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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
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
Branch manager of Winsford Library (Cheshire West and
Chester Council)
Librarian since 1994
Why start?
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
No real current awarenessDesire to learn “how to blog”
August 2010: Dark clouds on the horizon
First steps
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
SimpleFree
“Blogspot”10 pages max
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
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.
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
Branching out
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Branching out more
How to get away with it
Only report the factsNever comment on your own
authority (Librarians can protest about cuts in libraries in other
councils)Double-check everything
Never be personal (sorry Ed)
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
Redesign
Too many pages for Blogger so moved to Wordpress
Look deliberately apes newspapersProfessional assistance
No “blogspot”
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
Guiding principles
Link to everythingAcknowledge weaknesses
Show all sidesMake clear facts
are facts and opinion is “editorial”
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
Statistics
c.1250 subscribers by emailplus 550,000 views since Nov 2012
c.2350 Twitter followersc. 615 Facebook followers
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Media 1National 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
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Media 2Journalists are generally not experts:
with some exceptionsJournalists want facts and
connections, fastEach newspaper has its own bias
Unique selling pointTrust
Rewards
Foreign + national trips (France x2, Spain, Scotland x2)
Advertising
Recognition
Top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
How do you find the time?
Full time job, two school age daughters, wife a teacher (who also does conferences) … and a
dogDead time after 8pm.
Strict “no phone” rule. Type fast, ctrl+c/v/lCan use social media any time but only “blog” at
home
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews www.publiclibrariesnews.com
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Stages of grief
Denial: No one can close librariesAnger: How dare you close libraries Bargaining: I'll stop protesting if you
stop closing librariesDepression: All libraries are doomed
Acceptance: Libraries will adapt
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
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.
ianlibrarian@live.co.uk @publiclibnews
Happy to talk ianlibrarian@live.co.uk
@publiclibnews
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Ian Anstice on LinkedIn
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