The Big Dumb Society

David Cameron’s Big Idea conquered up in something of a hurry before the last election is a somewhat nebulous concept called “The Big Society.” Now as far as can be told this is in line with the Tory led Coalitions attack on the State and those who depend on it. Whereas Margaret Thatcher infamously said there is no such thing as Society, her ideological love child David Cameron” has used his PR skills to rebadge this as “The Big Society.” New name, same difference. Under the guise of volunteerism and greater private sector involvement the attack on Society has begun with vigour. So the Armed Forces are being ritually disembowelled on parade grounds around the world. The Flagship of the Royal Navy Carrier Ark Royal and the entire Harrier Jet Force are being scrapped, £4 Bn of Nimrod Spy Planes (ordered by Conservative, Michael Portillo when they were in last time) will never fly and are being cut up. University fees have been tripled and the privatisation of Education has begun with wholesale approval of “Independent Schools.” As for the NHS which the ConDem Coalition said was safe its budget is being drastically cut in real terms whilst being subject to wholly unproven and untested changes which were never in ANY Election Manifesto.



And in a continuing attack on communities and learning, libraries which account for less than 5% of Local Authority budgets are being closed wholesale. Education Secretary Michael Gove attempted to say his ‘reforms’ in education would favour poorer working class families, but now watches working class kids have their local library closed without a squeak of protest. There is little more sickening than watching well heeled public school and Oxbridge graduates like Cameron and Clegg, who had endless access to books and computers, telling workers that it is necessary to close libraries, while bankers and businessmen give themselves tax free bonuses after precipitating the crisis we are in.




Marsh's Library Dublin - A public library since 1701

Protesters have held "read-ins" and storytelling sessions at dozens of libraries across the UK to campaign against planned branch closures. At one library in south London the event has turned into an all-night sit-in involving about 35 protesters. Authors Philip Pullman and Mark Haddon were among those who took part in events elsewhere. Some councils have said keeping libraries open would put services for vulnerable and elderly people at risk. More than 450 libraries and mobile services across the country are currently threatened with closure.



New Cross Library

At New Cross Library, in south-east London, protesters taking part in an earlier "read-in" resolved to occupy the library overnight. Three security guards have been brought in to stay in the library with the group. Protester James Holland, of Save New Cross Library, told the BBC people had brought meals for the protesters, who were "sitting around playing Monopoly and Connect 4 and doing plenty of reading." I think with this occupation we are going to take the libraries campaign - and the anti-cuts campaign in general - to a whole new level. We are just not going to put up with these cuts," he said.

Other events during Saturday included a rally outside Bolton's central library and a flashmob book reading at Cambridge Central Library. Musician Billy Bragg sang and delivered a speech in Dorset, where library users attempted to take out the maximum number of books to empty shelves.


New Cross Library Occupation

Comic writer Gervase Phinn sent a statement to Bawtry library in South Yorkshire, describing books as "the architecture of a civilised society". He added: "Reading is the very protein of growth in learning. We must preserve our libraries. Have they thought through the impact of their messianic message about literature on the most vulnerable in our society?”

His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman has been particularly vocal over proposals to close 20 of Oxfordshire County Council's 43 libraries. He said the impact would not be easily measured. He said: "It's a kind of inward loss, a darkening of things, a narrowing of horizons that will gradually make us a less informed, less intelligent, less aware, less useful, less imaginative, less kindly people than we might have been."


Great Smith Street Library - Closed as it was too good for the common people

We have seen libraries being easy targets before. I remember when I was first living in London going to the wonderful Library in Great Smith St. Westminster, just beside the Department for Education and nearest public library to Parliament. Part of a complex which included public baths designed to improve the lot of working people it was a “proper” library with a cavernous and comfortable reading room. The Conservative Council sold it off, replaced it with a pokey (and now little used) library shop in its own offices in Victoria and it is now The Cinnamon Club, an upmarket restaurant of the type beloved by MP’s and Bureaucrats spending somebody else’s money.






My second home when I was at school - Drumcondra Library, Dublin

In my home town of Dublin our oldest public library, Marsh’s, which opened in 1701 is still going strong including the “cages” where readers of rare books were locked in! After school I used to cycle down to Drumcondra Library where the world awaited and real human librarians could always point a young student in the right direction. Built by the City Council to a distinctive design I was delighted to see on a recent trip home it has been refurbished and modernised. Libraries are centres of adult learning, of computer access for those who can't afford their own, of vital services and support in areas of severe deprivation.

Isaac Asimov summed it up;

"My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that society has found one more way to destroy itself."

How dare the ConDems suggest that they are creating a "Big Society?" It's a complete con for public services like libraries which are not there for “profit”but for quality. Libraries are at the very heart of communities - lifelines for so many people. Asimov would turn in his grave if he knew what was happening. There is a vast list of writers who have educated themselves through using public libraries. Libraries offer so much to people- the best things in life are free- and we should preserve our marvellous heritage. British public libraries are admired worldwide, indeed The Brirish library describes itself as "The World's Library." So, if it ain't broke, why fix it?