Only a Third of Performing Arts Library to Remain on Display (St Albans Liberal Democrats)

St Albans Liberal Democrats <info@stalbanslibdems.org.uk>

Only a Third of Performing Arts Library to Remain on Display

December 21, 2011 7:05 AM
Originally published by Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats

Plans for the relocation of the New Barnfield Performing Arts library have been pushed through by Herts County Council, despite the head of Hertfordshire Libraries recently admitting to local Lib Dem councillor Malcolm Cowan that only one third of the collection will remain on display when the new arrangements come into effect.

'I was shocked when I found out the full extent of the restrictions which will be placed on people wishing to browse this collection, which is an essential resource for the performing arts sector across the County and beyond,' said Malcolm. 'The new facility will only keep on display items of which there is more than one copy - and in addition, the amount of space at the new facility will be very restricted.'

When Malcolm Cowan raised this point at the Libraries Panel, the Conservative chairman of the Panel, Chris Hayward, insisted on pushing the proposals through but promised to work on making the 'showroom' - where the display will be - bigger than currently planned so that more material can be kept on display.

'Of course, what really needs to happen is that there should be a bigger building,' said Malcolm. 'I raised this with Chris Hayward, and very much hope that this can be investigated. The irony is that if the County Council had not agreed to vacate the New Barnfield site for Veolia, and had insisted that alternative arrangements needed to be made, something equivalent to the existing facilities could have been provided. Everyone who cares about the facility has lost out from the Conservative administration's failure to ensure this could happen.'