Published: 26 July, 2012
by DAN CARRIER

A FORMER Camden librarian who became an award-winning author has criticised cuts to local government services.

Sarah Waters, who wrote best-seller Tipping The Velvet, said forcing volunteers to take over management of libraries from local authorities  showed contempt.

A member of the Society of Authors, she has joined Hampstead-based writer Sir Michael Holroyd in threatening legal action against the government if they lose royalties paid out on the number of times books are borrowed from libraries.

There are fears that so-called “community” libraries that are now being established across the country will be hit with crippling bills for royalties – or hard-up writers will lose a crucial tranche of their earnings.

Currently, authors are paid 6p every time a book is borrowed, but there is no legislation bringing that into the community libraries recently established, including three in Camden.

Ms Waters worked in Camden libraries for more than a decade, mainly in Holborn and Belsize, but would often fill in at lending desks across the borough. Her first book was published while she was still a librarian.

She called the government attitude to libraries “shocking”, adding: “They have a statutory obligation to provide a library service. We keep seeing money being thrown at bankers, but our libraries are gently slipping away.

“They are making it very hard for local authorities to run a  proper library service.”

She said that the Society of Authors did not want to create problems for independent libraries with royalty charges, but wanted clarification as to how book loans would be added up and then paid for.

“The system works by looking at a selection of libraries and then creating an average figure of books lent,” said Ms Waters. “This not only provides authors with royalties – a small amount of money at 6p a book which can help keep writers going – but shows how well used our libraries are.

“If independent libraries are not factored in, it will mean there will be books borrowed that are not accounted for  and that libraries are not being recognised nor valued. It will look like book loans are failing, libraries will be seen as failing and therefore it will become self-prophesing.”

She added: “Authors  support libraries; they know this is how people read their books. With my background, I have seen first-hand what libraries contribute to communities.”

The Town Hall’s culture chief Labour councillor Tulip Siddiq said she believed the community libraries at Belsize, Primrose Hill and Keat’s Grove would not face any extra charges, and that the government’s central fund would still pay out for book loans.

She added: “Sampling of the books borrowed is undertaken nationally and the payments to authors are administered and funded by central government.

“The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have made it clear that payments to authors will not be affected.”