Welcome
VOICES FOR THE LIBRARY
Voices for the Library are asking people to tell them what they expect from a 21st century library service. They feel that there is a need to communicate loudly and clearly to both the media and to politicians exactly what we expect a library service to deliver. Click on the icon below to visit their website and have your say!
ENTER THE 2012 COMPETITION!
Last year we ran a very successful competition for primary and junior schools and this year it’s back. We have also widened the field to include secondary schools.
Invitations have been sent out to
So, if you go to St Laurence C of E, Warborough, RAF Benson Community School, Benson C of E School, Wallingford or Icknield College you can enter.
Each school has a creative writing and art option;
Primary schools
- infants enter a picture/poster under the title ”My Favourite Olympic Event”
- juniors enter a piece of writing (max 500 words) under title “My Favourite Olympic Event” or “Olympic Heroes” or “A Day in the Life of an Olympian”
Secondary schools (pupils 11-16 enter one category)
- collage or sculpture under title “Olympic Heroes” or “Olympian Values” or “A Day in the Life of an Olympian”
- creative writing (max 500 words) under title “Olympian Values” or “Olympic Heroes”
The closing date is Friday 22nd June. Entries will be collected from schools Monday 25th June (except Secondary art work).
Prizes will be awarded in each category for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Our thanks go to Grundons and their very generous support for the competition.
NATIONAL LIBRARIES DAY 2012
The day has been and gone. 4 February 2012 marked a national day to celebrate all that is good about your library service. Events were held around the country. We have tried to track activity in Oxfordshire. A search at the OCC website revealed nothing. A visit to the National Libraries Day site was more successful. A couple of events were staged but not, it would appear, on the scale of other counties.
Perhaps the most apparent conclusion to draw is that many events were organised in regions where campaigns are still underway and not, in the case of Oxfordshire, where the axe has already fallen.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME ALONG TO THE PUBLIC MEETING
The Trustees reported that;
- the County’s planned provision of 50% paid staff is not enough to keep the libary open without finding an excessive number of volunteers.
- to be realitic, the library needs one paid staff person present at all times during opening hours. 50% staff does not do this.
- FOBL will co-operate with OCC in reviewing opening hours to see if they meet the needs of the community.
- the way forward is to fund additional hours of paid staff as necessary and then support these with some volunteers.
The Trustees of FOBL will now seek to negotiate with OCC on funding the additional hours of paid staff necessary, whilst examining ways of fundraising to finance this.
Your library is not safe yet but we have a way foward. We are now at the point where we need some specific help. We need;
- secretarial help for a couple of hours once a month to take notes
- advice on fundraising
- advice from someone with library experience.
- helpers in Ewelme/Warborough who could distribute a few newsletters once a month or so.
FOBL welcomes all suggestions on the library’s future, so please get in touch if you can help or if you have a good suggestion. My personal thanks to all those who distributed the leaflets and did an excellent job of getting the word out.
Contact us on 01491 838711 or email fobl2011@hotmail.co.uk
