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Suggested BJ Library Media Centre
BJ Library is scheduled to have opening times cut to approx 10hours per week- we understand the reasoning behind this action and do not necessarily oppose them, however we do have a sound argument for a progressive change to the existing function and service.
The argument for change is not only financial but the ongoing reduced of use of the borrowing of books by the community generally (all age groups). The reasoning behind this is claimed to be the advancement of the digital age - internet etc . However with particular reference to the many urban and rural libraries of which BJ is one, this can only be a partly true.
Our research and reasoning is much wider based – and based on a much wider based remit.
Burton Joyce has 50% of it 3500 population being over 50 years of age , in fact 30% are over 60 with many now living into their lat 80’s . Only a small number of these ( possibly 10% ) are familiar with, and regular users of email and the internet .
The conventional printed press is in decline, with moves towards extensive Online use for getting their news out to the public. The Nottingham Evening Post is a classic local example.
Even at the lower community level, information relative to the activities and content of interest groups and societies appears to be slow and ineffectual in dispersion through-out the rural and urban populations.
Yes we have Parish Magazines which continue to perform admirably with limited finance and efforts of volunteers. The information fed down from Councils at all levels lacks the detail and effective penetration with its production and circulation having a doubtful financial justification .
Our suggestion is to reorganise urban and rural libraries into community media centres where residents and volunteers can use and add to the facilities in such a manner as to more effectively bring communities together, developing and expanding local communication of the digital age into a more effective, interesting and total age range activity.
Some two years ago we created ( at our own expense) Burton Joyce Online – Community website . This project has been most successful in contributing to the spread of news, opinions, views ( amusing and sometimes contentious) not only locally, but world-wide with regular viewers/visitors to the website in the USA, Canada, through-out the UK, West and East Europe, Russia, Asia and the Far East, South Africa /America ,Australia and New Zealand etc. Our month on month visitor levels have now remain constant for over 18 months.
We suggest that this style of project and an initiative by the BJ library service could readily and easily adapted, with the contribution of volunteers and individually interested/ minded members of ALL ages ( including the Primary School and Teenagers, mature and senior interests within the community). This could easily develop as an integral part of a comprehensive and genuinely relevent media source - fully used and available by the wider community. This suggestion/proposal can quite easily become a possible follow-on/extension to our existing and FREE NHW - ABC (basic emailing and Internet) Tutorials at the BJ Library
By utilising the latent talents existing within a community and creating wide, specific , locally relevant information content available through such a project, individuals and groups ( within BJ) can readily, quickly and easily access online - at home , on a laptop or print off in the library, single and low quantities of selected articles for personal, distribution or collection by their own specific interest group ie. WI - Senior citizens – Coffee Clubs, Local History, Genealogy, Art groups, NHW, 1 to One, Choral Soc, Calligraphy, etc and provide a more relevant , useful and informative source of local interests/information.
Finally by the introduction of the interactive elements normally attributed with and available within media centres, and such a project as suggested, it is anticipated and expected that a greater stimulus for participation can be generated within the younger generations of our community and thus a greater interest and utilisation of our revised library ( media) service
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