Hillingdon libraries

Jenny

Jenny

Ref: page 26 of Writing Magazine - Publishing Snippets

The first piece is information provided by Tim Coates who is "making over" Hillingdon libraries, explaining how they are to be improved whilst at the same time saving £250,000 or more.

The writer - Michael Legat - says "How he will achieve all this isn't quite clear to me ..."

It can possibly explained by the fact (not mentioned in the article) that there is a plan to replace qualified librarians with unqualified staff.

Michael Legat might be interested to know that 86% of the people who took part in a poll carried out by the Hillingdon Times did NOT believe the plan would improve the library service.

candy

I'm really sick of that old fart Legat knocking The Da Vinci Code all the time. If he's so great why doesn't he write something better. He's just another armchair critic. (I'm referring to the last bit of his poxy Writers' rostrum, where he gives DVC 1 out of 10.)

Carol

Many years ago he did write fiction, and apparently very good.
I have a number of his How-to books and they are very good, a few are still in print and can be bought.
Face it, you either like the DVC or you don't. I heard an author read out an extract- as an example of a supposed romance scene- it failed. And the style didn't appeal at all.
Other writing friends have enjoyed the story but been unimpressed by the prose, others have given up trying to get through the book.
Everyone has their own view, so just skate over that bit of comment rather than get worked up.

Jenny

http://www.hillingdontimes.co.uk/search/display.var.1802942.0.library_changes_for_the_better.php

Whilst the above is only of direct interest to residents of Hillingdon borough, please bear the article in mind if your council says it's going to improve library services. Their definition of "improve" is not what you might expect.

Following the article are several comments posted by local residents. They are worth reading.

Soobdoo

As a resident of Hillingdon borough I was interested to see this. I had no idea this was going on.

Jenny

Soobdoo - The council has to get the money from somewhere to cover the pay rises that certain people awarded themselves.

I'd like to know how much Starbucks are paying for using library premises. And whether they're going to compensate the owner of the little cafe on the Manor Farm complex who will probably lose custom.

(Sorry folks - this is really a local matter!)