Agenda item

(1)       Ms Honey and Ms Anley introduced a report which outlined the approach being developed to deliver sustainable library services for the future. 

(2)       Ms Honey and Ms Anley answered questions and noted comments from Members which included the following:-

• The Chairman confirmed that there had not been a previous libraries paper discussed by the Conservative Group.
• Members were assured that the Locality Boards would have the capacity and necessary support to deal effectively with the key issues of Libraries and the Youth Services that were being put before them.
• Members suggested that in order for effective consideration to be given to the provision of library services at a local level the following information would need to be supplied to Locality Boards or other local Members that would be considering this issue:-
  • Information on the condition of library buildings in the area.
  • Available support from the County Council to volunteers who wished to run a library. 
  • If there were any libraries that it was intended to retain, it should be made clear to the Locality Boards etc, so that they did not spend time discussing them.
  • How to manage and balance the financial situation across the District/Borough to get an effective outcome.
• Ms Anley confirmed that there would be a comprehensive information pack for the Locality Boards, and other local meetings which would include detailed information on all libraries in their area.  The Equality Impact Assessment, attached to the report gave an indication of some of the demographic information that would be provided. Information would also be provided on the County Council’s statutory duty in relation to library provision.  The information packs would be available by the end of December 2011.
• It was confirmed that no savings were contained within the 2012/13 of Medium Term Financial Plan but that libraries were delivering other savings in relation to Radio Frequency Identification, management and other efficiencies.

·        Ms Anley emphasised that the use of volunteers was only one of a        range of models, which could work in specific types of communities.             She gave the example of Sandgate Library which shared premises and      staff cost with the Parish Council.

·        A Member asked what would happen if the local people did not want a            library to close but no one came forward with a plan to keep it open. Ms      Anley confirmed that local need and demand would be taken into consideration.  

·        A Member emphasised the importance of Local Members factoring in            future growth when considering library provision for their area.

·        In response to a question on mitigating the risk of judicial reviews, Ms             Anley stated that the public was not a cohesive body and it only took          one individual to raise a judicial review, therefore it was essential that           the process for reaching decisions on libraries was defensible. 

·        Ms Anley confirmed that the lack of a self service system, did not make           it more likely that a library would close, she explained that the selection of libraries for self service was based on financial grounds, i.e. savings       on staff costs verses the cost of introducing self service. 

·         The feasibility of looking to the Big Society to take over some of the    County Councils services was questioned. 

·        As some areas did not have Locality Boards, and of those that did have Locality Boards some of their Membership was not as wide as other areas, the issue of question of equality of consideration for each of the areas was raised,   It was suggested that steps should be taken to ensure that there is a consistence in the organisations involved in each area.   Ms Anley explained that where currently there was not a Locality Board, the Local County Councillors would be consulted on who else should be involved in the discussions in their District.   Other solutions to library provision would enable joined up services and savings.  It was important to talk to a wide range of people such as schools, the health service, shops in order to explore different options.

·        The Chairman referred to the model at Cranbourne in Cambridgeshire,           which she had visited with Ms Anley, where the library was within the           medical centre which worked really well.

·        Regarding the supply of books to a small library, Ms Anley stated that books held locally were only a small part of the stock of the whole       county which can be accessed from every library through the County            reservation service, were books could be reserved on line to be     delivered to any library in the County.  The Town Centre Libraries were             the ones where the majority of issues were made and were most     heavily used. In the small community libraries acted as a hub and the   stock could be refreshed by circulating it.

·        A Member referred to the way forward with putting  libraries in   Gateways.

·        Ms Anley confirmed that over the past 9 years, 7 libraries had been     closed, including the merger of Springfield and St Faiths in Maidstone,           the others were very small community libraries, which now had a              mobile library service. 

·         Mr Ozog requested an update on the footfall figures for libraries.

·        Ms Anley referred to the growth in e-book usage but stated that it was             still a very small percentage of total issues and there is and will remain          for the foreseeable future, a place for hard copy books, the library   service were offering people a choice.

(3)       RESOLVED that the proposed approach be noted.