New year, new updates!

Hi Everyone!

I'm still around, but behind on both this blog and my youtube channel. The usual excuses such as life, university demands and sickness getting in the way.

My resolutions this year don't revolve quite so strongly around this blog, but are more focused on doing the things that make me happy, whatever those happen to be.

At the moment, there are a few things that make me unhappy, such as May, Brexit and Trump. These made me unhappy last year too, so we know  am consistent in my politics, whether you agree with them or not. One of the reasons why these people/events make me unhappy, is because of the lack of accurate information out there. Now, I can't 'prove' to everyone that certain newspapers *cough daily fail cough* have a stronger bias than others that I would consider more trust worthy, but the simple fact that people are not asking the right questions, or don't even consider the need to ask the right questions, made me realise a major problem, and that is education, or lack of it. For adults, or teens, the best source of free education is and always has been the library. where somebody can read books written by smart and honest political minds (an honest politician? sounds like a joke, doesn't it, but they do exist) and take that information and make an informed decision for themselves.

Libraries are still closing. More and more are being turned into volunteer led, satellite libraries, where there are no professional staff, and volunteers do gossip, which is a dangerous thing. Gossip can put people off seeking out the help they need in private. Gossip can ruin lives and ruin the enjoyment of reading. "That man takes out kids books, but I've never seen him with a kid, so he must be a pervert." (reality could be a sick child at home, or the man struggles to read and is trying to help himself) "that woman always dresses in black, she takes out the porno books, she must be a freak" (reality is the woman enjoys erotica, which is fine not 'freaky'.) I could go on with examples, but you get the picture. This is the harm a badly placed volunteer can do.

So what can be done about this?

For the average person: Campaign to save your libraries. join some libraries. visit them. use the computer. borrow some books on your kindle, because you can do that and won't have to worry about remembering to return them. show your libraries some love. 

However, despite being average, I am also a library student. Libraries are my future. So I know that if I want the things I am unhappy about to change, then I have to do more than I already am doing. I have to use my voice more, push a little harder, fight more.

Next month I'll be attending Speak up for libraries conference in London. I am hopeful that attending will help me to build up an arsenal to use to do this. Who is with me?

Happy (Belated) New Year

Pamela