Agenda item

Officers attending to update the Panel on progress of the Library Service review.

The Panel considered a report on progress with regard to the Library Service review.  The review target was to achieve £400,000 savings over a two year period through:

·         efficiencies in management of the stock;

·         developing a stronger community role for libraries through the use of volunteers;

·         significant improvement to access to the libraries by introducing Technology Assisted Opening and self-service;

with all libraries in the Borough to remain open.

The project was progressing well with the stock efficiency savings being realised and good levels of volunteering achieved leading to £250,000 savings in 2017/18 as programmed.  A supplier for the technology had been procured but a minor delay in the installation work meant the remaining savings would be re-phased to save £120,000 in 2018/19 and the final £30,000 in 2019/20.

The Panel noted that the programme of building works for the self-service kiosks and technology enabled opening was underway; Great Hollands had been completed with installation in the remaining eight libraries proceeding over the next few months.  Tagging of books for the tracking technology had also been carried out.  Over 100 volunteers had successfully been recruited to complement existing staffing, enabling extended lunchtime hours to be introduced at four libraries so far.  There remained a challenge to recruit volunteers for Saturday and evening working.

The remodelling of roles and responsibilities of staff was a key element of the new vision for the service.  The first phase covering management, supervisory and administrative support staff had been completed and the second phase focussing on frontline staff and the way branches are managed across the Borough was moving ahead with staff consultation likely to begin in April 2018.

Arising from questions and discussion the Panel noted:

• Remodelling of roles and responsibilities at all levels is essential to achieve the new vision for the service. A review of staffing levels, roles and responsibilities is being carried out and will create a structure capable of this. The Council’s organisational development change protocol aims to ensure that redundancies are minimised from exercises to remodel staff working. It was possible that some natural wastage would also contribute to avoiding redundancies.
• A correction to the report was made in relation to single staffing of libraries.  This would only occur at some of the smaller branches, but there would be a staffed service across all libraries covering all existing opening hours.
• In relation to the number of volunteers required, a total of 150 was suggested but this would depend on the number of hours offered by the volunteers.  Officers were requested to circulate members with details of which branches were in need of volunteers, and the range of hours needed to be covered.  Such information could also usefully be passed on to Town and Parish Councils for inclusion in local newsletters, bulletins etc.  Applications to volunteer from students and young people were very welcome.
• Communications with users about the changes being introduced would be most important.  A programme of staff training was being rolled out which would cover ways of introducing the remodelled service to the public and encouraging their engagement with it.
• The new technology being introduced to branches included full technical support covering the self-service kiosks and any problems with Technology Assisted Opening.
• A question was raised about the public offering nearly new hardback books to add to library stock (a previously acceptable practice).  Officers agreed to look into this.

The Panel was concerned to ensure that the changes arising from the Library Review should be introduced as smoothly as possible.  At the suggestion of the Chairman, it was agreed that a further report on progress be made to the Panel at its meeting in September 2018.