【请关注】拯救威斯敏斯特中文图书馆服务
2017-03-28 查宁阁图书馆之友 英伦云
位于查宁阁图书馆的威斯敏斯特中文图书馆是藏有最多中文书刊的英国公共图书馆。该图书馆是在西敏市及伦敦居住、工作和学习的华人华侨及其他族裔使用者的重要资源。因该馆紧邻中国城,已成为伦敦华人社区举办各种学习班和活动的一个重要场所,因而被当地华社和居民视为珍宝。
该馆很多使用者为华人儿童和无法用英语交流的华人长者,因此,这里曾有一位讲汉语的高级图书馆员(同时也是西敏市图书馆群中文服务负责人)管理并负责联络华社。
近来,汉语已成为一门英国的现代外语,并在全英500多所主流学校和国际学校教授。英国学习汉语的学生也需要借阅汉语书和CD等,以准备普通中等教育证书(GCSE)中文考试课程和英国高中A-Level考试课程。因此,查宁阁图书馆的资源及其提供的中文服务可以吸引和激发这些学习者学得更多。
在2017年2月28日举行的一次会上,威斯敏斯特图书馆群中文服务负责人提供了关于图书馆中文服务的未来发展信息。一百多名与会的图书馆使用者被告知,图书馆的中文服务将被大幅削减,负责中文服务的经理职务被裁撤, 并且今后将不再存在。这是华人社区第一次被正式告知威斯敏斯特政府图书馆服务结构重组后导致的损害华人和中文读者的变化。
威斯敏斯特负责环境、体育和社区服务的政府官员大卫•哈维先生在回复询问者邮件中告,图书馆中文服务现被合并到所有黑人、亚洲和少数民族(BAME)社区服务,由一位社区发展经理管理并必须满足所有BAME社区需求。他还写道:“在服务变更达成之前,已广泛地做了咨询。”显然,这并非事实:因为没有华人机构或社区成员事先收到关于威斯敏斯特政府关于图书馆中文服务变更的咨询。此外,在变更前,政府也未进行“平等影响评估”。
使一些中文图书馆使用者感到惊讶的是:新任命的查宁阁图书馆经理完全不懂中文, 而且没有为占很大比例的华人使用者服务的经验。
鉴于过去几年在中国城及其周边的为华人社区而设的社会服务被政府削减,如,贝里克市场华人社会服务机构的关闭和位于Soho广场的全科医生服务处险被关闭,我们有理由对查宁阁中文图书馆的未来深表关切和忧虑。
我们呼吁区政府考虑同意在实施重组计划前,需要在华人社区当地居民进行真正的咨询。也应该开展“平等影响评估”,并且不应削减特定的服务华人社区的中文服务负责人的职位。
查宁阁中文图书馆之友
致:威斯敏斯特市地方议会的请愿书
保护在威斯敏斯特市图书馆的中文服务
我们,署名人,向威斯敏斯特市地方议会提出请愿:
在威斯敏斯特市中文图书馆内保持与以往相同的优质服务!
我们相信,华人社区对于全英最大的公共中文图书馆——在查宁阁图书馆的威斯敏斯特中文图书馆——所遭受的资金削减感到非常失望。70%访问查宁阁图书馆的读者是因其中文图书馆而来,相比威斯敏斯特市的其他图书馆,查宁阁内中文图书馆的读者访问量始终名列前茅。
我们要求:
- 中文服务保持预算削减前的相同水平。
- “平等影响评估”应该在(政府机构)重组(工作)实施前开展。政府有责任咨询华人社区、当地居民和图书馆用户关于重组中文服务的意见。
请愿仅需您的英文名、邮编和电子邮件。
请注意,签署请愿书需要在Westminster地区学习、工作或者生活的邮编。
在线请愿地址: http://petitions.westminster.gov.uk/saveourlibrary/
或扫描下方二维码:
FB: @WeloveCHXlibrary
Twitter: @WeloveCHXlibrary
Weibo: @weloveCHXlibrary
Email:[email protected]
非常感谢大家的支持,请愿需要西敏寺地区工作、学习、生活的人来参加线上的签名,如果您不在西敏寺地区工作或学习或生活,那请将帮忙将呼声传递出去,或者线下纸质签名后将签名表寄给我们。请愿是英国政府让民众提出诉求的一个窗口,请大家一定要使用自己的真实名字。保卫图书馆需要大家的团结合作,也需要注意线上请愿的规则。我们的邮箱:[email protected]
Save the Westminster Chinese Library Service
The Westminster Chinese Library based at Charing Cross Library holds one of the largest Chinese collections in UK public libraries. It is an important resource for the Chinese and other users living/working/studying around Westminster and London, and it draws 70% of readers to Charing Cross Library. Since Charing Cross Library is situated next to West End China Town, it has become an important place for the Chinese Community to hold classes and events, and it is viewed as a treasure by the local Chinese Community and local residents.
Many of its users are Chinese children and older people who are unable to communicate in English, so, it was managed by a Chinese-speaking Chinese Community librarian who was also the Chinese Service Manager (or Chinese Team Leader) of Westminster Libraries.
Recently, the Chinese language has become one of the modern foreign languages which is taught in more than 500 mainstream schools and international schools in the U.K. The British students who are learning Chinese language also need to read and borrow Chinese books and CDs to prepare for their Chinese GCSE and A-Level courses, therefore, there sources from Charing Cross Library and its Chinese service can engage and motivate them to learn more.
In a meeting held on 28 February 2017, the Chinese Team Leader of Westminster libraries provided information with regard to the future of the Chinese service within the Westminster libraries. In this meeting, over a hundred users of the Library were told that the Chinese service would be greatly reduced and the post of the Chinese Team Leader would no longer exist. This was the first time that the Chinese Community was informed to the damaging change of the Chinese service.
Mr. David Harvey, Westminster’s cabinet member for the Environment, Sport & Community Service, in his reply to a user’s inquiry, advised that the Chinese service is being combined with all Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities under a single community development manager which will have to cater for all BAME communities. He also wrote: “the changes to the service were widely consulted on well before they were agreed.” Clearly this is untrue as no Chinese organisations or community members were consulted on the change to the Chinese service of Westminster libraries. Moreover, no Equality Impact Assessment was ever carried out before the change.
Some Chinese Library users were also surprised that the new manager of Charing Cross Library doesn’t know the Chinese language at all, and has no experience of working in a situation where a large proportion of users are Chinese.
Given that services for the Chinese Community in and around China Town have been diminishing over the past years, for example, the closure of Chinese Social Service based at Berwick Market and the attempted closure of Soho Square GP service, we must express our concern and anxiety about the future of the Chinese Library based at Charing Cross Library.
We call on the Westminster Council to agree that before the implementation of the restructuring, genuine consultation needs to be carried out with the Chinese Community and local residents. An Equality Impact Assessment should also be initiated, and the post of the Chinese Team Leader to serve the Chinese Community should not be cut.
Friends of Westminster Chinese Library based at Charing Cross Library
PETITION TO WESTMINSTER COUNCIL
Protect the Chinese Service within Westminster Libraries
We, the undersigned, petition Westminster City Council to
Maintain the same quality service at Westminster Chinese Library as before!
We believe that the Chinese Community is deeply dismayed by the funding cut to the Westminster Chinese Library based at Charing Cross Library, the largest public Chinese library in the UK.
The Chinese library draws 70% of readers to the Charing Cross Library and is the main reason why this library welcomes the most readers compared to any other library in Westminster.
We demand that:
- The Chinese service to be maintained the same level as before the budget cut.
- An Equality Impact Assessment must be initiated before the implementation of the restructuring. The Council has a duty to genuinely consult the Chinese Community, local residents and all users regarding the restructuring of the Chinese service.
Petition only needs your name, post code and email.
Please be noted that, you must live, work or study within Westminster to sign the online petition.
Online petition address:
http://petitions.westminster.gov.uk/saveourlibrary/
Or scan the QR code
FB: @WeloveCHXlibrary
Twitter: @WeloveCHXlib
Weibo: @weloveCHXlibrary
Email:[email protected]