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Celebration, innovation, evaluation
Valentine's Day 2000 was the anniversary of the first reading of the 1850 Public Libraries Act and the launch of The Library Association's 150 Years of Public Libraries events. The celebrations began with an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons to congratulate the Association and its Members on the contribution of public libraries to the nation's culture, learning and social and economic development. To raise awareness of the anniversary we sent a special Valentine postcard, to celebrity supporters, MPs, and the media, and library authorities were able to buy copies of the postcard to do the same in their local areas.
A meeting of the Parliamentary All Party Group on Libraries on 8th March was one of the celebration's most high profile events. Linda Perham MP (the only Chartered Librarian in the House) hosted the event and over 80 MPs, including Alan Howarth MP, Minister for Arts attended. To celebrate the anniversary we adapted the 'give a book to a friend' idea from World Book Day and asked MPs to donate a book of their choice to their local public library. Representatives from the library authorities were invited to the House of Commons to accept the book.
The books selected were interesting. Some were expected: Fraser Kemp, the Labour MP for Houghton and Washington, selected Sebastian Faulks'
Birdsong - a strong contender for the nation's favourite book in the World Book Day Poll, and both Llin Golding and David Clark plumped for
The Palace of Westminster by Sir Robert Cook. A more humorous alternative was Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance, selected by Derek Wyatt. Peter Hain, the Rt Hon Sir Alan Hazelhurst and Sir Patrick Cormack donated their own books,
The Peking Connection, Occasionally Cricket and English
Cathedrals. Julian Lewis donated Margaret Thatcher's biography, The Path to
Power.
The first part of the year also saw two initiatives developed from a new partnership with the Building Centre Trust. The first was a free public exhibition of library buildings entitled 'Supermodels 2 - Libraries' which was on display from 1 March to 15 April in the Building Centre Gallery in London. The second was 'Library place: Library space' a free forum on the continuing role of the public library in the 21st Century, also held at The Building Centre on 27 March. It included speakers from the library profession - Bob McKee, Library Association Chief Executive and Adie Scott, Head of Croydon Libraries - as well as Christophe Egret from Alsop & Störmer (architects of the new Peckham Library), Eric Bohl from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and Roger Adams from Bissett Adams Architects who spoke on the Tower Hamlets IDEA Stores.
We were extremely honoured that the Royal Mint chose to mark the anniversary with a special fifty pence coin. The design, by Mary Milner Dickens, was chosen by a committee chaired by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. It depicts the turning pages of a book above a classical library building, featuring CDs. The coin was used in a variety of promotions throughout the year and was available to libraries at a discounted rate in a dedicated presentation folder. More than 3,000 were ordered and used as gifts, incentives and prizes.
"Excellent national coverage for 50p coin"
Angela Hichen, Portsmouth City Council
The highlight of the celebrations and the main media focus of the year was held in May. On the morning of 15 May, guests gathered outside Peckham Library in South London to join Culture Secretary Chris Smith as he announced the official opening of this groundbreaking London landmark, a showcase of everything a modern public library has to offer. The Department of Culture Media and Sport
(DCMS) recognised the significance of the occasion, and published the consultation document -
Comprehensive and Efficient Standards for Public Libraries on the same day.
The event was as a result of another new partnership, this time with Southwark Council. Bob McKee and Leader of Southwark Council, Stephanie
Elsy, shared the platform with Chris Smith. Bob used the opportunity to present the Secretary of State with a gold version of the library fifty pence piece - the very first one to be minted! A tour of the library followed - taking in a children's storytelling session; a teenage forum; and a poetry performance from Jean Binta Breeze in the African Caribbean pod. Chris Smith also stopped to view a special CD-ROM, created to celebrate the anniversary.
The second event of the day was an evening reception at The British Library. Chris Smith was again our guest speaker, this time joined on the podium by Association President, Graham Cornish. The reception was supported by the Emerald and Anbar management databases from MCB University Press and guests were served a piece of a special 150 Years of Public Libraries cake given at a subsidised rate by Jane Asher party cakes. It featured the 150 Years logo plus intricate 3D marzipan models of books, videos, CDs, magazines, newspapers, and a PC!
The public libraries coin also featured in a promotion later in May. Graham Poll - referee at the FA Cup Final between Aston Villa and Chelsea on 20 May agreed to toss the new 50p at the start of the match! It might have been the end of the road for Wembley, but as footy and library fan Bob McKee said, there are always the twin towers of popular culture - libraries and football.
In June we created a special 150 Years of Public Libraries lounge at the Library + information Show, held at the NEC in Birmingham. The display featured the timeline developed for our publicity material, offered free copies of the posters and leaflets and demonstrated the 150 Years of Public Libraries CD-ROM.
At the July meeting of the Parliamentary All Party Group on Libraries we presented a fifty pence coin in a presentation pack to MPs and on 14 August, the date in 1850 when the first Public Libraries Act gained Royal Assent, the public library coin became legal tender.
In September we distributed the specially designed CD-ROM first viewed by Chris Smith in May. Including well over an hour's mix of text, audio and video it highlights elements of the past, present and future of public libraries. LFC - The Library Furnishing Company generously supported the project and 1000 copies were produced. All public library authorities received a copy along with politicians, the media and other interested parties.
On 30 October the Royal Mint organized a coin-signing day at Harrods, where the designer Mary Milner Dickens presented Bob McKee, with a signed silver coin for The Library Association.
The year was rounded off at Online Information 2000 at Olympia in December, where we held a reception on our stand.
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FEBRUARY
150 RED BALLOONS
150 red balloons heralded the opening of the new Rugby Library and 150 celebrities were invited to send a greeting to an event that combined the opening of the library with 150 Years Celebrations.
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| MARCH
BACK TO THE FLOOR
Inspired by the BBC series, Chief Leisure, Libraries and Culture Officer Alan Watkin went 'Back to the Floor' on the counter during Wrexham Library's History Month -Re-living his own history and noting some ideas for future
developments.
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| APRIL
CHA CHA CHA PARTY
"Some successful events go with a swing, but one day of celebration was so well received that it went with not just a swing, but a rumba, a salsa and even a cha-cha."
Gemma Banks reporting on 150 Years Celebrations at Bedworth Library for the Harland Evening News. |
| MAY
FUTURE OF THE BOOK
As part of 'FUN.ARTS@LIBRARY' Blackburn with Darwen Libraries looked to the future. They held two workshops on new technology focusing on a demonstration of an electronic book. |
The Library Association
7 Ridgmount Street, London
WC1E 7AE
Tel: 0 (+44) 20 7255 0500;
Fax: 0 (+44) 20 7255 0501;
Text phone: 0 (+44) 20 7255 0505
E-mail: info@la-hq.org.uk
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Welcome Beginnings
Celebration
Innovation
Evaluation
Thanks
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