library service modernisation review

The Library Service Modernisation Review was launched on 9th October 2008 in a speech made by Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

The Review seeks to define the Government’s vision for a modern, world-class public library service and set out some of the necessary steps to achieve this vision. It will build on both Framework for the Future and A Passion for Excellence, the 2008 strategy to support local government with the improvement of cultural and sport services.

Aims of the Review

By reviewing the current models of provision and identifying both existing best practice and new innovation, to refresh the Government’s vision for the public library service that enables local authorities’ to respond to consumer expectations and to deliver their aspirations for their communities;
To set out the policy, partnership and investment framework across government needed to achieve this vision.

Objectives of the Review

To deliver:

A high level vision for public library services in the 21st century;
A set of recommendations for central Government, its agencies and other partners, to support the delivery of this vision for a modernised local library service.

The review is informed by the following drivers for change:

The developing and converging digital environment;
The changing relationship between central and local government;
National and local economic pressures;
New business, governance and delivery models for local library services;
Relevant cross-government agendas;
Community expectations.

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To reflect these, the Review Team has worked with partners and stakeholders, especially local government, and has aimed to achieve synergy with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries Inquiry. The Review has focused on 5 areas with the following objectives:

Digital Services and Information Literacy: to explore and make recommendations on the digital services required to enable public libraries to meet the current and future needs of their local communities 24/7; assess the skills, technology, content, service structures, licensing issues and partnerships necessary to develop those services; and consider the associated information literacy needs, and how they might be addressed in the delivery of those services.
A Skilled and Responsive Workforce: to review and make recommendations on the skills mix required to deliver a 21st century library service and entry routes into the profession; the ways in which the public library workforce can be locally empowered and become more diverse; and on the local and national leadership and entrepreneurial culture needed to develop this workforce.
Capturing Impact: to consider and made recommendations on the local and national data necessary to capture the impact of libraries on their local communities, which will be effective in securing the support and engagement of partners; to identify and make better use of sources of information, especially from consumers and from across government; to consider and make recommendations on the need for a new national definition of a minimum service standard.
A Community-led Service: to explore and make recommendations on innovative models of service delivery that integrate libraries with other local services; that make libraries increasingly responsive to the needs of their communities and that involve users in their design and delivery.
Funding Innovation: to review and make recommendations on innovative partnership and funding models that can release additional capital and revenue funding streams to enable service modernisation and improve delivery.

The project is overseen by a DCMS-chaired Project Board with the following external members:

Tracy Chevalier - Author
Roy Clare - Chief Executive, Museums, Libraries & Archives Council
Tony Durcan - President, Society of Chief Librarians
Jill Finney – previously Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, British Library and currently Director of Engagement at the Care Quality Commission
Sheila Healy - Chief Executive, Cornwall County Council
Paul Raynes - Programme Director, Local Government Association
Mike Thorne - Chair, Advisory Council on Libraries

Since launching the Review over fifty written submissions have been sent to library.review@culture.gsi.gov.uk from library services, individuals and user groups with suggestions, case studies and details of their modernisation work. These submissions have been considered along with evidence from many discussions and visits with library practitioners and other stakeholders across the country and the five reference groups which we convened to investigate the five objectives referred to above. Meetings have also been held with government departments and local authorities. From all of this material and evidence the Review team have been working through the findings and options to identify what can be taken forward.

The Minister has held two round tables to discuss progress, and other events, including a joint briefing session for local authority chief executives with the Local Government Association, are in train.

In November 2008 the Evidence and Impact workstream group commissioned an independent literature review of the existing data on the impact of public library services. This report identifies which type of data and research is most effective at capturing the impact of libraries on their local communities and where there are existing gaps in that data.

We plan to publish the final Review findings in June, following the Local Authority elections. The report of the Wirral Inquiry will be published around the same time..

Websites of interest

IDeA