Columns

Abstract

March 1989 has been designated Library Promotion Month with the intention of promoting the positive side of the library service at a time when it might be said to be under threat from more negative forces. The idea is to involve as many people as possible — library workers, councillors, authors, trade unionists, and the general public, of course — in activities and events at local, national, and regional levels. These would include theme days on specific subjects (local history, services for the under‐fives etc.), lobbying, letter‐writing campaigns, public meetings and so forth. What we would hope for is that this combination of activities will focus the eyes and ears of the nation on the potential of libraries (or the potential that exists given a positive approach on the part of those in control of the coffers). We are given to understand that the Minister's long‐awaited response to the Green Paper and the comments it has provoked will be due round about the same period. With this in mind we want to be sure that libraries are higher up the agenda than usual when the Parliamentary implementation of whatever it is the Minister has in mind for libraries begins its process. (At the time of writing — Christmas Eve 1988 — it seems that enabling legislation will be tacked on to the next Housing Bill with secondary legislation in the form of Statutory Instruments being put before Parliament in the autumn. In other words, there is no time to lose.)

Citation

Hanstock, T., Day, S., Bunch, A. and Fleming, E. (1989), "Columns", New Library World, Vol. 90 No. 2, pp. 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb038769