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September 4, 2006
Library Service Standards
This is my view about how library service standards should be explored.
There needs, firstly to be an honest analysis of what the previous attempts at influencing library performance have and have not achieved and lessons learned.
Then:
-There should be a standard for each library and community, not a council. The measure for a council is how many of its communities have a satisfactory library service
- The standard should contain points recognisable and comprehensible to local people
- Market research, properly conducted, will probably confirm that the most important points are a. quality of stock, particularly books and newspapers and computers; b. opening hours; c. state of the building, convenience, decor and fitness for study etc; d. ability of staff to help
- The government could add any aspects of social inclusion to which the public might not readily give sufficient weight- disability, targetted deprivation etc
Therefore the key is some comprehensive market research particularly among "lapsed users" who will identify what they think the headings are- and what the right words are to describe them
Consultation with library users will add little to this
Only when the appropriate criteria have been identified and the correct measures established should councils be consulted about the best way to conduct them
The programme proposed by MLA last Friday to engage PwC for this work is, in my view, incompetent beyond belief. It is hard to understand who could have drafted it and who could have approved such ludicrous expenditure of public funds - again.
Posted by Perkins at September 4, 2006 1:36 PM
Comments
At the risk of sounding like one of those 'libraries weren't like this in my day' moaners, I would like to say that libraries are for BOOKS. They are not meant to be internet cafes, coffee shops or creches where you dump your children and go off and do your shopping. I have stopped going to my local library at weekends as I feel like going in, turfing everyone out and shouting You have made my temple into a den of thieves....the noise levels are indescribable.
I worked for Camden Libraries for ten years and loved it but the rot was setting in there by the time I left. Bring back the Brown system say I....!
Posted by: Elaine at September 4, 2006 1:51 PM
We need to get back to Tim's original point about these Public Library Service Standards.
In the next year libraries will close and spending on books will be severely reduced. Appointing a set of consultants to investigate these standards wont changes nothing of real importance. Once again our friends in the MLA continue to fiddle whilst libraries are about to burn - well metaphorically at least!
The point about standards is whether the MLA or the minister can use them to improve failing library services. The parliamentary select committee put it like this "In the absence of levers with which directly to achieve improvements against the statutory criteria for a satisfactory service, the DCMS must establish other means to secure improvements." To date neither the MLA nor the minister have had the bottle to do so. The current standards already cover some of Tim's main concerns like opening hours and spending on books - well almost! The very least they can do is name and shame! Better still they could appoint some terrier like auditors or even Tim to rattle cages and shake trees in the councils who have already closed libraries or reduced book spending.
If national agencies and ministers cant or wont grasp this nettle then changing these standards will only assist the bank balance of our consultant friends in PcW!
Posted by: Philip Kerridge at September 4, 2006 8:29 PM