JOHN PATEMAN

Biography: John Pateman has worked in public libraries for 27 years in 6 local authorities. He has been Head of Libraries in Hackney, Merton and Lincolnshire. He is particularly interested in social exclusion, internationalism and libraries as an agent of social change.   He was a member of the government working group which produced Libraries for all: social inclusion in public libraries (1999) and of the research team which produced Open to All? The Public Library and Social Exclusion (2000). He was Head of Libraries in Merton when it won the   Libraries Change Lives Award (2001) for services to asylum seekers and refugees. He was a member of the CILIP Policy Action Group on Social Exclusion which produced Making a Difference - Innovation and Diversity (2002). He has written a publication on Developing a Needs Based Library Service (2003) as part of the NIACE Lifelines in adult learning series. He was a founding member of The Network- tackling social exclusion in libraries, museums, archives and galleries. He was a founding member of the Quality Leaders Programme for Black Library Workers. He is founder and co-editor of Information for Social Change and founder of the Cuban Libraries Solidarity Group. In 2002 he received the National Culture Award from the Cuban government for his services to Cuban libraries. In 2003 he shared a platform with Fidel Castro at the International Congress of Culture and Development in Havana. In 2004 he attended the World Gathering of Intellectuals and Artists in Defence of Humanity which was held in Caracas, Venezuela. He is International Officer for the Lincolnshire branch of UNISON and he is secretary of the Lincolnshire Cuba Solidarity Campaign. He is a Fellow of CILIP and of the Institute of Public Sector Management. He is an active member of the CILIP Diversity Group. He has written many articles on aspects of social exclusion – especially social class – community development and libraries in Cuba. He is currently editing a book on Radical Librarianship which will be published by Chandos in December 2005.

Debate Title: This house believes that the provision of high quality market led library services are of benefit to the whole of the local community

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