LIBRARY FACILITIES IN 1 MILLBANK
21. The Committee approved the proposed library
facilities in 1 Millbank following its refurbishment. There will
be a Members Library on the ground floor, which will replace the
current library outlet in 2 Millbank, and an enhanced research
team on the seventh-floor. These facilities have been planned
in the light of Members' stated needs and requirements, drawing
on the Survey of Members' Needs in 2004, the Survey of Library
Research Services in 2006, and a range of feedback from individual
Members.
22. The proposed Members Library on the ground
floor has been planned in two parts, a quiet Reading and Writing
Room for Members, and an e-Library. The Reading and Writing Room,
staffed by the Reference and Research teams, will provide facilities
and services similar to those in the main Library suite in the
Palace of Westminster. The plans currently provide for some 30
spaces with workstations for Members in this Room. The e-Library
space will provide a flexible area with about 20 workstations
and some wall-mounted plasma screens, giving Members and their
staff access to online training, information resources and email.
An exhibition of the key features of the plan was held in the
Royal Gallery in July.
FUTURE LIBRARY SERVICES
23. In July 2008, Members of the Committee attended
the Library staff's business planning meeting, which focussed
on four development areas: a virtual library; new products and
user guides; the designs for the proposed library facilities in
1 Millbank; and continued rationalisation of the Library's
collections. The Committee welcomed the opportunity to learn more
about the Library and its plans for the future. Last Session,
we supported the introduction of Library email alerts and Library
Notes on topics for Thursday debates. At the business planning
meeting we were pleased to note the positive feedback from other
Members on these new products and made suggestions to develop
these initiatives. At a subsequent meeting, the Committee considered
a draft of the Library's 2009 business plan and had a further
opportunity to input into the Library's plans.
