Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 2

18 July 2002

Annual Library Plan Update

Report of the Director for Recreation and Heritage

Contact: John Dunne, ext: 6621

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the improvements and developments outlined in this report be included in the Annual Library Plan 2002.

2. Reasons

2.1 The Annual Library Plan is a requirement by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and must be approved by the County Council and be submitted by the 30 September 2002.

3. Other options considered and rejected

None.

4. Conflicts granted by the Standards Committee

None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

None.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if urgent

Not applicable.

Approved by: ............................... Date of decision ...................

Councillor J Waddington

Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee

27 June 2002 Item 3

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 2

18 July 2002

Annual Library Plan Update

Report of the Director for Recreation and Heritage

Contact: John Dunne, Ext. 6621

1. Summary

1.1 The Annual Library Plan 2001 was submitted to the Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee on 17 January 2002 and to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage on 22 January 2002.

As required by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Plan was approved by the County Council on 21 February 2002.

1.2 Since then a significant number of improvements and developments have been made to the service which will be included in the Annual Library Plan 2002.

2. New Libraries

2.1 The old library in Lymington, opening in 1952, has been replaced by a new modern building which is twice the size and offers new services such as CDs, videos and DVDs. It is also the first library in the County to provide the People's Network computer facility which has proved very successful.

2.2 West End library, with the financial support of the Parish and District Councils, was relocated within the Community Centre and is now twice the area of the existing library. A new video service was launched to coincide with the opening.

2.3 The Project Appraisal for a £1.2 million library in Alton, to be opened in Summer 2003, has been approved which will double the size of the library area for the public. Additional services will also be introduced to coincide with the opening e.g. videos and DVDs.

2.4 A number of library and other Recreation and Heritage sites are being considered for Discovery Centres and a shortlist of sites is being considered.

3. Opening Hours

3.1 Opening Hours have been significantly improved in a number of libraries, including Hedge End (with support from the Parish Council), Lockswood, New Milton and West End.

3.2 There have been a number of consultations with the public on re-organising opening hours to suit local needs. The most successful of these was at Waterlooville where nearly 2,000 questionnaires were returned, which resulted in earlier opening in the week and later opening on Saturday afternoon.

3.3 A pilot library to introduce Sunday opening is being investigated.

4. Standards

4.1 The Investors in People accreditation was received in December 2001.

4.2 Eighteen libraries have achieved the Guidance Council Quality Mark for information, advice and guidance services via the Link 2 Learn partnership.

4.3 Forty four libraries have achieved the Community Legal Service Quality Mark for provision of community legal information.

4.4 A successful Best Value Review of the School Library Service was completed in December 2001.

5. New Services

5.1 Additional video, DVD and CD-Rom services have been introduced in many libraries bringing the total numbers to 33 video, 24 DVD and 16 CD-Rom collections in the County.

5.2 Photocopying has always been a popular service with the public and fourteen colour photocopiers have been introduced to add to the black and white machines already available in libraries.

5.3 A self reservation/self renewing system is being trialled at Winchester library and plans are in hand to roll it out to all library catalogue terminals in the autumn. It is hoped to extend the service to the web catalogue on Hantsweb by the end of the year.

5.4 A new partnership between Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, called Co-South, is being set up which will provide a computer catalogue link to all four authorities and offer the chance to build inter-library loan partnerships.

5.5 The Peoples Network IT infrastructure will be in place in all libraries by

the end of the year offering free internet access, as well as word processing

and other facilities for the public. Gosport is receiving four PCs as a result of generous funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

5.6 Pilot computer links are being trialled on two mobiles, one linking to the

Galaxy book circulation system and the other to the internet.

5.7 Farnborough library is involved in a national pilot to provide a National Electronic Library of Health terminal.

5.8 Close links have been established with the newly formed Hants and Isle of Wight Basic Skills Support Unit (BSSU). Hampshire is joint funding with BBSU four resource collections of basic skills materials in libraries. Roadshows to identify the material required to support local education provider needs and meet government literacy targets have just been held across the County.

5.9 The Bee Aware Scheme, which provides free access to inter-lending for non-book items for visually impaired people, has been introduced. A new Volunteer Housebound service for blind people has been introduced in the Havant area.

5.10 In partnership with the Early Education and Childcare Unit, two Early Years Co-ordinators have been appointed to cover the County. A Sure Start Library Co-ordinator is working in the Leigh Park area as part of a local partnership, consisting of Education, Social Services, Health and voluntary agencies in the community. These posts are specifically set up to promote literacy and libraries to parents and babies. Baby Rhyme Times are being introduced in libraries to encourage babies and parents to join in with nursery rhymes and actions.

5.11 The Easy Returns Service is being introduced on the 1^st July enabling readers to return any item to any library in the County.

5.12 Partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary has led to a pilot project in Tadley where the police held surgeries at mobile stops in the area. Partnership with Hampshire Police Authority has led to the installation of five CCTV cameras at libraries to reduce vandalism.

6. Promotions

6.1 Basingstoke Library supported the annual, `Word Fest : a festival of words' in October 2001 (in conjunction with the Borough Council) with speakers in Basingstoke, Tadley and Overton.

6.2 The 150^th anniversary of Winchester library, the first to be opened in the country after the Public Libraries and Museums Act, 1850 was celebrated by a number of events in November 2001.

6.3 Four Dads and Lads groups have been set up in different parts of the

County (Fareham, New Milton, Winchester and Yateley) to promote

reading between fathers and sons. These groups are being facilitated by a

Literature Development Worker, funded by Southern Arts. Plans are being

made to increase the number of groups next year via a joint-funded post by

Libraries and Arts.

6.4 A very successful Adult Learners evening was held in Gosport library on the 15 May 2002 to coincide with Adult Learners Week. A number of presentations were given and displays were arranged from local organisations.

6.5 A number of libraries took part in Local History Week in May 2002 arranging events with Archives and Museums. A joint website with a competition was also developed to publicise the week. All the speaker events were well attended.

6.6 Two libraries, Havant and Fleet, have been taking part in the national Orange Prize promotion shadowing scheme. This reader development initiative has encouraged wider reading, reader feedback (via competition and public reviews of longlist titles), closer links with local reading groups, exciting library displays and generated local publicity.

6.7 Libraries and Museums are working together to promote various exhibitions being staged in 2002/03 by providing booklists and books as part of the display. Museums intends, where space is available in libraries, to mount a small `taster' of the relevant exhibition on nearby library premises.

6.8 "Reading Planet" the summer reading game for children is being held in 30 libraries, targeting 14,000 children. Major sponsorship has been received from Marks and Spencer, South West Trains and Southern Electric. In addition there will be a tie - in adult - "Reading Planet" promotion at the same time.

Recommendation

The Executive Member be advised that the improvements and developments in the report be included in the Annual Library Plan 2002.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1 Published works.

2 Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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Annual Library Plan Update *