Sinn Féin organised a meeting with the community group “Save Our Libraries” and Oireachtas members this week where they spoke of their concerns about staffless libraries. Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley said “Staffless libraries will not benefit minorities, they tend not to be used by women and in the case of Britain they put thousands out of work. While Sinn Féin believe that more opening hours would be beneficial for its users, staffless libraries do not benefit everyone.”
“Public libraries are one of the successes of Local Authorities. They are welcoming, inclusive, clean and well-run services that provide a safe learning environment for all. This should not be compromised as a monetary cost saving measure.
“Firstly, staffless libraries are a wasted investment. A report on the pilot scheme in Offaly and Sligo states that only 9% of visits took place during the 51 staffless library hours provided in 2015. The remaining 92% of visits occurred during the 47 staffed hours per week. Running costs for libraries during these hours are substantial. I believe that any investment capital should be spent on new books.”
Although the report states that ‘all members complied with the terms and conditions of the scheme’, Offaly County Council released information showing that 111 members had their membership withdrawn. The report also states that there was no anti-social behaviour but further down it states that ‘very few anti-social incidents occurred.’”
“Minorities, including people with disabilities, the elderly, children and non- English speaking people will also be at a disadvantage in staffless libraries as people need face to face contact and assistance. Equal access should be available for everyone.”
“In the UK, staffless libraries have been a disaster. They have led to 8,000 job losses and 500 closures. Some libraries have also been semi-privatised with a total of 15,500 volunteers needed to staff them. They are the first step towards dismantling the public library system.
“UK figures also show that 90% of the people using staffless libraries are men; while a mere 10% are women. Without staff, women appear to feel there is a safety issue.”
Concluding Deputy Stanley said “I have put a question forward to the Dáil asking ‘if Local Authorities refuse staffless libraries will the investment capital still be provided by the Department?’ Councils should not be black mailed by the Government over funding for new libraries.”
