Agenda item

Library Review 2016 - Future Support Arrangements for Volunteer Run Libraries

Report of the Executive Director, Communities

Minutes:

7.1

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director, Communities, which looked at what support was needed after 31st March 2017, when the existing support package was due to end, to enable the volunteer run libraries to be viable and stable into the future.  The report identified the need for Associate and Co-delivered Libraries to have continued support from the City Council, looking at benefit and risk.  The Committee was asked to consider the report, which summarised the issues that would be contained in a report to be submitted to Cabinet on 23rd November 2016.

 

 

7.2

In attendance for this item were Councillor Jack Scott (Cabinet Member for Community Services and Libraries), Dawn Shaw (Head of Libraries and Community Services), Nick Partridge (Libraries, Archives and Information Manager) and Darrell Porter (Volunteer Co-ordinator, Libraries, Archives and Information Service).

 

 

7.3

Councillor Jack Scott introduced the report, indicating that the current model was working well and also expressing the Council’s indebtedness to the 800 volunteers who had made this possible.  He also referred to the two public questions which had been submitted for this item regarding the re-staffing of the Walkley Library/Broomhill Library and a request for the Council to make representations to the Government to request funding to rescue and re-staff Sheffield libraries and added that a written response would be provided to these.

 

 

7.4

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:-

 

 

 

·                The surveys which had been undertaken did not consider any closures.

 

 

 

·                The reported decline in visitor numbers did not only apply to the volunteer libraries, and was a trend nationally, and the numbers of loans referred to in a recent response to a Freedom of Information(FOI) request only referred to books issued from the Council’s system, which all groups still offered .  In addition to these loans, most volunteer run libraries had their own systems for loaning donated books, so the full picture was not reflected in the FOI data requested.

 

 

 

·                It was important to stick to the current model which appeared to be working well.

 

 

 

·                The volunteer groups had been involved in the production of this report through a survey and meetings with the Cabinet Member for Community Services and Libraries, and their experiences had been taken into account.  Surveys had also been undertaken with customers and library staff asking for feedback on all library services in the City and the findings from these had been included in the proposals.

 

 

 

·                Facilities were provided for the volunteers in terms of networking opportunities, meeting resources and training.

 

 

 

·                In order to provide extra support, it was expected that the Council run hub libraries and staff would work closer with the volunteer run libraries.

 

 

 

·                If at all possible, consideration would be given to directing funding to libraries in the budgetary process.  However, it was expected that issues such as Safeguarding and Adult Social Care needs would take priority.

 

 

 

·                There was a risk that individual libraries with low attendance figures might not get as many new books, so it was important to ensure that the existing stock was well circulated.  There was also a provision in the proposal to resource the inclusion of donated books from the volunteer sector into the Council system.

 

 

 

·                Over 800 volunteers had been trained in using the library systems and, initially, volunteers had shadowed library staff in the libraries that they were going to run.

 

 

 

·                Consideration had not been given to having theme based libraries, such as science or by community heritage, but it could be something to consider for the future.

 

 

 

·                The Library Service should be ensuring that the volunteer groups found out why any volunteers had stopped volunteering, to ensure that any mistakes did not happen again, leading to better retention of volunteers in the future.

 

 

 

·                Work was undertaken with voluntary sector partners, such as Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS), to assist in upskilling the volunteers in such matters as fundraising and governance.

 

 

 

·                Monthly meetings, which were supported by officers, enabled volunteer groups to share best practice and work together with the Council to maintain a healthy network of libraries in the City.

 

 

7.5

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

 

 

 

(a)       thanks Councillor Jack Scott, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Libraries, and the attending officers for their contribution to the meeting;

 

 

 

(b)       notes the contents of the report and responses to questions: and

 

 

 

(c)        notes that a report on the Library Review 2016 was to be        submitted to Cabinet in the near future.

 

Supporting documents: