Hillingdon’s Libraries
I went to visit a refurbished library in Hillingdon on Friday. It may not sound the most exciting way to spend a Friday morning, but it was. The new head of culture is a Tory councillor with the unlikely name of Henry Higgins, a man with an appropriately big personality and an ability to get things done. In the last 18 months, he has knocked down an old library and rebuilt it. He’s paid for it by putting 8 flats on top. He’s put a Starbucks in the library, and some very nice Apple Macs. He got a shopfitter to do the interior for a good price, and renegotiated the contract with the book supplier. The library now opens from 8 in the morning until ten at night. In two months, visits have gone up 80 per cent and book borrowings by 30 per cent. He did it all on his own as well, with a consultant called Tim Coates (who used to run Waterstone’s) with no advice from the Government’s agency the Museum Libraries and Archives Council. What is happening in Hillingdon is another good example of how you can refresh libraries in the 21st century, and yes, they still have lots of books in them. Now Henry is going to tackle the other 16 libraries, and no, not one will close. All for the same money. It is a Tory council after all.
canvas said on January 20th, 2008 at 4:16 pm:
Saffron Walden has had a similar experience with its library. I think local Libraries should be brought into the 21st century. They are a huge asset to the community!
Michael Francis said on January 20th, 2008 at 7:36 pm:
You really should have taken the opportunity to examine Hillingdon’s excellent rubbish and recycling service; absolutely trouble-free and not a bloody wheelie bin in sight.
Tizzy said on January 21st, 2008 at 5:51 am:
The following has a rather different view. The article and following comments are, well, ouch! Can’t please them all.
http://www.hillingdontimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1802942.0.library_changes_for_the_better.php
The above URL may be too long for this site. Any problems, google ‘Hillingdon Library Higgins’
D Clarke said on January 21st, 2008 at 11:34 am:
Cllr Higgins and his officers are to be congratulated on the success of the new library. Visitor numbers have increased by 80% and lending by 30%. This contrasts with the official CIPFA data for all public library authorities which show a decline nationally in both visitors and lending in the last financial year.
We should applaud the efforts of Councils such as Norfolk, Essex and Hillingdon which have significantly improved the service to the public to support literacy, learning, reading and the acquisition of knowledge in our communities.
A J Field said on January 21st, 2008 at 6:12 pm:
Cllr Higgins is to be congratulated. If only other councils would look at what’s he is achieving and apply it to their own libraries, then perhaps libraries in general would not be in such a parlous state. It’s ‘fresh thinking’ (due in no small part, I suspect, to Tim Coates) and that’s exactly what the service needs.
Daniel Hope said on January 22nd, 2008 at 2:37 am:
A hearty cheer for this proper Conservative Council that does it’s own thing, not slavishly following what everyone else is doing or basking in the glow of Government advice.
If only more were as ambitious for their residents.
Tim said on January 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pm:
Re.: the article in the Hillingdon paper on the controversial library restructuring. You might point out that not one single comment on the article is positive towards the changes. Are all the posters librarians facing redundancy, or is there a real feeling on the part of library users that their service will be diminished? ‘Can’t please them all’ is a bit glib, I feel.
Care for another pay rise, Honourable Member?
Roger Michaels said on February 5th, 2008 at 4:54 pm:
Higgins did not ‘get a shopfitter to do the library at a good price’ - the total cost was well over 100k and the shelving came from an established library supplier. Hillingdon paid for the ‘design’ at taxpayers expense when other Authorities get this service free.
The counter - from a shopfitter - needs to be altered as the design was so poor and not good for staff or public.. There is not ‘a Starbucks’ - but there is a coffee bar staffed at great expense dispensed from machinery costing 12k; the coffee is bought at market rates. A machine would have been a far better option. Note also the signage does not match the books in many places…………apart from that, a triumph.
The rise in usage is typical of all refurbished libraries - other Hillingdon libraries at Yiewsley, Oak Farm and Yeading experineced similar rises, pre-Higgins. The temporay closure of nearby Ruislip library has helped swell issues and footfall. If Higgins thinks this library is ground-breaking he needs to get out more - the whole story is spun to feed Higgins’s vaunting ambition and over-blown ego.