Memorandum submitted by MLA North West
MLA North West would like to submit the following
to the Inquiry. Our purpose in making this response is to highlight
our role within the region and to identify relevant potential
developments from our perspective.
MLA NORTH WEST
MLA North West is the regional strategic development
agency for museums, libraries and archives in the North West of
England. We are a Registered Charity and Limited Company. We receive
core funding from the national MLA and work to shared outcomes.
We are a relatively young organisation, being the second most
recent regional MLA to be established.
The North West of England is the third largest
of the English regions by population, including the County areas
of Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire and the Metropolitan conurbations
of Greater Manchester and Merseyside. The North West is served
by 22 public library authorities.
MLA NORTH WEST
AND PUBLIC
LIBRARIES IN
THE REGION
MLA North West currently works with public library
authorities to the following broad ends:
— To implement the programmes of national
MLA relating to the Framework for the Future Action Plan and others,
such as the Workforce Development Strategy and Inspiring Learning
for All.
— To develop specific North West schemes
within the context of the above to reflect the particular needs
and ambitions of the region.
— To encourage partnership and joint
working both between public libraries and others, especially other
types of libraries, museums and archives.
— To advocate for and link public libraries
to other sectors in the region and beyond.
GENERAL COMMENTS
MLA North West welcomes the Inquiry, coming
at an opportune time to review government policy in this area.
Public Libraries are undergoing unprecedented transformation,
due, in part, to the stimulus of government policy and the success
of the People's Network. At the same time, whilst many aspects
of public library services are thriving, as witnessed by the recent
increases in visitor numbers, various pressures threaten continued
improvement. These include continued decline in book issues, the
need to sustain the People's Network, to tackle the low profile
of the service with key decision-makers and uneven performance
between Authorities.
MLA and its regional network are playing a vital
role in this regeneration, working in partnership with public
library authorities.
SPECIFIC ISSUES
TO BE
CONSIDERED BY
THE COMMITTEE
Whether the accessibility of local libraries,
in terms of opening hours, local and community-wide appeal, meets
the current demands of the public
MLA North West is able to contribute most with
initiatives to engage all sections of the community. We have recently
relaunched the NW Diversity Forum. Our Inspire England pilot projects
were particularly successful in encouraging use by disadvantaged
groups such as asylum seekers and Cumbria Rural Foyer residents.
We are currently supporting training for library staff to assist
users with basic skills and the Vital Link project to link libraries
with basic skills teaching organisations.
This issue overlaps with many others identified
here. Nevertheless, MLA North West is keen to develop this area
of work further.
What can be done to increase the public's use
of local libraries
MLA Marketing programme—MLA North West
is aware of excellent work being done at sub-regional level to
provide marketing for public libraries, for example by the Greater
Manchester marketing group to advertise on Greater Manchester
buses and radio to natural audiences in this area. We believe
this demonstrates the potential for a regional and sub-regional
implementation of the forthcoming national MLA marketing programme.
MLA North West is keen to contribute at this level to strengthen
both national and local marketing efforts.
Developing library services—MLA North
West supports a range of initiatives to develop the services and
activities provided by public libraries, seeking more generally
to support their work to become more proactive and to develop
services to groups as well as individuals. Clearly, this has the
effect not only of directly increasing the public's use of libraries,
but will also encourage customers to subsequently visit on their
own or with their families.
The main examples include:
— The Time To Read reader development
project—encouraging reading groups, literature days and
author visits.
— Activities for children, especially
over the summer, which have been demonstrated to reduce nuisance
behaviour.
— Arts activity in libraries.
The funding of local libraries and the balance
of spending between the various means of providing information
(including the traditional investment in books)
Development funds—As a development agency,
MLA North West is frequently helping to establish new services
or new ways of delivery. Many exciting developments, such as Time
To Read, began with successful DCMS/Wolfson Challenge fund bids,
providing ample evidence for the success of such "pump priming"
funds.
However MLA North West is not resourced to provide
this stimulus. If funds could be provided, this would be a powerful
stimulus in critical development areas, which MLA North West would
ideally positioned to administer, combining the broader strategic
perspective with "on the ground" awareness.
Lottery Funding—For larger scale funding,
especially relating to building projects, MLA North West is in
a position to witness the very beneficial effects of such funding
to the Museum and Archive sectors, and we act as an expert consultant
for the Heritage Lottery Fund for such projects. Library building
projects are not normally eligible for Lottery funding, which
to many seems an unfortunate omission. This contrast is highlighted
further when libraries are quite rightly included in new cultural
developments where the museum/archive building receives Lottery
funding and an entirely artificial divide has to be created to
separate the non-Lottery funded library element. MLA North West
would like to see consideration given to the possibility of widening
lottery funding to library services.
Sustainability of People's Network—MLA
North West is concerned about the issue of the financial sustainability
of the People's Network and the importance of retaining the current
position of largely free access. Many aspects of our work to increase
access and learning opportunities have been based on the success
of the People's Network and the implications of either under-funding
or charging for services would be far reaching. The costs involved
in providing on-going funding would represent excellent value
for money and protect the existing investment.
Effectiveness of legislative, strategic and administrative
framework
Role of MLA—MLA North West believes that
more could be achieved with greater clarity of responsibilities
between organisations involved in development and strategy for
public libraries. At national level, there should be a clearer
role for MLA in relation to DCMS and public library authorities.
Much work has already been done to clarify the
role of the regional Museum, Library and Archives Councils in
relation to the national body, and this is subject to further
consideration as part of the MLA review. Given the current structure,
MLA North West seeks to establish a balance between working with
national stakeholders and libraries within our region.
Work with Audit Commission—MLA North West
is pleased to contribute to the current Audit Commission work
by providing commentary on Regular Performance Assessments and
Inspections. We feel this has not only stimulated overall improvement,
but has begun to address long standing issues of varying performance
between Authorities. This is seen as a vital obstacle in the development
of national "offers" and the effective marketing of
services.
It is anticipated that this role will continue
in some form as assessment structures change in the near future.
Further clarification and enhancement of this role would enhance
the effectiveness of the Audit Commission's work by providing
additional capacity in terms of local knowledge and specialist
library skills, narrowing the distance between local delivery
and national inspection.
Recruitment and training of library staff
MLA North West works within the framework of
the MLA Workforce Development Strategy. We particularly welcome
the intention to tackle issues such as low salaries and limited
opportunities for career progression, negative image of careers
in the sector and the need for the workforce to better reflect
the communities they serve.
Specifically focussing on public libraries in
the region, our current projects are making a start in developing
a longer term response to these identified needs:
Leadership training—Our own "Rising
Stars" programme enhances the national leadership scheme
by being open to a wider range of staff and by bringing together
managers from all types of libraries with those from museums and
archives.
Improving the qualifications of the workforce
and widening access to careers—We are planning to increase
the capacity of the sector to offer NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Information
and Library Services by sponsoring places, linking to possible
entrance to degree courses and including additional elements to
broaden awareness.
Promoting careers in public libraries—We
are hoping to initiate a placement scheme for library school students
in the region which will offer a branded, arranged programme of
experience in participating services with full evaluation.
The role of other institutional and specialist
libraries and their links with local libraries
INSPIRE—The North West is one of three
leading regions in the implementation of the INSPIRE project to
enhance access for public library users to more specialised libraries
in the academic and special library sector. Our experience is
that such schemes often lead to beneficial co-operation between
different libraries in other areas, such as workforce development.
MLA North West has developed a particular role
in demonstrating how this scheme can more fully realise its potential
to open up learning opportunities to disadvantaged groups in society,
through pilot projects in Cumbria and Liverpool.
Creating pathways through public libraries that
positively encourage people to progress from informal learning
to open learning and other more formal courses is a great opportunity
to widen access to further and higher education.
The performance of the "People's Network"
in providing universal internet access and its future development
MLA North West recognised the huge success of
the People's Network in attracting new users into public libraries
and providing access to the information, culture and learning
opportunities on the web. Our role is to assist in the implementation
of further national developments, to help raise the profile of
the service, and work to ensure that the potential role in the
work of other agencies in the North West is realised.
MLA North West wishes to particularly highlight
to the Inquiry the issue of achieving sustainable funding for
the People's Network, as discussed above, particularly when the
recent research carried out by NWDA is considered, which demonstrates
that there are still large sectors of the community in the region
who are not using IT.
The creation of digital content that celebrates
the heritage of the region is a key role for MLA North West. In
terms of the future development of the Network, adding local material,
both heritage and community, will enhance access by providing
content local people will relate to. This is especially important
in tempting sometimes reluctant older users, and its development
is a role MLA North West is well placed to perform, given funding
opportunities.
MLA North West hopes that this submission will
prove useful to the Inquiry and will be delighted to provide additional
information or comment.
12 November 2004
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