British Vision Issue 57 我们去图书馆做什么？

Now, should a library be a quiet place to read a book or a lively centre where you can hang out and drink coffee? And can it be both? Author Tracy Chevalier who is also chairman of the Society of Authors, told More4 News she is worried library is sacrificing books in favor of Internet access and other facilities. Museums, Libraries and Archives Council has just launched "a blueprint 1 for excellence 2" for libraries, encouraging them to modernise 3 and become more of a community space. But they've told More4 News, they think local authorities ought to buy more books. Nina Teggarty has more.

Tarred buildings and fusty librarians are out. Architectural icons 4 and coffee bars are in. An extra 2 million pounds a year is being pumped into the UK's library service. And this is what we are getting, easy new state-of-the-art buildings across the country and more Internet access. The Idea Store in East London epitomizes this new library vision. Just over a year old, it's been nominated for various design prizes. But not everyone's impressed. Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With the Pearl Earring 5 became worried when she entered.

What's a little concerning is that the books seem to be scattered 6 so few and far between. And by far the most people were on the computer floor, using the computers. The Idea Store is not called the library any more. Is a library such a dirty word that we can't use it? It's, too, indicative of books, perhaps. Whereas the Idea Store gives it the sense, that is... actually, is begin indeed becoming a community centre, which is, uh, is fine. But what about all the, what about the people who wanna use it as a library? What really worries me, though, is that books are starting to be seen as unpopular, as boring, that somehow the library has to lure 7 people in by saying: "We can give you cappuccino. You could watch a film. You could go to yoga class."

And at the Idea Store you can do yoga. You can even learn dance and complementary therapy. Lots of Internet terminals also exist. Two years ago, 120-million-pound-lottery injection meant every library could invest in the internet.

Where I live, I have just a very small public library and, um, I've noticed over the years that the... en, there are fewer and fewer shelves and more and more computers that's just slowly taking over and there are fewer and fewer places to sit in and look at any books and there are fewer books.

Is she right? Are books disappearing from our library shelves? Nina's figures show that in the UK last year, while people visiting libraries increased, the number of books in libraries actually fell by 3%. And the amount spent on books and other reading material also dropped, compared that to near 20% rise in the money spent on online resources.

We interviewed Kate Mosse. She wrote Labyrinth 8, the biggest selling book of 2006. She welcomes the technological 9 and social changes occurring in our libraries.

Nearly 70 million people a year borrow DVDs, talking books, CD-ROMS, music, chip music from their local library. And actually more than 30 million people a year go along to use the computer network to have Internet access. Many people have that sense of peace and quiet in the library. But at the same time, they don't understand that it's also a very vibrant 10, lively place. And in the old days, the idea that wherever you went, someone went "Hush 11...". That's just not what modern library's about.

Like Kate Mosse, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council welcome a community focus for libraries. More4 News spoke 12 to their head of library policy, John Dolan. Is he worried that only 8% of the budget is spent on reading material?

We are concerned not so much of the figure as a percentage of the total budget, but to make sure that local authorities are spending enough on books. We know that they should be buying more. What we are saying is encouraging local authorities to spend more on stock, partly to get the figures up, more importantly, to provide the wide range of material that people wanted.

But do library users actually care about the books. What do they use the library for?

"I rent, uhm CD-ROM some DVDs."
"Um, I'm doing a massage 13 class. "
"Actually I came here do they ask do, check my e-mail."
"Reading a book."

Most of the people we spoke to weren't there to read a book. Perhaps this shows a libraryy's need to broaden their appeal in the hope of getting more people, and not just readers through the door.
Nina Teggarty.