Current Affairs The Conservative Party

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Bruce Wayne said:
Just under half of the population used a library in 2005, with that number falling to 33% by 2016. What's perhaps more interesting is that there are around 4,100 libraries in the UK, and between them they received 282 million visits, which sounds a lot, but when you break that down, it works out at an average of 186 visits per day per library. When you think that the British Library alone accounts for 1.6 million of those visits, and there will be some that get very few visits per day.
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Have three libraries within a ten minute drive of us in Warrington and they're always busy, granted one is right next door to the local secondary school, leisure centre and shops. Maybe we're lucky, but all three offer a tremendous service and the public appear to respond and make good use of them.
 
AndyC said:
Have three libraries within a ten minute drive of us in Warrington and they're always busy, granted one is right next door to the local secondary school, leisure centre and shops. Maybe we're lucky, but all three offer a tremendous service and the public appear to respond and make good use of them.
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Logic doesn't always enter into these things, but you'd imagine those that are being heavily used will always remain open. It's the ones that don't that might be at risk?
 
Bruce Wayne said:
Could you flesh out your thinking a bit here? I'm genuinely curious. I've seen demographic information on who uses libraries in terms of age, gender and employment status, but very little information on what they actually use them for.
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Sure. I'll speak from my personal experience to start with. When my first child was born, my wife suffered quite badly from post-natal depression. We were skint as hell, overpaying on rent and bills due to the cost of heating the place (ancient property, no insulation in the roof, no porches, no double glazing, huge window panes) and not driving my wife wasn't getting out much due to not driving and recovering from her c-section. The baby groups at the local library were free and within walking distance and were the start of her pulling herself out of the very dark place she was in.
My own experience of needing the services they provide, was moving to a new town with absolutely sod all and no internet access. I needed the IT access the library provided in order to send CV's out and apply for jobs and benefits while looking for work. I know the standard response is "smart phones blah blah blah" but they're still not universally owned and those without them are most likely to be those in precarious states.

This article tells a similar tale of the support libraries have been providing: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/aug/02/closing-libraries-vulnerable-mental-health

This seems to suggest similar re: the IT element, although it's 4 years old now https://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/l...e-of-fife-libraries-will-hurt-the-vulnerable/

So that's the sort of thing that's behind my thinking.

My kids also love going to the library to get new books. We only just managed to keep the one in our town open a little while ago and my whole family would be gutted to lose it. I dunno why anyone wouldn't make use of them. It's basically free access to as many books as you like.
 
What that scumbag did with the photo of that kid in hospital with pneumonia lying in filth was unspeakable. Brushed aside and then taken off the journalist and put in his pocket to confiscate the evidence.

You can see what the country will be like after 5 years of that man.

Maybe all the serfs planning to vote for him can take time to watch that video of the man they're set to put in office and reflect on it.
 
davek said:
What that scumbag did with the photo of that kid in hospital with pneumonia lying in filth was unspeakable. Brushed aside and then taken off the journalist and put in his pocket to confiscate the evidence
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Except that didnt happen quite like that did it?
 
davek said:
Oh I;m sorry mate, pleased tell me what did happen...
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Johnson was caught (very very) off guard, reacted like a fool, regained (some) composure, made a few comments that we have all heard before, then apologised for the phone and gave it back.

I am not defending him, more its my reaction to folk who pounce on anything with zero understanding of any back ground of a photo/clip/gaffe. Its like when you went all bent out of shape on the London Bridge shooting. Thought you might take time before coming up with "lying in filth" and "conviscating evidence".
 
Minimeister said:
Jeremy Corbyn must have been behind it somewhere.
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Doubt it. Its just that I have learnt not to take anything at face value until the background behind anything posted on line is understood better.

On a slightly different tangent, as a father, I would have throttled anyone who;

A. Took a photograph of my seriously ill child, and,

B. Allowed people to use it for political reasons.
 
roydo said:
Johnson was caught (very very) off guard, reacted like a fool, regained (some) composure, made a few comments that we have all heard before, then apologised for the phone and gave it back.

I am not defending him, more its my reaction to folk who pounce on anything with zero understanding of any back ground of a photo/clip/gaffe. Its like when you went all bent out of shape on the London Bridge shooting. Thought you might take time before coming up with "lying in filth" and "conviscating evidence".
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Oh dear.
 
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