought about setting my self a challenge of visiting every one and taking a photo or two for posterity and to say i have done it and support every branch by taking a book out and dropping one of at the next branch.  Mad idea or a good one ?  maybe make a little protest sign to hold up saying  have some SOLE (Save Our libraries Everyone)

 

I have loved libraries since childhood and encourage everyone to use theirs.  The more we do the harder it is to close them. :readingtwo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi.

 

I've been tracking this subject and i  wonder how many of us have increased visits to libraries with the thought that the more we use them the stronger the case to keep them open builds. 

 

We all read about councils wanting to save money and close them down or outsource them and no doubt there are good examples of communit ran libraries but has anyone looked into finding out the usage figures of their library to see of it is increasing or decreasing

 

Happy reading.

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  • 5 years later...

If I didn't live in an apartment I like to think I would build a mini library in my front garden. I have loads of books waiting to be donated because all the charity shops are closed at the moment and they are taking up too much space.

 

I read a story online yesterday about somone who has suffered abuse for having one of these. Sometime I hate people.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-56005208

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