APPENDIX 1
SOME FINDINGS FROM RECENT INSPECTIONS
ACCESSIBILITY (OPENING
HOURS, LOCATION
AND COMMUNITY
WIDE APPEAL)
Shropshire library service meets the needs of
its largely rural, often isolated, communities by supplementing
its comprehensive mobile library service with book drops at local
facilities such as village stores and petrol stations. All libraries
in the county are open late one evening a week and on Saturdays.
Sunday opening is being trialled in Shrewsbury library.
Two of the standards which many library services
struggle to meet are those around opening hours and location.
Shropshire (judged as "excellent" service in October
2004) does not meet PLS 1(i) "percentage of households living
within 2 miles of a static branch". To meet the standard
would require building a number of additional libraries to each
serve a tiny, dispersed rural population. DCMS has acknowledged
that it would be unreasonable to expect Shropshire to meet this
standard. Many councils have struggled to meet the opening hours
standard.
INCREASING USE
OF PUBLIC
LIBRARIES
Shropshire library service has developed a range
of marketing strategies aimed at particular user groups such as
children and young people, teenage parents, men and older people.
In 2003-04, usage of libraries increased by 10% over the previous
year, loans of books and other materials increased by 4% and booked
computer sessions increased by over 250%. Overall visits increased
by 7.6% over the same period.
Staffordshire library service has markedly improved
visits to libraries with a 12.6% increase in visits in 2003-04
compared with the previous year. This increase is attributed to
using retail principles to present books more attractively combined
with the use of more sophisticated marketing techniques, as well
as investing in refurbishing and building new libraries.
Stockport libraries carry out a range of reader
development initiatives including themed promotions which rotate
around libraries. Some of these support diversity such as Queer
Choice and Aspirasian. The Sure Start funded Stacks of Stories
Book bus provides a service for families with children under four
in deprived communities.
Nottinghamshire refurbished three of its libraries
and saw an average increase in visits of 53% on re-opening.
FUNDING AND
BALANCE OF
SPENDING (INCLUDING
INVESTMENT IN
BOOKS)
Most of the services inspected in the past 12
months have seen an increase in investment mainly to meet the
requirements of Public Library Standards. However, when considered
against historic budget cuts the increase in investment is often
remedial rather than developmental.
Shropshire Library service has increased its
investment in books significantly over the past two years and
this is reflected in improving performance against Best Value
Performance Indicator 118 (a) users who found a book to borrow.
Nottinghamshire has committed £2 million
to a three year investment programme in libraries coupled with
an additional £400K to progress national library standards
(book stock funds and opening hours in particular).
NEW MODELS
OF PROVISION
AND NEW
POLICY DEMANDS
(EG SOCIAL
EXCLUSION)
Newcastle libraries have developed the national
Bookstart scheme further with its Born to Read programme which
provides young children with four packages of books pre-school
rather than one. Participants in the scheme are significantly
above the Newcastle average on the standardised reading and phonetics
score.
Library managers in Shropshire have worked with
the police and the church in an area of social deprivation to
meet the needs of young people and address disruptive behaviour.
A new library is currently being built as part of a Private Finance
Initiative with the Healthy Living Centre and Primary Care Trust.
Cumbria County Council employs three Local Public
Service Agreement (LPSA) funded community development workers
located within the library service who are delivering a range
of family literacy initiatives.
Stockport library service uses poverty mapping
for its mobile and home library service to ensure that they reach
the most deprived communities. It also works with the Drug Action
team to provide books and information about drugs, alcohol and
smoking.
Ealing LBC has agreed an LPSA target to increase
usage of its libraries by black and ethnic minority communities.
Sheffield has reconfigured a number of libraries
to place them at the centre of communities. For example, Upper
Thorpe Healthy Living Centre houses the library and is situated
next to the medical centre and swimming pool. Delivering the service
this way has also helped to increase opening hours.
Birmingham Libraries have a range of services
for newly arrived families which encourage them to use the library
such as welcome packs, information on living and working in Birmingham
and helping them to connect with their community. Hard outcomes
include improved English skills, improved take up of benefits
and increasing community engagement.
PERFORMANCE OF
THE PEOPLE'S
NETWORK IN
PROVIDING INTERNET
ACCESS
Shropshire has embraced IT as a way of reaching
its communities. Usage of computer facilities has increased by
over 250% between 2002-03 and 2003-04. Visitors to the service
website can join the library on-line, view the catalogue, renew
books and see book reviews as well as local information and user
comments. There are a range of on-line networks providing advice
and information to support learning and community support.
Staffordshire Libraries have increased IT usage
by using volunteers to act as IT "buddies" to provide
one-to-one skills support to users.
Most councils encourage older people to use
IT through the user of taster sessions such as the Silver Surfer
sessions delivered in Stockport libraries in partnership with
Age Concern.
Nottinghamshire County Council has been successful
in encouraging people to take up IT training and encouraging people
living in disadvantaged communities to use computers provided
through the People's Network. The LPSA target for the number of
people completing ICT training was exceeded by 72%. The target
for the volume of usage of computers in disadvantaged communities
was exceeded by 42%.
Usage of People's Network IT facilities in Sheffield
libraries has increased dramatically from 11,000 in January 2003
to 28,000 in September 2003.
Birmingham City Council has been successful
in encouraging asylum seekers and refugees to use ICT facilities
in libraries to contact friends and family, learn English and
find out information and advice. The LPSA target for 350,000 people
to access library services electronically was exceeded in the
first six months of 2004.
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