| Topic: | Re:Re:Library opening changes | |
| Posted by: | Guy Lambert | |
| Date/Time: | 11/07/26 19:01:00 |
| Naturally the first I heard of this was on TW8, having been alerted by a resident who is a regular user with her children. I believe ward councillors should be informed and consulted about these ideas before they are put to cabinet (and no doubt ribber stamped). They used to be, as a matter of course, policy and I think rule. When I was on cabinet I was looking to improve the way Brentford Library works, especially after I visited the one in Northfields (Ealing) run completely by volunteers, which I found far more creative, lively and busy then Brentford. I talked to the relevant cabinet member - one who never did much himself(!) but he had a cabinet assistant at the time. She happens to be (a) a good dedicated councillor and (b) a librarian by profession. She worked on this for a couple of months including visiting other libraries and reading material . I was sitting next to her in a joint meeting of the cabinet and assistants just before the Borough Council. We talked for a bit and then the Leader said 'oh, assistants should leave the room now as you will all be replaced later this evening'.. 'My' assistant's mouth came open, she gulped and left as instructed. I gulped too. I have been a manager of staff for at least 40 years in the private sector and the public sector and I had never in my life seen so inept and insensitive 'leadership' I remain of the opinion that the library service is very badly managed, despite the major investment in Brentford a few years ago secured by an interim head of libraries (prompted by me, in turn prompted by a posse of residents who came to my surgery and complained about being sent over the road to the health centre to use the toilet. There was a perfectly good toilet upstairs but it was out of bounds. The interim left shortly after. |
| Topic | Date Posted | Posted By |
| Library opening changes | 09/07/26 18:24:00 | Vanessa Smith |
| Re:Library opening changes | 10/07/26 07:19:00 | Nicholas Beard |
| Re:Re:Library opening changes | 10/07/26 13:03:00 | Pat Kingham |
| Re:Re:Re:Library opening changes | 10/07/26 14:11:00 | Vanessa Smith |
| Re:Library opening changes | 10/07/26 18:16:00 | Chris Dakers |
| Re:Re:Library opening changes | 11/07/26 19:01:00 | Guy Lambert |
| Re:Library opening changes | 12/07/26 08:44:00 | John Copper |