Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 7

16 September 2004

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 9

16 September 2004

Public Library Standards Report 2004

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Richard Ward Tel: 01962 826621 e-mail: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the Public Library Standards Report 2004 be supported and approved for submission to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

2. Reason

The Public Library Standards Report 2004 has been prepared in response to a DCMS requirement that all authorities provide information about their performance against the Public Library Standards and is intended to assist meeting Aim 5 of the Corporate Strategy - Improving Services. The DCMS also require the Cabinet Member with the main responsibility for the service to sign the Public Library Standards Report 2004 to indicate that it has political backing within the authority.

3. Other options considered and rejected - Not applicable.

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted - None.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - Not applicable.

Approved by: (signature) Date: (of decision)

............................... .........................

Councillor J. Waddington

Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 9

16 September 2004

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 7

16 September 2004

Public Library Standards Report 2004

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Richard Ward, ext 8 326 6621 [email protected]

This report is intended to assist meeting Aim 5 of the Corporate Strategy - Improving Services

1. Introduction

1.1 In 2001 the Department for Culture, Media and Sport introduced a set of national public library standards to guide the continuous improvement of services and against which the performance of each library authority would be monitored and assessed on an annual basis. These standards were published in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) document `Comprehensive, efficient and modern public libraries - standards and assessment' and a period of three years was allowed for compliance.

1.2 Three years on, the Secretary of State has now asked that all public library authorities in England should provide information about their performance against the standards and any local targets set. Each authority's performance will be rated as weak, fair, good or excellent on the basis of an analysis undertaken by assessors appointed by the DCMS.

2 Hampshire Libraries - an improving service

2.1 During the lifetime of the current Public Library Standards the library service has made massive strides forward. These strides have been externally validated starting with the Audit Commission's "light touch" re-inspection which gave the assessment as "a good two star service, that has promising prospects for improvement" through to the latest MORI Opinion poll findings which show 83% overall satisfaction with the service compared to 77% in 2000/01. The service also achieved Investor in People status and Matrix Accreditation.

· Brighter, more attractive libraries - £2m has been invested in refurbishing 16 libraries ranging from major schemes such as Farnborough, Chandlers Ford to smaller improvements at Fleet and Yateley

· New Libraries - an impressive new library building programme has continued with Lymington Library opened in 2002, Alton Library opened in September 2004, and further new libraries on the stocks for Bursledon, Whitchurch, and a major extension at Romsey.

· Discovery Centre Programme - Hampshire's innovative and nationally acclaimed Discovery Centre programme aimed at creating a new generation of libraries is well underway with the £2m Gosport conversion on schedule to reopen in early spring 2005. Other Discovery Centres will follow with Winchester's £7m scheme at a detailed planning stage and work progressing on similar schemes for Havant, Basingstoke, and Andover.

· Longer opening hours - steady improvements have been made in library opening hours and by 2004/05, 19 out of 54 libraries showing increases.

· New mobile fleet - As a result of a mobile library service review during 2003/04 two new 36 feet vehicles with satellite Internet access and several low van chassis vehicles have been ordered.

· Service innovations - there have been many service improvements with a wide range of reader and learning activities and events taking place both within and outside libraries. These include a project with Travellers, the Family Reading Roller Coaster, Storybook Dads, Bookstart, music fusion and Silver Surfer Week

3. Hampshire County Council Public Library Standards Report 2004

3.1 As an excellent authority under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), Hampshire County Council is exempted from submitting an annual position statement to the DCMS. Guidance has been issued by the DCMS on what is required from excellent authorities on their response to the Public Library Standards. The attached Public Library Standards Report for Hampshire has been prepared in accordance with this guidance. The DCMS also requires the Cabinet member with the main responsibility for the Service to sign the Report to indicate that it has political backing within the authority. Details of performance against the national standards between 2001 and 2004 are set out in Appendix 2.

3.2 One assessment score will given for the authority's response to the public library standards as at March 31 2004, including local targets and progress since the national standards were introduced in January 2001. The DCMS has stated that this score will be sent to the Audit Commission for inclusion in the CPA, although it is not clear how or when this will be incorporated in the overall CPA score. The Public Library Standards are themselves likely to change this year (the DCMS conducted a consultation on proposed changes earlier in the year) and it is unlikely that the Audit Commission would make any short term changes to CPA methodology in advance of the introduction of these revised standards and the wholesale revision of the CPA process that will take place in 2005. The Audit Commission will also take Report into account in any future inspection or assessment of the Library and Information Service.

Recommendation

That the Public Library Standards Report be supported and submitted to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage for his consideration.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

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:

Published works

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

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

PUBLIC LIBRARY STANDARDS REPORT

2004

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICE

PUBLIC LIBRARY STANDARDS REPORT 2004

1 Corporate vision and ambition for the public library service

1i Major Achievements - Evidence headlines

_ Ambitious relaunch and development of the Library and Information Service - political support for a radical service restructure in 2003/4 to provide a more proactive, flexible, innovative and community responsive approach to service delivery and development.

_ Improved CPA score - response to inspection includes improved opening hours and public consultation.

_ Discovery Centres - a leading, innovative and nationally recognised initiative. Substantial County Council investment in eight pilot Discovery Centres will provide a new focus for community life, a stimulating and accessible learning environment enabling personal growth of the individual, encourage ownership and a sense of place and increased usage throughout their community :

_ £2m Gosport Discovery Centre - work well underway.

_ £7m investment in the high profile Winchester Cultural Centre in partnership with the City Council is at the detailed planning stage - scheme details being refined by detailed consultation with users and non users.

_ Detailed planning underway for the next three Discovery Centres at Havant, Basingstoke and Andover.

_ £2m two year refurbishment programme to create brighter, more attractive libraries funded from transferring Service revenue money to the capital budget with matched funding from corporate resources. ( 16 libraries targeted including Farnborough, Fleet, Yateley, and Chandler's Ford ).

_ Major investment in substantially upgrading the mobile library fleet. As a result of a mobile library service review during 2003/4, two new 36 feet vehicles with satellite Internet access and several low van chassis vehicles will be in service early in 2005. These vehicles will provide ICT access for the first time.

_ New Library opening at Alton in September 2004 ( £1.27m ).

_ New libraries planned :

_ Whitchurch Community Facility Scheme

_ Bursledon Community Centre extension

_ Major library extension at Romsey ( £675k ) which will provide a much improved library on Discovery Centre principles.

_ Funding for longer opening hours ( £100k ) - the start made in 2003/4 will see a further 17 libraries with increased opening hours during 2004/5.

_ 98.2% buy back into the School Library Service by Hampshire schools.

_ Support of social inclusion - appointment of Equal Access Manager / Early Years Officer / Looked After Children Liaision posts ; Travellers and Frogmore Children's Projects / Storybook Dads ( prisoners at HMP Winchester not only reading stories for their families but also digitally editing the recordings and inserting sound effects).

_ Political willingness to take hard short term decisions ( e.g. taking £0.5m from the bookfund to fund the library refurbishment programme in 2003/4 and 2004/5). £0.5m will be restored to the 2005/6 bookfund.

_ Openness to external challenge e.g. ` Who's in charge report' by Tim Coates.

1ii Delivering the corporate agenda

_ Hampshire Library and Information Service is a Recreation & Heritage service of the County Council. Service delivery and improvements to performance are developed within the Recreation & Heritage Department's key aims :

_ Promoting access, inclusion and participation

_ Supporting lifelong learning

_ Achieving economic benefits

_ Stewardship of the county's cultural heritage

_ Reinforcing a sense of place and community identity

Linked to Corporate Strategy aims and targets, these aims provide a focus for service delivery which contributes directly and indirectly to the corporate agenda. This is particularly the case with work on the Cabinet's key short term priorities around :

_ Education and skills development

_ Older people

_ Young people

_ Transportation ( mobility and accessibility )

_ Crime and deprivation

_ Corporate recognition of the contribution that the Library and Information Service can make to the corporate agenda can be seen in the tangible support for the transformation agenda for the Service, its future development and the imaginative Discovery Centre programme.These key developments offer an exciting way to enable more people to use the range of services that the County Council and its partners provide. They support the conclusions of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Framework for the Future report on libraries and link outcomes directly to the corporate agenda.

Iiii External evaluation

_ Improved CPA score March 2003 - Service assessed as a `good two star service that has promising prospects for improvement'. The light touch inspection found staff and councillors committed to improving the Library and Information Service for customers; councillors well informed about the Service with Members of the Scrutiny Committee identified as service specialists.

_ Adult PLUS Survey November 2003

_ Overall satisfaction : 93.7%

_ Improved satisfaction ratings for services comparable with previous survey (2001) - in particular staff knowledge and expertise ( one of the two top rated service aspects ).

_ Information and enquiry service/ services for children highly rated.

_ Computers rated good.

_ Books and other materials rated adequate - £0.5m will be restored to the bookfund in 2005/6.

_ Opening hours ( adequate rating but lowest rated in service aspects and biggest change since previous survey). This validates current action in extending opening hours in 19 libraries.

_ HMP Winchester - Adult Learning Inspectorate

_ Positive results from a re-inspection - inspectors were very pleased with the library -one inspector being moved to tears with what had been accomplished with `Storybook Dads' and seeing the benefits that this work was having on the prisoners.

_ MORI polls

_ 2003 `Hampshire Listens' Panels ( residents ) -1,900 postal self-completion questionnaires sent to panel members - 891 respondents.

Overall satisfaction with the Library Service	Usage
2001 61% ( Users 73% )	2002 68%
2003 63% (Users 74%)	2003 83%

_ BVPI 2003/4 survey - face to face interviews with 1,105 Hampshire residents ( 1,107 residents interviewed in 2000/1 ).

_ Library users satisfaction 90%

_ Overall satisfaction 83% ( 77% in 2000/1 )

_ Do you think the service has got better or worse over the last three years, or has it stayed the same ?

Better 24 % Worse 2%

II Public Library Standards : performance in the financial year to

March 31^st 2004.

1.1 IIi Standards met

	2001/2	2002/3	2003/4	Standard
PLS 1 (i)	86%	86%	85%	85%
PLS 1 (ii)	86%	86%	85%	79%
PLS 2 (i)	0.00%	0.00%	0.1%	0.30%
PLS 2 (ii)	5.00%	4.3%	1.9%	4.40%
PLS 5	94%	100%	100%	100%
PLS 6 (ii)	67%	100%	100%	100%
PLS 7	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks
PLS 8	12	12	12	8
PLS 9 (i)	44%	57%	58%	50%
PLS 9 (ii)	74%	83%	77%	70%
PLS 9 (iii)	86%	91%	89%	85%
PLS 12 (ii)	**	**	91.5%	65%
PLS 13 (ii)	**	**	80.8%	75%
PLS 14 (i)	95%	95%	96%	95%
PLS 14 (ii)	**	**	99.5%	95%
PLS 15 (i)	98%	97%	98%	95%
PLS 15 (ii)	**	**	99.5%	95%

** No Children's PLUS Survey data

Standards not met

Opening hours

	2001/2	2002/3	2003/4	Standard
PLS 3 (i)	83	85	102	128
PLS 3 (ii)	22%	21%	22%	30%
PLS 4	47%	67%	71%	100%

-

Progress has been made towards achieving the opening hours standards. Political

commitment and a substantial investment ( £100k ) in 2003/4 will result in 19 libraries with increased opening hours; an increase of 75 hours (i.e. a projected PLS performance of 114.5 for 2004/5 for PLS 3 (i) ). There has also been greater emphasis from 2002/3 on public consultation about library opening hours to identify improvements to meet local community needs.

The number of libraries open at least 45hours a week will further improve in 2004/5 with three more libraries reaching this target (PLS 4 ).

Internet access

	2001/2	2002/3	2003/4	Standard
PLS 6 (i)	1	3	3.5	6 electronic workstations per 10,000 population

While a substantial improvement has been achieved between 2001 and 2004, performance falls well short of the target of six electronic workstations due to inadequate Lottery funding for the People's Network and increasing network costs. Plans for Discovery Centres include an increase in workstations (e.g. Gosport Discovery Centre will have an additional 27 People's Network workstations ) but issues of space, network costs and further capital investment remain. Interestingly, recent polls indicate that the public are looking for more books, opening hours and study spaces than electronic workstations.

Library visits

	2001/2	2002/3	2003/4	Standard
PLS 11	5,626	5,577	5,712	6,600

The outturn for library visits per 1,000 population in 2003/4 represents an improvement in performance over three years. Visitor figures are expected to rise significantly with the increase in opening hours in 2004/5, refurbished libraries and launch of Discovery Centres designed to increase footfall ( Gosport, the first Discovery Centre, is due to open in Spring 2005 ).

Bookstock

	2001/2	2002/3	2003/4	Standard
PLS 12 (i)	57%	58%	52%	65%
PLS 13 (i)	78%	75%	70%	75%
PLS 17	217	175	153	216
PLS 18	6.8	7.6	8.2	6.7

The decline in percentage of adult users reporting success in obtaining a specific book

( PLS 12 (i) ) is a result of the temporary redirection of part of the bookfund to the library refurbishment programme. This transfer of funds to building maintenance also affected the success of adult users in gaining information as a result of a search or enquiry ( PLS 13 (i) ) ; reduced the number of annual items added through purchase per 1000 population ( PLS 17 ) and lengthened the time taken to replenish lending stock on open access and available for loan ( PLS 18 ).

There is political support for achieving the required Standards i.e. a commitment to provide additional funding for the bookstock this year and to restore £0.5m to the 2005/6 bookfund.

II.ii Public library standards - local targets at March 31^st 2004

(Annual Library Plan 2002 - Action Plan 2003/4 )

A ) Services for people with disabilities

_ Continue programme of work to improve accessibility in libraries to

comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

(Aim : To improve access and achieve compliance )

_ Audit of all libraries completed.

_ Generic types of mobile library audited to inform work on new vehicle specifications.

In addition :

_ VIP reading group set up at Alton Library ( January 2004 ).

_ Complete programme of work to improve buildings and mobiles to

comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

(Aim : To improve access and achieve compliance )

_ Access improvement work completed for 12 libraries.

_ Start of refurbishment programme targeting 6 libraries in year one.

B) Services for minority ethnic communities

_ Implement the Library Service Race Equalities Scheme Year 2.

(Aim : To improve services for minority ethnic communities and comply with corporate requirements for the Scheme )

_ Complaints monitoring procedure revised.

_ Training introduced on race and cultural awareness .

_ Appoint Reader in Residence at Winchester Prison with focus on

women from minority ethnic communities.

(Aim : To develop literacy, reading and writing ability amongst prisoners )

_ Two writers in residence appointed, one to work with women from minority ethnic minorities.

In addition :

_ Asian DVDs introduced to libraries.

_ Celebration of Islamic Culture event.

_ C) Services for socially excluded people

_ Continue work to improve housebound service.

(Aim : To increase use of the service by housebound people )

_ Improvements to service scoped into brief for mobile library service

review .

_ Apply to Paul Hamlyn Foundation for sponsorship for work with

Looked After Children.

(Aim : To provide equality of access to reading for pleasure and for information, increase their membership of libraries, remove barriers to active library use by children and their carers, encourage book use by children in homes and their carers and encourage creativity in writing and reading )

_ Looked After Children Liaison Worker appointed in November 2003 for two years to liaise with Social Services and Libraries.

_ Bid for funding for a Basic Skills consultant /trainer to promote library

resource collections.

(Aim : Increase use of the library service by those with basic skills needs )

_ Temporary post of Basic Skills Project Coordinator phased out in April 2003 to be replaced by a Quality and Curriculum Development Officer with a remit to develop formal and informal learning across Recreation & Heritage sites including libraries.

_ Basic skills reading group run in Winchester Prison.

_ Hog the Limelight arts events held at Haslar Immigration Removal Centre e.g. Bollywood Nites / Drumming Workshop / Textile and Dyeing Workshop.

In addition :

_ People's Network live in all 54 libraries and user education taking place

at over 10 libraries.

_ Travellers Project in North West Hampshire (started June 2003 ).

D) Services for children

_ Continue to work with Sure Start and Early Years projects.

(Aim : To increase use of books and reading / support and advise practitioners across the Foundation stage for books and reading )

_ Projects continuing successfully. Extension of Early Years Officer contract for another year funded by the Early Education

and Childcare Unit. Planning to increase the number of Early Years Officers to three.

_ Implement Children's Fund Phase one

( Aim : To research the delivery of information on children's activities in Gosport with the emphasis on holiday provision and increase participation by making the information more accessible )

_ Research completed into out of school activities during the school holidays in Gosport.

( Aim : To improve Travellers' access to books and reading at Travellers' sites )

_ Travellers Project in North West Hampshire ( started in June 2003).

_ Organise summer reading game for children.

( Aim : To promote libraries, increase membership and encourage wider reading )

_ 15,361 children took part ; 11523 completed the game (12.5% increase on previous year ).

_ 9.5% increase on previous year in children taking part.

_ 1650 children joined the library to take part.

_ 7% increase on previous year in books issued to children taking part in the game.

_ Continue and extend programme of author events for children.

( Aim : To promote wider reading and increase library membership )

_ Major authors in attendance e.g. Terry Pratchett ( sell out audience of 400 children and adults ), Anthony Horowitz (audience of 1300 children and adults ), Eoin Colfer, Robin Mckinley, Terry Deary ).

_ Continue with Dads and Lads Scheme.

( Aim : To promote cross generation wider reading )

_ Continued in six locations across the County. 200 young people took part in the Teenage Day held at INTECH (March 2004).

In addition :

_ Frogmore Children's Fund three year partnership project with Yateley Town Council, Frogmore Infants School and the Yela Bus Scheme supporting children at risk of failing academically through poor parental support ( September 2003 onwards ).

_ 98.2 % buy back into the School Library Service by Hampshire Schools

_ Launch of new Children's Library Service website ( March 2004 ).

III Resources

1.2 III.i Spaces

_ Strengths

_ Discovery Centre Vision.

_ Corporate support for radical transformation of Service

_ Corporate support for library refurbishments / new libraries.

_ Penetration of infrastructure - currently 54 static libraries with 85% population living within 2 miles of a service point.19 mobile libraries ( including 4 Community Library Link and 1 Family Library Link vehicles ).

_ Refurbishment programme ( targeting 6 libraries in 2003/4; a further 10 libraries in

2004/5 ).

_ Discovery Centre programme ( Winchester/ Basingstoke / Havant/ Odiham / Gosport / Eastleigh / Horndean and Andover ).

_ Mobile Library Review and vehicle replacement programme.

_ Direct engagement with users and non users informing use and design of space in Discovery Centres and new libraries / opening hours surveys.

_ Major extension of Romsey Library.

_ New Alton Library.

_ Development of new libraries :

_ Whitchurch Community Facility Scheme -community support for relocation of library within planned new community scheme

( construction planned June 2005 ).

_ Bursledon - partnership scheme with Eastleigh Borough Council, Parish Council and Local Community Association ( completion scheduled for late 2005/ early 2006 ).

_ Constraints

_ Funding sustainability

( Timescale: pressures identified and addressed through the annual

budget planning process ).

_ Challenges

_ User expectations

_ Competition for leisure time

_ Renewing building stock / vehicles

_ Reaching non users

_ Accessibility e.g. new and expanding communities / opening hours

_ Rebranding of Library and Information Service

_ Resources - key priorities for action

_ Renewing building stock - existing funding of £2m provides for a two year

programme ending March 2006.

_ Upgrade of mobile library fleet i.e. 5 vehicles currently on order (due in operation in 2005 ). The Strategic Management Board will address funding for continuation of cost effective vehicle replacement via the annual budget planning process.

_ Rebranding of the Library and Information Service has corporate as well as departmental support. Recreation & Heritage funding ( £35k ) for outside consultancy work with Recreation & Heritage, Library and Information Service managers and the Corporate Marketing Manager.

_ Reaching non users - engagement via Discovery Centre consultation surveys will continue to be funded through the Discovery Centre programme funding. Discussions are taking place currently with the Recreation & Heritage Marketing Manager and Research Manager to ensure improved non user data informs the service business planning process.

_ Accessibility - Disability Discrimination Act compliance work is currently funded via a Recreation & Heritage Disability Discrimination Act budget ( £50k for 2004-5 ) / the Library and Information Service refurbishment

( £2m ) and Discovery Centre programmes. Funding has been provided for programme of extending opening hours ( £100k ). Future sustainability of progress will be a challenge outside of these programme timescales.

III.ii Stock

_ Strengths:

_ Traditionally high investment in stock

_ New adult stock policy / children's stock policy.

_ New streamlined cost effective selection system.

_ Partnership with Early Education and Childcare Unit enabling purchase of

additional resources.

_ Good stock promotion.

_ Procurement consortium membership.

_ Co- South ( good cooperative working with neighbouring authorities / forthcoming introduction of a new more effective CRX system for searching across library catalogues and interlibrary loans ).

_ Constraints:

_ Demand versus funding.

(three year plan ( children's and adult stock ) being prepared to improve spending on stock 2005-8 ).

_ Challenges:

_ Provision of a range of stock for the new Discovery Centres maintaining high

standards of stock.

_ Managing the change from books to electronic resources.

_ Ability to supply material in growing number of languages spoken by asylum

seekers in Hampshire.

_ Provision of stock for expansion of Home Library Service i.e. to meet expected demand for large print / spoken word.

(three year plan ( children's and adult stock ) being prepared to improve spending on stock 2005-8 )

_ Resources - priorities for action

_ Political support to improve levels of spending following the temporary redirection of £1m from the bookfund over two years to fund major refurbishment programme ( April 2003 - March 2005) - e.g. £0.5m going back

into the bookfund in 2005/6.

III.iii Staffing

_ Strengths

_ Investment in appropriate staffing resources.

_ Good customer care.

_ Staff training and development to ensure that staff acquire skills and knowledge

to meet the high expectations of service users ( 5 days learning commitment for every member of staff per annum).

_ Constraints

_ Developmental issues arising from the radical restructure ( addressed via

the annual Development and Training planning process ).

_ Structure not yet complete. ( March 2005 ).

_ Challenges

o Extending opening hours (current programme will be completed by March 2005 ).

_ Skills gaps ( existing staff ) - ongoing performance development programme

timescale.

_ Developing the skillsbase / flexibility of outlook to deliver and manage the scope of services delivered through Libraries and Discovery Centres ( first

Discovery Centre opening in Spring 2005).

_ Succession planning ( managers are taking part in the corporate leadership training programme 2003- 06 ).

_ Non traditional opening hours.

( libraries to open on Easter Saturday / extension of Sunday opening and future Bank Holiday opening under discussion ).

_ Resources - key priorities for action

_ £100k allocated to staffing budget for the extension of the library opening

hours. As a result, 13 libraries have extended their opening hours with 6 libraries to follow by the end of 2004/5 - a total of 75 hours.

_ Development and Training and budget increased from £35,000 to £50,000.

_ New post of Staff Development Manager( appointed ).

_ 5 days learning commitment per member of staff per annum.

III.iv ICT

_ Strengths

_ Robust corporate infrastructure ( provided by HCC ICT Services ).

_ Corporate ICT support ( for network and Library ICT needs from Corporate ICT Services).

_ Voice over IP - cost effective new corporate technology.

_ Discovery Centres.

_ Recreation & Heritage ICT Manager is a member of the Library Strategic

Management Board.

_ Constraints

_ Public needs v network security.

(review of the People's Network by December 2005 )

_ Historically, books prioritised over ICT for public use.

(development of an ICT Strategy to address under-investment -

summer 2005 ).

_ Challenges

_ Sustainability of all ICT elements - current and future commitments

( centralisation of ICT budgets - summer 2004 / pressure identified at corporate level and included in the budget build for 2005/6 ).

_ Future of People's Network- development( review of the People's Network by December 2005 ).

_ Staff training - enabling staff to respond to the developing challenges of ICT

( training needs analysis - Spring 2005 ).

_ Public expectations regarding new technology e.g. video conferencing / WiFi

( review of People's Network by December 2005 ).

_ Resources - priorities for action

_ ICT budget - 2003/4 budget was £725k ( £800k in 2004/5 ).

_ The Library and Information Service is working with corporate colleagues to ensure funding for the People's Network and other initiatives such as Discovery Centres seen as key access channels for the County Council's E-government strategy.

_ A more stringent business planning process has been introduced for all new

ICT projects, which includes detailed costings and addresses sustainability.

_ ICT expenditure aligns closely with the overall strategic aims of the Service.

Budgets for existing programmes are considered along with other major expenditure as part of the annual budget planning process.

_ It is planned to centralise the ICT budget. This will ensure greater control over expenditure, improve monitoring and enable all Recreation & Heritage services to benefit from increased purchasing power and economies of scale.

_ ICT support has been rationalised to enable staff to share skills and expertise, and to provide dedicated support for the People's Network.

Endorsement of Hampshire Library and Information Service Public Library Standards Report 2004

Agreed by : Cllr John Waddington, Elected Member

Position : Executive Member for Recreation & Heritage

Hampshire County Council

Decision Day :