Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 11

20 January 2005

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 5

20 January 2005

Current Developments in the Library Service

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

Contact: Richard Ward 01962 826621

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

The report describes a range of current activities aimed at improving the library service provided to the general public and seeks approval for a variation in the fees charged for the request service. Matters covered include consultation on stock policies, audience development, marketing, electronic access to reference materials and progress made on the library refurbishment programme.

1. Introduction

1.1 The Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee on 1 July 2004 received a report on the transformation agenda for the Library Service. Topics covered included: brighter, more attractive libraries - both new and refurbished, Discovery Centres, opening hours, and a range of reading initiatives. This report looks at various activities with the common aim of increasing use and developing audiences for the Library Service.

2. Stock Policies

2.1 A major consultation exercise is underway with the aim of establishing users' views on stock policies. Copies of the questionnaire "Are we meeting your reading and borrowing needs" are available in all libraries in the County. Views are being sought on the balance between width and depth of stock i.e. should more copies of fewer titles be provided; the balance of paperback to hardback editions; and the balance between books and electronic media. This exercise is aimed principally at current users although the questions are available on the Library Service website and more than 100 responses have been received via this means. A further 700 replies have been received in hard copy from around the County. In addition, copies of the survey have been circulated to local societies and other interested bodies such as reading groups. The responses are currently being analysed and the results will be used to shape the balance of book selection in the future.

3. Loan periods

3.1 In 1998 the traditional four week loan period was reduced to three weeks. This was for two reasons - there was a feeling that most library authorities had three week loans and Hampshire should come into line for statistical purposes, and secondly, reducing the loan period would speed up the rate at which books were returned and thus increase the selection of books available.

3.2 The first reason has no longer seems pressing - the first set of Public Library Standards required a minimum loan of three weeks for the generality of stock but there is no requirement for uniformity. The theoretical advantages of a shorter loan period do not appear to have been borne out in practice and there has been a more serious unforeseen consequence. Surveys show that users who were regular monthly visitors are declining in numbers and they are not changing their habits to visit the library more frequently.

3.3 Although the level of expressed dissatisfaction with three weeks loans has decreased, anecdotal evidence from front-line staff is that most people would welcome a return to four week loans. Assuming this is borne out by surveys four week loans will be re-introduced.

4. Requests Service

4.1 The request service will be re-launched and publicised with the aim of encouraging more people to use the library service to obtain all types of books - including the new and popular, as well as the older and more obscure titles. Experience elsewhere in the country suggests that such a re-launch, allied to a reduction in the fee charged, generates a significant increase in use and off-sets any lost income.

4.2 It is also anticipated that it will very soon be possible to offer Hampshire readers the opportunity to search the catalogues of the Co-South sub-region library services i.e. Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, and reserve books as easily as those held in Hampshire libraries. Additionally a new international inter-library loans¹ service will be offered, which will mean, when taken with the holdings of the last copy book store, the speed at which new items are added to stock and the close monitoring of waiting lists, that the performance of the requests and inter- library loans service will be substantially improved.

4.3 Feedback from users indicates that the level of the reservation fees is a barrier to use. This is in line with experience elsewhere in the country and various library authorities have experimented with reducing the fees. The reported experience is that after an initial dip in income the added use generated replaces the lost revenue and there is, of course, the added benefit of generally encouraging users to continue using all aspects of the service. In addition there is the growing practice of notifying users by telephone that their requested items are available - this saves the cost of postage - which goes along way to compensate for the smaller fee. The worst case estimate of loss of income in the first year is of the order of £6-£7,000 leading to cost neutrality by the third year. (This "worst case" estimate does not take into account the reduction in costs incurred by reducing the amount spent on postage, nor the additional income from the increased fees charged for subject requests and the new international service.)

4.4 Fees for the request service are one of the charges reserved for the decision of the Executive Member and the proposed changes to the pattern of charges are as follows:

Items in stock in Co-South £0.50 (reduced from £0.85)

Items not in stock (Hampshire) £1.50 (reduced from £1.85)

Items obtained from abroad £7.50 (new service)

Subject request £1.50² (increase from £0.85)

5. Audience Development

5.1 Current audience development activity includes working with the national Reading Agency, and other library authorities, to forge closer links with publishers, and the media, to jointly promote books and reading. A key success was the BBC "Big Read", and other key activities include the TV Richard and Judy Book Club, World Book Day, and the Penguin "Good Booking" campaign. A key focus presently is Reading Partners, an innovative public/private sector partnership, with the commitment of seven publishers, plus funding from the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Reading Partners will help meet "Framework for the Future" targets with national campaigns and offers, as well as a supporting framework of authors willing to visit libraries to talk about their books.

5.2.  A new promotional pack aimed at supporting reading groups is about to be launched. This will help all those interested in joining or running a reading group. The information is backed by the extensive and well used collection of reading group books sets. The Library Service runs a number of specialist book groups - for example as Dads `n Lads and groups for visually impaired people, as well as an on-line reading group on the "Turn the page" website. It is not seen as the Library Service's role to seek to run an ever increasing number of book groups but rather to support and encourage all Hampshire reading groups by offering spaces in which to meet, advice on titles to read, guidance on leading discussions and on booking visiting authors.

5.3 From September 2005, Booktrust, which administers the Bookstart project will be providing, through DCMS funding, packs for 18 month olds and 3 year olds, in addition to the existing packs for 8/9 month olds. Hampshire will be participating in this, as the packs, which contain books and other reading material, as well as information about Library Service provision, will be available for every child of these ages in the County. This will provide an excellent opportunity to promote the enjoyment of reading and the use of libraries. It is anticipated that these activities will be carried in out in partnership with the Education Department as this is a huge project, reaching approximately 40,000 babies and pre-school children each year.

5.4 Another excellent year for promoting reading during the summer holidays for children came with the Reading Rollercoaster national reading challenge, which took place in every Library. Children had to read six books and in exchange received a Collectors Card, stickers, and a certificate and medal on completion. Many go on to read more than 6 books and this year 19,500 children took part with a 71% completion rate, one of the highest in the country. In addition 2,500 children joined the library for the first time in order to take part. The Reading Rollercoaster was also extended for the first time to parents and carers and proved very popular. With funding from SEMLAC, it became a family friendly event with attractive paperback collections, including "easy readers" for those with less developed reading skills.

Some highlights of the Reading Rollercoaster:

· All libraries showed an increase in participation except for libraries that are in temporary accommodation (Farnborough, Gosport, Yateley).

· Havant had an 86% increase in children starting on last year (688 children)

· Four libraries registered over 1,000 children (Fareham, Fleet, Basingstoke and Farnborough)

· Stanmore library (Winchester) registered 103 children - a library which is only open for 9 hours a week

· North Baddesley (near Winchester) had the highest finishing rate for a static branch at 89%

· Basingstoke had the highest number of new members (168)

· Despite being in temporary accommodation, Farnborough registered only 13 less children than last year.

Next year, the theme will be `Reading Wave' which will link in with the national Sea Britain 2005 promotion.

5.5 This year saw the tenth book fair in partnership with Wessex Book Supplies (a Winchester based bookseller). Fifteen different author events took place during the last week in November in public and school libraries around the County, plus two after-school events for teachers and librarians. A Gala Day was held on a Saturday at Winchester Guildhall with six authors, and a Friday night event with Michael Morpurgo, the Children's Laureate, which was a sell-out. Some of the authors and illustrators taking part during the week were national award winners including: Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Browne, Beverley Naidoo, Lauren Child, Helen Cooper and Alan Gibbons, plus local authors Michael Coleman and Mary Hooper. This event has an impact on libraries as schools from all over the county take part, which helps to build relationships with their local library. On Gala Day, visitors came from all parts of the County as well as the Midlands, Cirencester and London, which shows the reputation this Book Fair has acquired. Over 2,500 children came to the weekday events and on Gala Day there were an estimated 3,000 people who visited.

5.6 A number of author events are being organised in 2005, with Terry Pratchett, the phenomenally successful author of the Discworld series and winner of the Carnegie Medal, heading the list. All these events are organised in conjunction with publishers, who want their authors to appear in Hampshire as they know that audiences will be large and appreciative.

5.7 A pilot project in HMP Winchester, called Storybook Dads, has proved very successful and has already attracted media attention. The scheme enables inmates to record stories for their children on to CDs, and then music and sound effects can be added. The Prison Librarian provides a range of suitable books to be read and helps with the selection of stories for the appropriate age of the child. The scheme, which is unique in the country, has already benefited 50 families and was particularly popular in the run up to Christmas, with fathers wanting to make contact with their children over the festive season.

6. Marketing Communications Strategy

6.1 A Marketing Communications strategy has been developed to aid the re-launch of Hampshire Libraries and Discovery Centres by increasing positive perceptions of what the service provides. The strategy has identified four groups as the Primary target audiences for Libraries and Discovery Centres in Hampshire: traditional library users, families with children, young adults (13 - early 20s), and the media and Government audiences.

6.2 Consistent messages will be targeted at these groups via a range of communications media. Each message will be aligned to at least one of the Library and Discovery Centres key communications themes, which are that libraries are changing, libraries are for leisure and learning, library staff provide an expert pair of hands, libraries are community focused and "It's your library!"

6.3 To support the message that Libraries are changing - increasing the perceived value of libraries in the eyes of their potential audience as well as helping to communicate the key values - a new visual brand identity has also been created. Implementation in the Library service is already underway, further examples will be seen in a major library marketing campaign in spring and the launch of Gosport Discovery Centre.

6.4 It is important that the primary audiences and the key themes are common for both Libraries and Discovery Centres, although the levels of emphasis given to individual audiences or messages can vary. The visual identities for Libraries and Discovery Centres also clearly position them as part of a closely related family of services. This approach ensures that the whole Hampshire Library Service can benefit from the positivity and excitement surrounding Discovery Centres. It also means that Discovery Centres remain closely aligned to Libraries, with the re-assuring message (especially for traditional users) that Library services are still at their core.

7. Social Inclusion

7.1 A working party has been looking at ways in which library joining procedures can be simplified by eliminating the need for people to fill in a form and produce evidence of name and address. Other authorities which have already adopted these practices report increased membership, enhanced social inclusiveness, strong public approval and very little evidence of abuse of the new system.

7.2 Another working party has been examining how other barriers to use can be reduced once people have become members, by reducing certain charges and hire fees. One proposal under examination is to offer an 'Access Ticket' to adults and children who have significant difficulties reading printed material. This will allow them free use of audiovisual material and will benefit a wide range of groups, including people with learning disabilities who have been under-represented among library users up to now.

7.3 The Adult and Community Learning Unit have given approval for the establishment of more IT classes for visually impaired people in libraries. Currently there is a weekly class running at Fareham library and plans are already being made for a similar class at Alton. It is planned that Gosport Discovery Centre will be able to offer this opportunity soon after it opens.

8. Electronic access to reference books

8.1 It is well known that many reference books are now available electronically rather than, or sometimes in addition to, the traditional printed format. This clearly has many advantages for the publisher - for example in reducing costs and easing the problems of updating the information. However, this electronic provision is not universally popular - libraries have a limited number of terminals on which the data can be accessed and whilst a multi-volume encyclopaedia may be used by several people simultaneously, only one person at a time can use a computer terminal. As a way of ameliorating this problem, the Library Service has negotiated special licensing terms whereby any library member with internet access may use on-line resources for which a charge would normally be made. Examples include the electronic Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Dictionary of National Biography and many on-line reference books linked under names such as xreferplus and Ebsco.

As an example this link may be used to access Britannica Online http://www.hants.gov.uk/library/online-resources/bol.html

9. Lifelong Learning

9.1 The Library Service continues to provide a range of taster sessions for those wishing to use the Internet. Sessions include setting up e-mail accounts, shopping and e-Government. These sessions have proved very popular in libraries with waiting lists for sessions. Hampshire has also taken part in national and corporate initiatives such as the BBC Peoples War and preparations are in hand for the Silver Surfers and Sea Britain events planned for 2005.

9.2 In October the official opening of the joint Libraries and Education Department Learndirect service took place at Waterlooville Library. This has proved very successful with over 80 learners enrolled on some 120 courses in only twelve weeks. Interestingly, the proportion of men enrolling on courses is higher than in most other such centres. Planning has started for the second such centre to be opened at Gosport and it is hoped to incorporate Learndirect Centres in all Discovery Centres.

10. New and refurbished libraries

Membership, visitor numbers and book issues have increased at all the refurbished libraries. At Chandlers Ford, for example, there were 486 new members and 7047 visitors in the first three weeks. The new Alton Library has been phenomenally successful with issues in the first week of 8,200 items compared to 4,000 from the old library. Fleet Library, which had a relatively modest refurbishment linked to an increase in opening hours, is also out-performing expectations. Yateley Library, which re-opened just before Christmas after a major makeover with furniture modeled on book shops is also proving to be extremely popular. 

11. Impact Assessment

11.1 The implications of the developments outlined in this report are that it will provide a more inclusive Library Service which will benefit the whole community.

Recommendations

1 The library developments described are supported.

2 The changes in the reservation fees described in paragraph 4.4 are recommended to the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage.

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:

Published works.

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

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