A decision has been made to cease running Yorkshire Libraries & Information (YLI) Music and Drama Service (MDS), currently operating from Wakefield Libraries Headquarters. Making Music has had previous successes in lobbying to keep other library collections available and we need your help to oppose the YLI proposal in the strongest possible terms and protect this vital resource for musicians everywhere.
Current status
- We know the current building in Wakefield must be closed for health and safety reasons
- YLI are now very keen to keep the MDS running, but need to find new premises
- Some of the 12 Councils funding the Service have expressed reluctance to do so again in the future, putting more pressure on the remaining councils
- The total sum being put in by the 12 Councils is a mere £120,000, distributed across the 12 in proportion to their population; even in these straitened times a very paltry sum
- The survey we undertook of our membership indicates significant latent demand for Wakefield’s services, and seems to show that the pricing of the service could be increased with little effect upon demand. This creates the potential for a self-funding service over time
- Two expressions of interest have been received from third parties offering to take the service over. Whilst these are being carefully considered, all are agreed that a solution from a local authority would be very much more satisfactory
- Councillor Andrew Pinnock, Chair of YLI, wrote on the 17 January to the Chief Executives and Leaders of all the relevant Councils, urging them to consider continuing to fund the service for at least another six months, and preferably a further three years. He has also requested a further trawl for suitable premises. The working party that has been formed to find a way to save the library strongly supports this approach.
- Also on the 17 January, our Chief Executive Robin Osterley wrote to local MPs urging them to support Councillor Pinnock's request.
See the YLI website for more information.
Thanks to the efforts of Making Music members and others, YLI has received over 2,000 emails and letters protesting about its decision to stop the Music and Drama Service. 60% of these came from outside of Yorkshire. See our campaign support page for more information.
What is the collection?
The music collection at Wakefield is one of the most important in the country, and comprises over 500,000 items of music and 90,000 copies of plays, thus making it one of the largest collections of performing sets in the UK. It is available not only to individual users, schools and music and drama groups in the Yorkshire and Humber area but also to organisations and groups outside of the region on a pay per use basis.
The 12 local authorities that subscribe to the service have decided ‘in principle’ to close the service at the end of March 2012.
Key facts
- The library service has long been available to individual borrowers, music groups and other public libraries across the whole of the UK
- It is used by thousands of choirs and orchestras, providing an excellent and affordable service and making it possible for hundreds of thousands of people around the country to enjoy music in their community
- It offers a valuable resource to young musicians, students of music and those preparing for careers as professional musicians
- The International Association of Music Libraries (IAML) is fully behind a campaign opposed to the library’s closure
If the service is withdrawn, what then?
- We don’t know what will happen to the 500,000 music items – the collection is likely to be broken up, or housed outside of the public domain
- Public libraries, music groups and individuals will no longer have access to this enormous and highly valued catalogue of music
- Costs will increase as groups need to source music elsewhere
- Many musical works will receive fewer performances; many groups will perform less; many local communities will hear less live music in performance
Bottom line
We cannot allow this vital resource to be lost. We do not believe that splitting the collection and distributing it across the 12 Local authorities is a workable solution. We want the collection to be preserved as a complete library and in public ownership. Without it our communities will suffer. It’s in all our interests to campaign to keep the service running. We need YOU to take action now and let the decision makers know how much it means to you and your community!
