Tim Coates, former ceo, Waterstones, is a consultant in publishing and library industries in the US and Europe. He is the author of 'The Freckle Report 2021'
@WomackPhilip@BookBrunch The UK publishing industry is a tremendous asset to the country . A lot of that £7.4bn is export sales and goes to educational and research establishments around the world.
@WomackPhilip@BookBrunch The UK publishing industry is a tremendous asset to the country . A lot of that £7.4bn is export sales and goes to educational and research establishments around the world.
@simon_hogan@Southwarkcathed@organrecitals You are welcome to sing these, if you would like... (I can send scores and texts)
https://t.co/cGPcfKqljc
https://t.co/XhlzsEIM8x
The popular and universal assumption is that public libraries just need more money.
Unfortunately, that's simply not true. If they are given twice the money they have, libraries would not improve. That's because the people who run them don't know how. That has to change first.
There will be no prize for saying the public library service has been ruined but could be put right.
That's because those who destroyed it are still in charge and need and want to say how good they have been.
That's how 'lanyard class' governance works.
Truth doesn't get a say.
I think people don't realise that - for all the noise and fuss about local elections and parties - it isn't elected councillors who run councils. It is a group of senior, highly paid, 'officers' who talk across councils, and confer. It is they who decide what happens.
I was going over some of the discussions about UK public libraries -and why after so many years- they only get worse. My conclusion this time, is that no one anywhere has ever found the way to influence local councils. Not Government, not local people, not press - no one.
Pickering https://t.co/hje9yKIzFC
Grosmont https://t.co/0NTQynJRUy
Whitby https://t.co/VM1fT7DGVH
Goathland https://t.co/j22XMHE6jU
The Moors and the Sea https://t.co/cGPcfKqljc
Hopeless plea! : About 2 yrs ago a professor from southern California asked me from where did I find the transcripts of the 2 trials of Oscar Wilde (for my book on the subject). At the time I couldn't remember - but now I have! ) -- if anybody picks this up - I can help!!
For some reason, which I have never understood, it has been my experience that in the UK, there is an ingrained dislike of academic, artistic, or cultural excellence. It is pervasive and destructive and has been the cause of national shortcoming. I wish it wasn't true, but it is.
If you follow this, rather than 'growth' or 'enterprise' it makes much more sense, to me for a country to pursue 'excellence' in everything we do- for each other, for our families, for our work. It is much more admire-able and worthwhile.
For some reason, which I have never understood, it has been my experience that in the UK, there is an ingrained dislike of academic, artistic, or cultural excellence. It is pervasive and destructive and has been the cause of national shortcoming. I wish it wasn't true, but it is.
@AgeingPunk I agree with you - I didn't mean it to appear the other way round. My own experience of this has largely been in science and engineering, initially, until I had to move into other fields because of exactly this. It was too uncomfortable.