Agenda item

During the past year the library service has successfully remodelled mobile library services. This year it is developing a new community hub model at Calne Library; to increase access to the building and to enable more community use for events, activities and access to information, services and advice.  If this new model is successful, it is intended to create the hub model at other suitable libraries across the county.

An update on the Library Service is attached for information and Officers will be present at the meeting, to answer any questions on the topic.

Cllr Seed, Cabinet Member for Housing, Leisure, Libraries and Flooding, introduced the report. He outlined that Wiltshire Council had the same number of static libraries (31) that it had had in 2009. A review of mobile library services took place in 2015 as part of delivering corporate savings targets, and following extensive consultation with local communities; the number of public mobile libraries was reduced from 4 to 2. New timetables were introduced that retained 90% of the original stops. Joan Davis, Head of Libraries, Heritage and Arts, stated that the timetables would be reviewed in October 2016. It was explained that a mobile library stop needed to have at least 3 people per stop, for the stop to be maintained as a part of the mobile library service.

Cllr Seed informed that book lending had decreased by 5% and that Wiltshire Council’s aim was to allow its communities to be involved in the libraries as much as possible. Cllr Seed drew attention to the Corsham Library, housed at the Springfield Community Campus, and highlighted that this library was unstaffed outside library operating times and therefore, had had its opening hours extended for the past 18 months. He reported that the Corsham Library had been operating well for the community; indeed, it was stressed that since the Corsham library had been opened at the Springfield Campus, theft had decreased.

Laurie Bell, Associate Director Communities and Communications, commented that Wiltshire libraries should not be under-estimated in their power to help and improve health and wellbeing. She noted that Wiltshire’s libraries had been helping older people with digital literacy and that there were a range of activities run out of the libraries; which helped to ensure that all individuals in the community could feel included.

It was explained that the Library Service needed to save 25% of its current budget and this was aiming to be achieved through a management restructure, back office reductions and the year’s book stock fund. The stock fund was detailed as being used to purchase not only new books for loan, but also a range of other materials and services related to library provision; such as DVDs for income generation, newspapers, online information services, catalogue data and RFID self-service tags, as well as inter-lending service subscriptions. It was hoped that in the following year money would be able to be placed back into the book stock fund, in order to ensure that the fund would be sustainable. 

Cllr Seed noted his admiration for how Wiltshire Council Libraries had approached such a wholesale reorganisation and commended the 750 volunteers of Wiltshire’s libraries.

Following the identification of a discrepancy between the budget book and the report with regards to the Book Fund, it was confirmed that the report presented to committee was accurate and that the Book Fund would be reduced by 50%; as it had been felt that any further reductions to the fund would be inappropriate. It was highlighted that the total figure for Library Service savings, as agreed at Full Council, had not changed.

Following questions from the Committee, it was confirmed that, as seen with the Corsham Campus, Wiltshire residents were making use of facilities and services that they had not previously traditionally interacted with. It was noted that the wishes of communities had been taken into account when relocating, or not, libraries into the Health and Wellbeing Centres. It was further clarified that on Wiltshire Council’s libraries’ webpages and on posters within the libraries, donations of recently published books in good condition were invited. It was highlighted that the public had engaged well with the scheme; as 5000 donations had been received in the previous year.

Resolved:

That

       i.          The Committee noted the content of the report;

     ii.          An updated breakdown of the 2016/17 budget for the Libraries, Heritage & Arts Service would be provided to the Committee at its next meeting;

   iii.          An update on the success and progress of the new Calne Library model, including a breakdown of usage for each library in Wiltshire and an update on the review of the Library Service would be provided to the Committee in early 2017.