Agenda item

The Committee will receive a report on work currently underway to develop a new vision and strategy for Buckinghamshire Libraries. Members will have an opportunity to feedback on the priorities that have been identified.

Contributors:

Richard Barker, Corporate Director, Communities

David Jones, Head of Libraries

Laura Davies, Operations Manager

Lyn Mangisi, Support and Development Manager

Katie Dejoux, Culture and Outreach Services Manager

The Chairman welcomed Richard Barker, Corporate Director, Communities; David Jones, Head of Libraries; Laura Davies, Operations Manager; Lyn Mangisi, Support and Development Manager; and Katie Dejoux, Culture and Outreach Services Manager, to the meeting.

During the presentation, the following key points were made:

·       The service provided access to 29 libraries, plus the school library service, prisons and virtual libraries. 14 of those were Council-managed, with 10 being self-managed and 9 community libraries. Buckinghamshire’s library offer was noted to be excellent due to the community-run model which has proven to be both financially robust and sustainable. The employment of digital technology and new approaches around income generation has also helped to sustain income over time.

·       Many libraries were also customer access points which provided residents and visitors with a wide range of health and wellbeing programmes, cultural and learning opportunities and community engagement activities.

·       In the past decade, costs for the library service had been reduced by 40%. Staff levels had been reduced to seven per capita of population, compared to a national average of 11.5 due to the use of technology and volunteering. The cost of premises had also been reduced through co-locations and partnerships. Despite the reduction in cost, there had also been some income challenges, particularly due to the increased use of online streaming services. However, the service had also moved away from traditional book-borrowing services and developed a strong service offer in terms of digital inclusion, health and wellbeing, and culture.

·       A proposed purpose and vision statement had been published following discussions with staff, volunteers and community library partners. These discussions had also resulted in four strategies priorities being identified:

1.      Health and Wellbeing: This included health checks, blood pressure checks, smoking cessation and sessions to bring socially isolated people together.

2.      Culture and Learning: Cultural activities in libraries allowed people who are less likely to access culture to do so and continue to do so.

3.      Stronger Communities: Libraries helping to develop a sense of place and bring communities together.

4.      Access, Information, and Inclusion: The core of libraries was free access to information. Libraries worked with a range of organisations to ensure that information can be accessed also by people who were not used to using computers.

·       The delivery of the service’s vision included libraries being delivered as hubs. This way, premises could be remodelled according to the library offer, thus making better use of space. This would allow residents to get information and help from a single point. A countywide engagement process with meetings, focus groups and online surveys would be used to work up a detailed five-year plan.

The following points were noted during the Committee’s discussion:

·       A member raised concerns that books appeared to be less of a priority to libraries. Mr Jones assured the Committee that books were still at the heart of the strategy. However, it was important to consider issues such as sustainability and resilience as well in order not to lose the facilities for books and reading.

·       It was noted that Buckinghamshire were ahead of the curve in maintaining a great service offer on a reduced budget. Whilst more funding for libraries would be welcomed there was pressure on the Council’s budget.

·       A member pointed out that community libraries should be given the opportunity to operate as freely as possible, as Buckinghamshire’s community libraries had been successful in the past. Mr Jones agreed with the comment and noted that a third of the libraries were co-produced to ensure library offers were tailored to local needs. Funding, books, and premises were provided to the 14 community partnerships, but there were no plans to inhibit local and creative service offers.

·       Concerns were also raised around Bourne End Library which had been under threat of closure some time ago. Mr Jones was asked how struggling libraries could be supported. He suggested that an active Friends of the Library group was always helpful so they could look for volunteers to support this. He also noted that the hall at the library in Bourne End could be a valuable source of income when hired out, so the local members could also promote this opportunity.

·       A member suggested that more interaction with parish councils was needed to effectively offer support to libraries. It was noted that some communication with parishes was already underway and in Wendover, discussions were taking place with a view to co-locating the parish council and the library. Following the renovation of Marlow Library, the town council also now had an office in the building.

·       At the last Select Committee looking at Visitor Economy, it had been suggested that libraries could host visitor information.  David Jones agreed that with libraries acting as community hubs, they could provide information across many areas including tourism.

·       In the winter it was likely that libraries would be marketed as warm spaces that could be accessed by anyone struggling to heat their homes and there would be information available on energy conservation and debt management.  Library staff were known for their kind and helpful attitude.

·       A member raised concerns about libraries losing funding and no longer focussing on their core offer of lending books. He questioned if the Council was complying with the 1964 Libraries Act. Mr Jones advised that the 1964 act was quite vague and due to the challenges of reduced local government budgets, the library service had to diversify in order to survive. Anyone visiting a library could still borrow books and access information for free, although this might be held digitally. He also expressed the view that the professional craft of librarianship was no longer as relevant because technology had taken over a lot of the traditional skills, so volunteer staff were able to help library visitors in meaningful way. The countywide Summer Reading Challenge and other initiatives still promoted literacy.

·       Buckinghamshire had a proportionally higher number of libraries being open 20-25 hours/per week compared to the national average. A member expressed concern that his local library in Haddenham was only open three days a week and closed at 5pm, which meant that children couldn’t use the library to do their homework. However, he was aware that there were concerns about energy costs. The individual library’s opening hours were defined by the trustees so this could be discussed with them.

·       In response to a member’s concerns about gaps in physical access to libraries, it was noted that work had been undertaken to map areas and identify gaps in provision. Mr Jones noted these concerns and advised that this issue would be considered further.

·       An analysis of the use of mobile libraries had shown that the majority of people who used mobile libraries were also using physical libraries. As the vehicles used for the service were not reliable, and the cost of service was inefficient in terms of use, the service was withdrawn some time ago following a formal consultation process.

·       During the pandemic, the offer of physical newspapers had been removed. However, the digital offer had been enhanced, with 300 different titles having become available. As well as saving costs by not providing physical copies, a consultation also revealed the residents’ preference for digital newspapers.

The Chairman thanked Richard Barker, David Jones, Laura Davies, Lyn Mangisi and Katie DeJoux for attending the meeting.  Members commended Mr Jones for his passionate knowledge of his service and the positive way he presented his item at Committee.