Campaigners welcome a full judicial review into library closures in Gloucestershire

“Wally 37,
You're the dinosaur here. Also, I'm fairly certain that public libraries were set up after the general population had been taught to read through primary education - they're not there to teach people to read, but to broaden their education once they can read. Libraries have also changed over the years in order to provide relevant services to the general public, e.g. large print books, records, CDs, the internet.

The need for a library service has most certainly not passed. Surveys have shown that about 40% of school children don't have access to a computer at home, so library computers can help such children to keep up with their peers and get qualifications. Then they are less likely to be a drain on the benefits system which, is paid for by tax payers such as you and me.”

“Mr Angry
Why do you keep going on about thousands of library users? They are never in the libraries when I visit them. Only people sheltering from the rain, using the free internet to shop online at lunchtime or sending elicit emails to their secret lovers. There is never a good selection of books to read.

Do you mean a couple of hundred active library users and not including those who signed up for a library card, used it once and have never returned; just like my good lady wife who is a gym member but never goes to the gym?

The public library is now a dinosaur from a bygone age. It did provide an excellent service when the proletariat could not read. The need for a library service in this country has long passed, just as the need for telephone boxes, public baths, lamplighters, and water troughs provided to water your horse.

Your service was surpassed many years ago and is now a very expensive drain on our overstretched resources.

Over the last few years you have had to diversify from providing books that nobody was reading and now provide CD's DVD's and the free internet to try to justify your existence.

I agree that there is a need for large central libraries to act as a custodian for the reference section for research. However, everything else that is provided by the library service is to justify your existence.

Whilst this long drawn out court case continues the people who we elected to govern us are unable to prioritise what scant resources we have left following the proliferate excesses of the last government.

So this delaying tactic is directly affecting the very vulnerable in our society whose budgets are being affected whilst we await the outcome of the case. I voted for a government and a council that would balance the books and spend my taxes on the poor and the vulnerable, not lunchtime eBay shoppers and internet lovers.”

“Jas - It's not a few individuals - it's many thousands of library users across the county, and the campaign is in fact supported by several of the groups/organisations who have been given ultimatums to take over their library service. No one is 'exploiting' legal aid - the claimant is presumably entitled to it, and that is what legal aid is for - for peope who couldn't otherwise afford it to seek justice/redress. You think GCC should be above the law presumably? The only people with an 'I'm alright jack attitude' are the county councillors who have attempted to force through these unpopular and worrying plans without any regard to the public outcry, and who have frozen out of discussions anyone who they fears disagrees with them. Campaigners, retired professionals and opposition councillors have been warning the GCC administration since November 2010 that they were potentially walking the county into a costly legal process but these warning have been ignored - your anger is misdirected.”

“As the person quoted in the article says; the campaigning library users 'regret' that things have gone this far, and it is entrirely due to the arrogance and obstinance of Mark Hawthorne and his administration that they have.”

“Jas - It's not a few individuals - it's many thousands of library users across the county, and the campaign is in fact supported by several of the groups/organisations who have been given ultimatums to take over their library service. No one is 'exploiting' legal aid - the claimant is presumably entitled to it, and that is what legal aid is for - for peope who couldn't otherwise afford it to seek justice/redress. You think GCC should be above the law presumably? The only people with an 'I'm alright jack attitude' are the county councillors who have attempted to force through these unpopular and worrying plans without any regard to the public outcry, and who have frozen out of discussions anyone who they fears disagrees with them. Campaigners, retired professionals and opposition councillors have been warning the GCC administration since November 2010 that they were potentially walking the county into a costly legal process but these warning have been ignored - your anger is misdirected.”

“Amazing!
I find it amazing that a few individuals are willing to drag out this entire process (and delay the process of the local Groups/organisations taking over their local Libraries) and cost us the taxpayers many thousands more just to protect their own interests over that of the rest of the population of Gloucestershire.
Surely the legal costs involved here will result in the County Council having to make even bigger cuts in it's services.
If it's also true that these people are taking advantage of legal aid to fund their case surely this is adding insult to injury.
As taxpayers we not only pay for the County Councils Legal costs, the legal aid for the protesters and then will have to suffer bigger cuts in services as a result.
But it sounds as if these protesters are not concerned with the rest of us as long as there are no changes to their favoured Library set up.
"I'm allright Jack" springs to mind.”

“Be in no doubt: this is an historic moment in the unique history of the public library movement.

Other library authorities have been waiting in the wings to see how the Gloucestershire campaign developed. Bearing in mind that all public libraries are networked locally, regionally and nationally, this first victory should go some way towards protecting the network of inter-connectivity that is the foundation of a library service built up over 100 years

It is also a clear indication that all politicians need reminding that they make their decisions in our name and it may not always be necessary to wait until a ballot in order to demonstrate the power of true democracy and the ability of like-minded people to right wrongs.”

“Well we will just have to wait and see, it looks as if GCC libraries may not be the softest of targets for Shire Hall councillors to make their devastating decisions on. It may well take the 2 years to March 2013 which the Coalition gave as a time ultimatum, this may include many other GCC services being looked at more closely and drastically changed in the outcome.
So there will not be any winners only losers in this regime, no matter how it is dressed up by any councillor/officer/volunteer. I understand that the libraries who may be hived off to be run by voluntary groups/associations, will be more than likely to get some cash sweeteners to grease the path of library transition/set up/first year runnning, note I say for the first year, so what happens after the honeymoon first year period and all the funding has gone, these prospective volunteers are going to have to raise or fund themselves in running the designated libraries, ie., utility bills, gas/electric, council tax/rates,water rates, maintenance/repairs, computer maintenance, books and other library media, health and safety issues, auditing services, stationery and administration materials, and much more et al. to numerous to mention.

Mmmm! methinks these are going to be very interesting times indeed, as they say just watch this space!”

“The consultation was so 'thorough' that GCC originally only planned to hold consultation in 6 main libraries not directly affected by the cuts - it was only when library users kicked up a stink that these plans were amended - but 4 communities faced with closure were still not offered any consultation session at all, and mobile library users were only 'consulted' from summer 2011 - many months after the plan to completely withdraw this part of the library service had been made.”

“Quote... One change however is that the county council is now allowed to develop its proposals and talk to community groups in the eventuality of library closures. In the injunction over the last three weeks they were not permitted to do so....

If this is the case then why have this is Gloucestershire been reporting about meetings over this period????

Surely this would signify that the County Council has broken the law!!!”