In Tokyo for a few days, the cherry blossom is beautiful 😊

A devastating indictment of 16yrs of cuts, closures, redundancies, poor management/leadership/policies and the disastrous Localism agenda. Library Workers pushed to the edge and a statutory service stripped to the bone, a fucking disgrace 🤬

www.unison.org.uk/content/uplo...

Brilliant night and great to finally meet you in person ✊

“The decline in library staffing across England is one of the most damaging findings of UNISON’s research -
between 2010 & 2024, staffing levels fell by 47% at the 132 authorities in England - a loss of 8,406 full-time equivalent posts.” Devastating 😔

On my way to Parliament to speak to MP’s about libraries 😊

I spoke at this meeting alongside Connor, a bloody disgrace that he’s been suspended. As a trade unionist and fellow library worker he has my full support and solidarity ✊
#reinstateconnor #tradeunionrights

A vivid example of "mission creep" and "libraries aren't essential services except when they're told to be" that are creating a mental health hellscape for library workers.

bookriot.com/the-state-of...

Black History Month: Roberta Byrd Barr - Front Porch Roberta Byrd Barr’s career path was anything but a straight line. As an educator, civil rights leader, actor, librarian, and T.V. personality, she awakened the Seattle community to civil rights and…

Roberta Byrd Barr was a TV personality and librarian who ran one of the Freedom Schools in Seattle during the 1966 school boycott. She worked with Seattle Public Library to promote the development of their African-American Collection. #BlackHistoryMonth

Great turnout for the first Save Newham Libraries campaign mtg ✊

If you’re a library worker/user/supporter in London, and elsewhere, then please show your support and solidarity ✊
Public meeting today to #savenewhamlibraries
I’ll be speaking

Let me know about the London gig

I’m struggling along mate how’s things with you?

It is no fucking good whatsoever having a school library and not a librarian. Without skilled, experienced, knowledgeable staff to curate collections and engage the kids with the stock, a "library" is just a room full of books. And the same goes for public libraries too.

@louiestowell.bsky.social

Stand Up For Newham Libraries!
Come and show your solidarity and support on Sunday, 4:30pm at Clapton Community Football Club. 212 Upton Lane, E7 9NP
I’ll be speaking ✊
#savelibraries

Many library buildings don’t have fully functioning heating systems but are still designated as community ‘warm spaces’ BUT Library Workers shouldn’t be working in temperatures below 16c - if you are contact your union rep.
#warmspaces
#libraries
#protectlibraryworkers

More cuts in Devon, Newham, Hackney etc which will all end up with a poorer service but what’s rarely discussed is the physical & psychological effect on library workers who are dealing with redundancies, restructurings & the erosion of their profession.
#protectlibraryworkers

Most Library Workers work with outdated and not-fit-for-purpose IT hardware and systems, staff & public side.
This is due to a lack of funding and corporate IT depts who don’t understand what we do.
This has to be sorted before any new digital inclusion initiatives are announced.

In my experience the vast majority of people who use Public Libraries want a relatively quiet & calm environment in which to read, study or just to sit and drown out the noise from outside.
So why are many libraries not conducive to this want/need?
Poor management/design?

We’ve organised marches, protests & lobby’s.
We’ve given evidence to Parliament, met with Ministers, written articles & published research.
And still the cuts continue.
What we need now is coordinated mass industrial action, a National Library Workers Strike.
@unisontheunion.bsky.social

Public Libraries are a statutory service.
Councils provide/fund them.
Library Workers are paid & trained to run them.
The 1964 Act makes no provision for alternatives such as volunteer-led etc.
Anyone who tells you otherwise is deluded, ignorant or lying.
#savelibraries

If you need advice, support and/or someone to speak at your lobby/protest against library cuts & closures then please get in touch ✊
#savelibraries

My Nephew, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, playing for England last night 🤩

KEITH FLETT traces how the ‘world’s most successful political party’ has imploded, from nine leaders in 30 years to losing all 16 English councils, with Reform UK symbolically capturing Peel’s birthplace, Tamworth — but the beast is not dead yet
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/tory...

I’ve joined @CILIPinfo - I’m hoping to meet some new colleagues and further the discussion re Public Libraries specifically around ethics & advocacy.

As workers and Trade Unionists we can’t only rely on laws to protect us, we need to organise, protest & take action.
We need to stand shoulder to shoulder with our communities to fight & oppose the rise of fascism not just in this country but in the US & across the world ✊

What is a library without librarians? - CUPE Ontario

Hey Peterborough, please take some time this weekend to contact City Council and the Mayor about the impending cuts to our library -- this will include eliminating the Children's Librarian role entirely. CUPE makes it easy for you to speak out against these cuts:
cupe.on.ca/library-with...

Can anyone help me translate the inscription on this 17/18th century? Axe (possibly Finnish - Billnas), some of it looks runic.

I’m in my beloved Suffolk for a couple of days of needed rest, just arrived in Ipswich forgetting that buses to Hadleigh are few and far between so a bit of a wait.
I’ll be popping into the library there to see if anything has changed?
#Suffolk
#libraries

Any public library staff out there who work in libraries with pods and no library desk? Are you still allowed to have chairs or are you expected to floor walk all day?
#librarylife

#WelfareNotWarfare - list of local actions - DPAC DPAC goes to TUC Yorkshire and the North East Conference

#WelfareNotWarfare

DPAC Day of Action
List of Local actions across the UK 26.03.25

Find your locak action and join in

dpac.uk.net/2025/03/welf...