APPENDIX 4
Memorandum submitted by Lincolnshire County
Council
1. This evidence has been collected by Miss
Lorraine Jubb, Head of Libraries and Sport, and myself, Maurice
Nauta, Assistant Director-Cultural Services, between us we have
a combined total of over 50 years' experience of working in public
libraries.
1.1 The following evidence aims to add value
to the Committee inquiry into libraries by drawing the attention
of the Committee to work carried out in Lincolnshire which relates
specifically to the issues being considered.
2. ACCESS TO
LIBRARIES
2.1 Of the many obstacles which affect access
to library services, Lincolnshire has identified three which cause
particular problems in a large rural county.
2.2 Opening Hours
While Lincolnshire has a relatively high indication
for access (2.65 hours per 1,000 population, compared to a family
average of 2.33 hours) few libraries are open for any length of
time at weekends. In surveys carried out over the last three years,
users and non-users alike, constantly state that their preferred
time to visit the library would be Saturday afternoon or Sunday.
The resource implications of extending opening hours to include
these times have made this impossible to achieve with the exception
of the new Lincoln Central Library. Officers now plan to look
at transferring hours from mid-week to weekends. With the current
expectation of staff to receive enhanced pay for weekend working
and little chance of extra resources, the likely outcome is a
reduction in the overall number of hours open, at least in the
short term while the possibility of introducing more flexible
contracts is examined.
2.3 Rural Isolation
Lincolnshire is the fourth largest county in
England and Wales. Its population of 619,400 (June 1997) is widely
dispersed outside the few urban centres, scattered across small
settlements, many focused around small market towns.
2.3.1 The Library Service in Lincolnshire
is currently delivered from 46 static service points, 11 public
mobiles, two trailers, three hospital libraries, three prison
libraries, four schools vehicles and a special needs vehicle.
There is a static library in all major towns and villages and
the mobile service covers smaller villages and hamlets.
2.3.2 The public transport infrastructure
in Lincolnshire is poor, resulting in two major problems for the
Library Service. The first being the need for a large fleet of
mobile libraries to cover rural areas (the high transport costs
associated with running a fleet of mobiles servicing a large rural
county means that Lincolnshire has the largest per capita expenditure
on transport in the country!).
The second, the immobility of the poorest sections
of the population in more urban areas result in an inability to
travel to their nearest static library.
The problems associated with rural isolation
are being addressed to some extent by the ICT Strategy for the
Library Service (see 4.0).
2.3.3 Due to major house builds in the last
five years and with many more planned (Lincolnshire has one of
the fastest growing populations amongst counties, increasing by
over 11 per cent between 1981 and 1996 and forecast to grow by
a further 3.3 per cent by 2001 and 6.4 per cent by the year 2006).
Many static libraries in the larger villages are no longer situated
in the most accessible location. The capital programme is unlikely
to be able to alter this situation in the foreseeable future so
alternative methods of service delivery are currently being investigated.
These alternatives are primarily based on working in partnership
with other service providers (internal and external) who face
similar problems.
2.4 Barriers to Access Caused by Inappropriate
Rules and Regulations
The Library Service in Lincolnshire is working
closely with Social Services to identify ways in which both can
improve the quality of the services they provide. One example
aims to overcome the barriers caused by enrolment procedures.
The two main problems identified with this area were the difficulties
presented to some sections of the population by being asked for
proof of address and the ability of the person to complete an
enrolment form.
2.4.1 Social Services now have special enrolment
forms for their clients which are completed by Social Services
staff confirming address and signature details of the client.
These are then handed to library staff by the client and that
is the end of the enrolment procedure for that individual. This
is a new procedure currently being piloted at Lincoln Central
Library.
2.5 An investigation into the impact of
charging policies is planned for 2000-01 as part of the Best Value
agenda.
3. THE ROLE
OF LIBRARIES
IN THE
PROMOTION OF
EDUCATION AND
LIFELONG LEARNING
3.1 Libraries have always played an important
role in the promotion of education and Lifelong Learning but it
is only recently that this has been formally acknowledged by National
Government. The following initiatives are currently being implemented
in Lincolnshire.
3.2 Open Learning Collections are housed
in several libraries across the county, together with ICT equipment
necessary to use the packages. Surveys have shown that the people
using these packages often have not participated in any other
sort of learning for many years. Use is particularly high in subjects
relating to languages and computer literacy.
3.3 Library Services work with a wide range
of education providers to deliver a whole range of Lifelong Learning
opportunities from library buildings. These range from arts and
craft sessions to 10-week basic computer literacy courses. The
latter have been particularly popular with the over fifties.
3.4 One particularly successful initiative
involved computer workshops for parents and children. The workshops
were promoted through children but they were not allowed to enrol
without signing up mum or dad as well. Evaluation forms completed
by those taking part showed that in many cases parents while reluctant
to enrol had enjoyed the workshops and said they would be interested
in doing more.
3.5 The National Year of Reading was used
as a catalyst for many initiatives aimed at promoting basic education
and Lifelong Learning. One of these initiatives is a pack which
supports and encourages readers groups. Early signs are that this
will prove to be very successful. A copy of the pack is enclosed[3].
3.6 All Lincolnshire libraries now have
access to the Internet. In theory this should mean that people
will be able to access distance learning opportunities without
being disadvantaged because they do not own the necessary ICT
equipment. Discussions are taking place locally with education
providers to see if this can be developed in a more structured
way.
3.7 The Library Service has been a key player
in developing the Lifelong Learning plan for the authority and
the Assistant Director represents the local authority on the County
Lifelong Learning Strategy Group. This will ensure that plans
are developed in an integrated way.
4. THE ROLE
OF LIBRARIES
IN THE
PROMOTION OF
ACCESS TO
AND AWARENESS
OF NEW
TECHNOLOGY
4.1 As a rural county access to and awareness
of new technology is seen as one, if not the best way of tackling
rural isolation.
4.2 The recently successful Wolfson bid
now means that as well as providing Internet access at all 46
static service points, Lincolnshire will, over the coming three
months, install public access terminals in pubs, village halls,
post offices and doctors' surgeries. In effect this means that
people will not only be able to surf the net, but will be able
to browse the library catalogue, search community information
databases and request items of stock. Indeed it should be possible
to arrange delivery of requested items to these rural access points
making access to library services possible no matter how rural
the location.
4.3 At present there is only one Internet
enabled PC in each library, apart from Lincoln Central Library.
In larger libraries this will not be enough to meet demand and
a strategy will be developed to increase coverage. Consideration
must be given to how to find space in libraries which are already
cramped.
5. THE ROLE
OF DCMS, MLAC, LA IN
LIBRARY PROVISION5.1 DCMS
The DCMS has reinforced the value which public
library services have in contributing to key policies in its comprehensive
spending review—recognising that libraries provide information
which underpins commerce and economic endeavour.
5.1.1 Government initiatives for public
libraries are welcomed as they help kickstart strategies to help
libraries move forward. However, the reliance on matched funding
may mean that some authorities are left behind.
5.1.2 Initiatives like NGFL, UFI and IT
for all are particularly welcomed as they encourage national strategies
to be developed.
5.1.3 After a confusing start the Annual
Library Planning process appears to be developing into a useful
tool. It helps local authorities identify links to other strategies
and plans as well as encouraging library services to look beyond
the immediate horizon.
5.1.4 It has to be said that Lincolnshire,
along with many other local authorities, are beginning to get
"planning fatigue" (staff in this authority working
in a single directorate are currently writing or working to deliver
over 23 plans). Any attempt at national level to reduce this burden
would be very welcome.
5.1.5 The soon to be introduced QUEST monitoring
is also to be welcomed as long as local problems and issues are
taken into account in any quality analysis. This had not always
proven to be the case in the past, particularly in relation to
rural authorities.
5.2.0 While this authority uses Library
Association guidelines to assess services, the standards set are
often unrealistic to achieve in large rural areas, this is particularly
true in the case of mobile libraries which if we were to try to
implement would have serious resource implications.
5.2.1 While it is obviously correct to look
to the professional body for expert guidance there appears to
be an over reliance on the opinion of a very small number of people.
A greater attempt should be made to seek the opinions of service
users and non-users.
I hope this evidence informs the work of the
Committee. If I or any of my officers can be of any further help,
please do not hesitate to get in touch.
January 2000
3 Not printed. Back
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