Letters
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
Dalston Library Provision
 
 
15th September 2005

The library issue was discussed at a meeting of the Dalston and Cummersdale Neighbourhood Forum in Caldew School. Alan Welton gave the case for closure of the existing library and even brought along one of the mobile libraries for those at the meeting to have a look at. He said that the reason for the closure was solely to do with the Disability Act and nothing to do with money. It was pointed out that over 60% of Dalstonians want a library in the village (and use the old one) and that many of the remainder would use the library if the opening times were more suitable for those at work. Molly Marsden presented the Chairman with a petition, signed by 730 residents of Dalston Parish, and a print out of the comments made on the Dalston website.

It was pointed out that the Parish Council are currently working to find a suitable building close to the centre of Dalston. It is intended that space in this building would be made available to the Library Services to rent and provide thus reinstate a permanent library in Dalston. It is hoped that this will be progressed further by meetings to be arranged between Ronnie Auld and Alan Welton in the coming days.
Letter from Dalston Ward City Councillor Trevor Allison to Library Services Manager - more people have petitioned this Councillor on this subject than on any other topic
26th July 2005

At the July Parish Council meeting, Councillor Pauline Dalston was asked to contact Alan Welton of the Library Services to find out more about the plans to close the Dalston Library.

Alan Welton sent her a copy of the report from the Corporate Director for Economy Culture & Environment which he was due to make to the County Council Local Committee on July 21st 2005. Pauline has summarised it as follows, as it relates to many of the questions asked at the Parish Council meeting on July 12th .


• As the lease is due for renewal and the landlord is demanding a five year lease (as it was previously), 'it would not be appropriate for the County Council to enter into a five year lease on a building which cannot be adapted to comply with Disability Discrimination Act'. It is not possible to agree a shorter lease'.

• The new mobile library from Carlisle does provide access for all and will visit Dalston three times a week. Times are as follows:

Monday 10am – 1pm
Thursday 3pm -7pm
Saturday 10am – 1pm

• It will offer greater changes in stock provision

• Small increase in cost of provision, but minimal.

• It is still intended to look at different library service provision in Dalston in the future if further improvements can be provided. Joint service delivery with other local agencies could be an alternative in the medium or long term.

• The weekly mobile library provision offers the only short-term option which will meet the demands of access for all and compliance with Disability Discrimination Act. In the long term it will be appropriate to review service provision, particularly if other joint initiatives provide a practical alternative to improve the service.

• Conclusion The mobile service will mean that Public Library Services are accessible for all for the first time in Dalston. Service use will be monitored and future alternatives will be considered as they arise.


Pauline Dalston further comments:

Alan Welton was very positive about the future for a joint Parish Council project.

He thinks they will sometimes send the rural van, which is not so big and does not have disabled access. Something to watch.

There is no computer/internet access on the mobile libraries.

Dalston library figures are holding their own, if not showing a slight increase.

Apropos the haste and the lack of public consultation and the fact that the Dalston librarian had had no communication on the matter – Alan Welton made no real comment, except that the lease decision had to be made quickly and he apologized that someone had not followed the correct procedure. He took note of my concerns over this.

There is now no focal point for information dissemination in the village

P. Dalton
22 July 2005