Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 7

13 March 2003

Library and Information Service Review

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Richard Ward tel: 01962 826621

Sarah Stone ext. 6105

1. Introduction

1.1 A joint report has been prepared by the Director of Recreation and Heritage and the County Personnel and Training Officer on the re-organisation of the Library and Information Services.

1.2 The report was approved by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage on 19 February 2003 and is brought to the attention of Members of the Policy Review Committee.

2                    Summary of the changes

2.1 These are listed under operations and headquarters.

Operations

· The operations part of the service (day to day running of the library) will be organised into twenty service units with each unit led by a Library Manager

· The professional part of the service (providing on-site support as well as outreach) will be organised into eight service development teams (co-terminus with District Councils) with each team led by a Service Development Team Leader

· There will be `contracts' between Library Managers and Service Development Team Leaders to agree the number of on-site professional hours to be provided at each branch.

· Librarians will be freed up from administrative tasks to enable them to concentrate on professional work in branches and to creating links with local communities

· Library Managers will be managing between 2-3 branches, plus a mobile and will have responsibility for all operations staff. They will also manage budgets for staffing, furniture and equipment and will have responsibility for the building.

· A key element of this post will be the ability to make local decisions to improve the service to the public.

· Service Development Team Leaders will have responsibility for managing their teams and for creating links with District Councils. They will also manage small budgets for reader development initiatives.

· The twenty Library Managers and eight Service Development Team Leaders will be managed by two Customer Services Managers, who will be managed by a Head of Operations.

 

Headquarters

· A Strategic Management Board is being created which will consist of the Head of Libraries, Head of County Services, Head of Operations, Head of ICT and Head of Strategy and Performance.

· The Library Management Team will consist of Board members, plus the two Customer Services Managers and the three specialist service managers for stock, information and lifelong learning, and children young people and schools

· Stock acquisitions will be centralised which will streamline the distribution of new books and other materials to branches.

· A new Strategy and Performance Section is being created which will cover three areas: building projects, service contracts and standards and quality (which includes training and marketing).

· A new ICT section is being created which will lead for the whole R&H Department and will provide much needed strategic and practical support in this area.

 

3       Consultation

3.1 There has been a very extensive consultation process including the use of specialist consultants. Many changes have been incorporated into the proposals following the consultation and there has been close involvement from the relevant union - which has stated that it welcomes the changes being introduced.

Recommendation

That Members welcome the changes set out in the Report

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.

N.B. the list excludes:

1. Published works.

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

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