It's never quiet in the library and information world

Reading thru headlines of bloggers jailed, bloggers freed, Google and YouTube facing copyright action big time, DVD format wars, satellite broadcasting tensions, the national and internation situation for library and information services is continually changing. Even locally, readers will know of changes taking place in many local authorities, and CILIP are aware of more across the country. The biggest issue is that facing Hampshire County with what seems to draconian measures to balance its budget against the perceived information service needs in public libraries; UNISON has now received and approved a mandate for strike action on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd March, with a protest awaiting Police approval in Winchester on the first day. This situation has been reported frequently in the Hampshire press, and even Dr McKee has had a letter published in the Hampshire Chronicle championing the issue of quality service needs qualified staff. However, The News in Portsmouth, 12th March 2007, led with a very negative doom laden article that the growth of the web is one of the key reasons for the start of the end of the librarian as a career option. What utter rubbish; the growth of electronic services is challenging the library profession, but qualified staff are still need teach their respective communities how to use and interpret the mass of information with which they are faced on a regular basis. The HIOW Committee met last week and added this article for discussion and a letter will be issued shortly to The News telling them what a positive and progressive career librarianship is, whether it be with books or electronic media. The final text of the letter will be posted here in library land.