Public Libraries News: "Riding the tiger by its tail"

Riding the tiger by the tail: lessons
learnt from running
Public Libraries
News
Ian Anstice
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com

Starting point
Branch manager of Winsford
Library (Cheshire West and
Chester Council)
Librarian since 1994

Why start?
No real current awareness
Desire to learn “how to blog”
August 2010: Dark clouds on the
horizon

First steps

Simple

Free

“Blogspot”

10 pages
max

Map it
Google Maps free and easy
(I like free and easy)
Then used volunteers to
improve map – but time
consuming and (of course)
volunteers can cease to
volunteer
Served its purpose well.

ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Sources

Emails from all around the country (but only report the definite, ideally linked)
Shirley Burnham's emails from Google Alerts (→ Desmond → Lis-pub-libs)

Conferences and contacts made from them.

Increasingly, official sources.

Branching out

Branching out
more

How to get away with it
Only report the facts
Never comment on your own
authority (Librarians can protest
about cuts in libraries in other
councils)
Double-check everything
Never be personal (sorry Ed)

Redesign
Too many pages for Blogger so
moved to Wordpress
Look deliberately apes newspapers
Professional assistance
No “blogspot”

Guiding
principles
Link to everything
Acknowledge
weaknesses
Show all sides
Make clear facts
are facts and
opinion is
“editorial”

Statistics
c.1250 subscribers by email
plus 550,000 views since Nov 2012
c.2350 Twitter followers
c. 615 Facebook followers

Media 1
National newspapers and TV call on
average once per week
““Keep up the good work, your blog is hugely valuable. I think libraries, like
playing fields, long suffered from always being a local fight, without anyone
talking about the national picture.” Jane Mackenzie, Reporter, Private Eye
(October 2013).
“a really essential resource for anyone interested in the future of public libraries.”
Boyd Tonkin of the Independent (September 2011)
“Public Libraries News continues to be a fantastically useful resource for keeping
up to date with debate and news” Carnegie UK Trust (February 2014)”
Mentioned by BBC, BookSeller, FT, Guardian, House of Commons + Lords,
Independent (front page), Mail, Mirror, Observer, Private Eye, Scotsman,
Telegraph, Times

Media 2

Journalists are generally not experts:
with some exceptions

Journalists want facts and connections,
fast

Each newspaper has its own bias

Unique selling point

Trust

Rewards
Foreign + national trips (France
x2, Spain, Scotland x2)
Advertising
Recognition
Top of Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs

How do you find
the time?
Full time job, two school age daughters, wife a
teacher (who also does conferences) … and a
dog
Dead time after 8pm.
Strict “no phone” rule. Type fast, ctrl+c/v/l
Can use social media any time but only “blog” at
home

Stages of grief
Denial: No one can close libraries
Anger: How dare you close libraries
Bargaining: I'll stop protesting if you
stop closing libraries
Depression: All libraries are doomed
Acceptance: Libraries will adapt

The tiger + it's tail

Demand clearly there and website needed.
Been the most turbulent time in history for
public libraries.

Response from other professionals

Expectations.

Constant improvement and
experimentation.

Happy to talk

ianlibrarian@live.co.uk

@publiclibnews

“Public Libraries News” on Facebook

Ian Anstice on LinkedIn

Subscribe for free at
www.publiclibrariesnews.com

Public Libraries News: "Riding the tiger by its tail"

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