MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT
FOR EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
INTRODUCTION
1. This note considers the role of libraries
in DfEE's lifelong learning strategy and gives examples of the
contribution they make to promoting learning throughout life,
including access to information, communication and technology
skills.
2. DfEE Ministers are keenly aware of the
important role of libraries in shaping and supporting the great
tradition of learning that exists in this country. Working closely
with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Libraries
and Information Commission and other partners at national and
local level, DfEE is fully committed to libraries making a full
contribution to its lifelong learning strategy.
BACKGROUND
3. Excellence in Schools, The Learning
Age and, most recently, the White Paper Learning to Succeed
set out policies for building human capital by encouraging the
acquisition of knowledge and skills and emphasising creativity
and imagination. In his foreword to The Learning Age, David
Blunkett spoke of the importance of learning not only in securing
our economic future, but also for its wider contribution. "Learning
enables people to play a full part in their community. It strengthens
the family, the neighbourhood and consequently the nation. It
helps us fulfil our potential and opens doors to a love of music,
art and literature. That is why we value learning for its own
sake as well as for the equality of opportunity it brings".
He also pointed to "the importance of ensuring that with
the further development of information and communication technology
we avoid the haves and have nots of the past".
LIFELONG LEARNING
Schools
4. School libraries play a key role in helping
to lay the foundations for lifelong learning. The Books for Schools
programme is ensuring that schools have the resources to implement
the initatives we are putting in place to improve school standards.
£115 million has been allocated to maintained schools in
the last two financial years for reading books, which has put
an estimated 23 million books into schools. (This is in addition
to text book funding.)
Reading
5. The National Year of Reading Read me
campaign celebrated reading in all its forms and encouraged parents
and the whole community to back up teachers' efforts in the classroom
by providing positive role models and a supportive environment
for reading outside it. There was active support from libraries,
schools, business, the media and many other organisations and
individuals.
6. The National Year of Reading brought
to the fore the central role of libraries in engaging and widening
the reading interest of people of all ages. Schools and libraries
successfully targeted fathers as potential role models for reluctant
boy readers, involving them in storytelling and reading sessions
with their children in locations as varied as community groups
and prison visitor centres. Young parents were also reached through
work with local health services and with community groups in a
range of settings. Youth workers and librarians worked together
to appeal to teenagers, making use of "graphic novel"
writing, new technology and live performance.
7. Libraries gave promoting reading to adults
a higher priority to encourage new readers. Outreach work with
adults involved basic skills students, travellers, the homeless
and unemployed, and the housebound elderly. Recognition of the
importance of this work came with the decision that £2 million
would be made available in 2000-2001 for reader development, to
build on work initiated during the Year, as part of the DCMS/Wolfson
Public Libraries Challenge Fund.
8. The key role of public libraries in the
National Year of Reading was also stressed in research carried
out by Information Management Associates for the Library and Information
Commission and the National Literacy Trust, which reflected a
wide range of approaches and degrees of partnership working.
9. The continuation of the Year as the National
Reading Campaign (NRC) offers an opportunity to consolidate and
learn from successful initiatives. With support from the DfEE,
the National Literacy Trust will develop initiatives that have
worked well during the Year and encourage more people to participate
in the Campaign to improve literacy standards. The NRC will provide
a central co-ordinating and networking role, acting as a conduit
for ideas, information and contacts.
National Grid for Learning
10. The National Grid for Learning was launched
in January 1998 and provides learners of all ages with a gateway
to appropriate, quality assured educational resources on the Internet,
including materials which focus on raising standards of literacy
and numeracy. Sources of material include central and local government,
museums, galleries, schools, private sector companies, and, of
course, libraries.
11. The aim is that all schools, colleges,
universities and libraries should be connected to the Internet
by 2002. Through its £1.6 billion investment in ICT in education,
the Government is well on the way to achieving this target.
The ConneXions Service
12. Libraries will be an important part
of the network of support that will be available through the new
ConneXions Service for young people aged 13-19. ConneXions aims
to integrate careers and support services and offer a single access
point for young people and their families, with a network of personal
advisers. The Service will reinforce and underpin the informal
network of support systems which exist in families, neighbourhoods
and the wider community including support in schools and colleges,
and through teenagers' own peer groups. The aim is to help develop
rounded individuals who can call on support when they need it,
and who can develop their horizons both socially, and in terms
of educational and economic expectation.
Ufi
13. The University for Industry (Ufi), to
be launched in the autumn this year, will be a new national online
and distributed learning network aimed at both individuals and
businesses. The Library Association is supportive of Ufi's aims
and the two bodies are already working closely together.
14. Ufi are currently working with 79 development
centres around the country, which are testing Ufi's learndirect
products and services. Of these, nine are situated in libraries.
The number of development centres should rise to between 200-300
later this spring; and it is planned there will be some 1,000
of these learndirect centres by spring 2001. It is too
soon to say how many of these will be situated in libraries, but
we expect that libraries will continue to be involved.
15. In due course every library will be
sent details of the range of learndirect products and services.
All libraries with Internet access have the potential to be either
learndirect centres (if they meet the necessary standard)
or to provide access to the products and services available at
the learndirect website, which includes the learndirect
database of learning opportunities and careers information.
Developing ICT Skills
16. The Information and Communication Technologies
(ICT) Learning Centres initiative is a new programme designed
to help bridge the gap between those in society who have access
to ICT and those who do not. The aim is to establish around 700
Learning Centres across England. 13 pathfinder projects were announced
on 31 January to further test issues before the main rollout of
the programme in September 2000. One of these, Input Output
Centres London, involves libraries in Ealing, Brent and Hammersmith
and Fulham offering training on the Internet to adults seeking
new skills. Innovations include 24hr online mentoring and online
testing and accreditation.
17. The Library and Information Commission
has been closely involved with the development of the ICT Learning
Centre initiative. Their nominee, Chris Batt, has been an active
member of the cross Departmental Project Board, which has also
included representatives from the Treasury, DCMS, New Opportunities
Fund, DTI and No. 10 Policy Unit. We expect that many libraries
will submit funding applications to become ICT Learning Centres,
and would in particular wish to encourage those who can deliver
the quality of learner and technical support that is required
in the Centres.
Information, Advice and Guidance for Adults
18. Good quality information, advice and
guidance can help adults make the right decisions about what,
when and how to learn. The Government is investing £54 million
over three years in local information, advice and guidance services.
Six pathfinder projects are currently underway to help inform
national delivery specification for April 2000 onwards. Some 70
development contracts covering the rest of England focus on improving
access to services and raising the quality of provision.
19. Public libraries can make a valuable
contribution to our developing local information, advice and guidance
partnerships. This is particularly the case in the provision of
information and in signposting to further services. The New Library
Network's extended infrastructure and staff training programme
will help local information, advice and guidance networks disseminate
information on learning opportunities even more effectively.
Higher Education
20. Higher Education is one of this countries
great strengths and university libraries make a vital contribution.
£18.2 million has been committed for grants to institutions
under the HEFCE Research Support Libraries Programme for the two
academic years 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Co-ordinated by the University
of Edinburgh, the Programme builds on the current funding initiative—Specialised
Research Collections in the Humanities. Its four strands are:
— supporting access to major holdings
libraries;
— collaborative collection management
projects;
— support for humanities and social
sciences research collections; and
— targets retrospective conversion
of catalogues.
A decision on longer term funding will be taken
by the UK funding bodies shortly.
March 2000
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