The Library Service’s Business Unit Plan 2007-10 describes the current performance of Rochdale Library Service, and identifies priorities, service pressures and contributions to wider agendas for the next 3 years. The plan underpins the Information and Libraries Service Plan 2007-10, which in turn links into the Borough’s key strategies (Aiming High and Pride of Place).
Public Libraries are statutory services; all library authorities have a duty to provide “comprehensive and efficient library services” as described in the Public Libraries Act. Public libraries offer much more than books – benefits to local communities are far-reaching and varied, as set out below.
The Libraries Service currently delivers the following services through 17 static libraries and 1 Mobile library. The Council is also responsible for a Local Studies Library, run in partnership with the Link4Life Leisure and Recreation Trust.
Core lending services
- Wide range of adult and children’s books available for loan free of charge
- Audio items for hire
- Inter-library loans
Information
Reader Development
- Newspapers and periodicals
- Reference and information provision
- Business information
- Digital image collections
- Local history resources
- Community information
- Online reference services
- Links to validated online information resources
Lifelong Learning
- Adults and children’s reading and learning events
- Reading, writing and poetry groups
- Links to online reader development sites and tools
Community Facilities
- Free ICT learning courses
- Study Support
- Informal learning support — reference, non-fiction and online collections
- Links to validated lifelong learning and informal learning resources
Specialist Library Services
- Meeting rooms/community space
- Exhibition space for community groups
- Fax and photocopying services
Online Resources
- Home delivery service to housebound people
- Bookstart ‘books for babies’ service
- Materials in alternative formats for people with sensory impairments available for loan free of charge
- Community language collections
- Delivery service to sheltered accommodation and homes for the elderly.
- Services to customers with special needs, including Braille transcriptions, talking books etc.
Mobile Library Service
- Free use of computers, including e-mail and internet access
- Access to free online resources
- 24/7 online renewals, reservations, membership, catalogue.
Buckley Hall Prison Library
Resource Collections
- Toy Library, Reminiscence packs, and resource collections for youth workers, teachers, early years providers etc.
Employees:
The service currently has 79.4 FTEs on the establishment.
Current library members:
In January 2006, the service had 70,440 active members (members who have used the service at least once in the past year).
Financial profile:
2006-7 budget (£,000)2007-8 budget (£,000)
- Employees: £1,778
- Premises: £954
- Transport: £28
- Supplies and Services: £975
- Departmental charges: £567
- Total expenditure: £4,302
- Income: -£415
- Net expenditure: £3,887
- Employees: £1,814
- Premises: £965
- Transport: £28
- Supplies and Services: £996
- Departmental charges: £467
- Total expenditure: £4,270
- Income: -£417
- Net expenditure: £3,853
Key partners:
- DCMS (Department of Culture, Media & Sport)
- MLA (Museums, Libraries and Archives council)
- TRA (The Reading Agency)
- CILIP (Chartered Institute for Librarians and Information Professionals)
- MLA North-West
- Society of Chief Librarians
- Greater Manchester Chief Librarians Group
- Greater Manchester Libraries Stock Purchasing Consortium
- Greater Manchester Libraries Performance group
- Greater Manchester Public Libraries Training Co–operative
- SureStart
- Time to Read
- Primary Care Trust
- The Book Trust (Bookstart)
- RMBC (Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council)
Pride of Place II is the Council’s community strategy for the Borough, and Aiming High II is the Council’s plan for continuously improving the services it provides.
These are based upon the ‘Vision 2021’ for the Borough, to create:
“a thriving place where people want to live, work, visit and do business, a place in which we can all take pride.”
In addition, the Council is committed to creating jobs for local people, regenerating key areas of the Borough and improving some Council services through the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). These three key strands in the Council’s vision can be ordered into a cross-cutting set of themes and priorities:
- Jobs and prosperity
- Children and Young People
- Environment
- Community Safety
- Health
- Community engagement and development
- Cohesion and Equalities
- Finance and efficiency
- Our people
- Customer Focus
- Service Improvement
LSP Cross Cutting Priorities
Other Cross Cutting Themes
Council Specific Improvement Themes
In supporting the Council’s corporate vision and values, Rochdale Library Service has developed a vision, which is:
- A network of libraries across each Township, providing safe, friendly, non-judgemental and accessible spaces
- Supporting literacy & promoting the enjoyment of reading
- Encouraging information literacy and citizenship by providing free access to ICT, electronic resources & online services
- Providing local & community information, to enable citizens to make informed decisions
- Creating opportunities for formal & informal learning & self-development
- Listening to and engaging with our communities, paying particular attention to the needs of disadvantaged & vulnerable people
- Championing the needs of children, families & young people
- Helping to build safer, stronger & healthier communities
- Celebrating cultural diversity and encouraging community cohesion
- Contributing to regeneration by supporting local businesses, the local workforce, community and voluntary groups
- Delivering high quality services that provide value for money, making the best use of our resources & maximising funding opportunities
- Meeting the national public library service standards and becoming an excellent library authority
- Valuing our staff & making best use of their skills, experience & commitment, by providing strong, visionary leadership
- Providing joined up services for local people by building effective partnerships focussed on customer outcomes
- Working effectively with elected members to support the wider aims of the Council & the Borough.
To deliver dynamic, innovative services, which offer everyone access to information, reading and learning opportunities through:
The provision of key library services
Supporting wider agendas
The delivery of efficient services
Framework for the Future
This is the Government’s 10-year vision for the future of public library services. Libraries are expected to deliver improvement over 4 main themes:
- Books, reading & learning
- Digital citizenship
- Community & civic values
- Building capacity to deliver transformation
Framework for the Future has in turn led to reports, projects and initiatives linked to public libraries, all of which provide the service with many new opportunities. Current opportunities include:
- Big Lottery funding for capital projects, on the theme of Community Engagement
- Revised Public Library Service Standards (see below), included in Council CPA assessments.
- Ongoing investigations into a ‘National Procurement Agency’ for more consistent and better-value stock purchasing and online resources nation-wide.
- National offers listing the services everyone should expect from their public library, based on 5 key life-stages:
- Engaging the under-5s
- Out of school hours learning
- Helping 11-19 year olds fulfil their potential
- Supporting adult learners
- Enhancing adult reading experiences
- New People’s Network online services (see below), such as Enquire, a live interactive information service.
- An audit of public library buildings, aiming to increase the level of funding spent on them.
DCMS Public Library Service Standards/ Impact Measures
A suite of ten standards plus a range of impact measures which link to the shared priorities of national and local government, and are currently under review. All public libraries are expected to meet the standards and demonstrate continuous improvement, and these are included as part of the Culture block for CPA.
People’s Network project (managed by the MLA)
The People's Network, completed in 2002, was a major lottery funded government-led initiative to bring equality of internet access to the whole UK population, by installing PCs, broadband connection and software in all public libraries; training library staff to support users and creating a wealth of quality digital materials relevant to local needs.
Phase 2 of the People's Network, involving the new online services Enquire, Discover and Read services were launched in 2005.
Transformational Government (Cabinet Office) and Service Transformation (Treasury)
The government requires that public sector services be more joined-up with a simpler, ideally single, user interface. Implied within this is a greater need for data sharing between service providers and so a greater degree of interoperability of systems, processes and procedures.
The Gershon review of Public Sector Efficiency
Following a review by Sir Peter Gershon, the Government has called for new and sustained drive to achieve significant efficiencies in public sector services. For local government the target is for efficiency gains of 2.5% per annum for each of the next three years. In achieving these efficiencies at least half should be ‘cashable’, i.e. release resources to spend on something else.
The Government defines efficiencies as
- Maintaining the same level of service but with less resources;
- Additional outputs in quality or quantity for the same level of resources;
- Remodelling service provision to enable better outcomes.
Strong and Prosperous Communities: Government White Paper
In October 2006, the Department of Communities and Local Government published a White Paper which set out the Government’s proposals for changing the way that councils work and lead their communities. The implications for libraries include the devolution of certain powers and responsibilities to Townships, a proposed new performance management framework due to be implemented in 2008, and increased involvement in services by community and voluntary groups.
Youth Matters: Government White Paper
The government’s response to Every Child Matters sets out the vision for empowering young people, giving them somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to. It envisages that young people will have more choice and influence over services and facilities that are available to them, and will be able to volunteer and contribute to their local community.
Libraries will support this vision by developing provision of activities and resources for young people, in partnership with relevant agencies.
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