Introduction  

Bath and North East Somerset Library Service consists of 8 libraries in Bath; Moorland Road; Weston Village; Keynsham; Midsomer Norton; Radstock; Paulton and Saltford plus two mobile libraries.
 

The Bath & North East Somerset Library Service's proposed key principles for 2012-13 are that:

The Library Service

•·         Remains committed to the fundamental principle that the support of reading for learning, literacy and enjoyment is central to all that it does

•·         Will remain up to date and relevant to people's needs, promoting local identity, community pride and supporting the most vulnerable in society.

•·         Is available in ways, places and times to suit people's needs

•·         Is affordable, of high quality, giving good value for money

•·         Will develop through digitisation, improved storage or disposal, the archive collections within the library service to benefit all 

These principles are guiding the following improvements planned over the next year: 

Keynsham Library:   Keynsham Town Centre Regeneration plans include the construction of a brand new library/one stop shop.  If the plans are approved the library will move into an interim location when building works commences in 2012  

Paulton Library:  Subject to lease agreement and funding, it is expected that the library will move to a community led building by the end of autumn 2012  

Part-time libraries:   Expected to move towards extended open hours using volunteers to support staff  

Making it easier to pay: Chip and Pin will be available in the main libraries, to make it easier to pay for all hire charges on, for example, DVD/Blu Ray's and late return of items  

Internet:  Developments will take place, in order to improve searching and content on both the Bath &North East Somerset Council web site and the LibrariesWest web site over the coming year,  

Outreach Services:  The existing service for home library users and other people who find it difficult to travel to a library building will be expanded to reach more people 

Current Library Service budget

The budget for Library Services in 2011-12, excluding corporate overheads is £2,445,871 which includes £168,743 to run the mobile library service.  In every two week period the mobiles are out on the road for 124 hours. For 80 hours, or 64% of that time, they are open to the public.   The remaining 44 hours are taken up by driving. 

The cost of the service in 2010/11 was calculated at £7.56 per visitor (excluding overheads).  The cost to purchase and fit out a new mobile is currently around £90,000.  

Required savings for 2012-13

The current economic climate is putting a pressure on libraries to define their role more clearly, use resources efficiently and effectively and look to communities and partnerships for support and involvement. 

In 2012- 13, The Council's Medium Term Strategic Plan requires savings of £159,000 from the current library budget, a 6.5% reduction.   

Savings Proposal

The proposal is that the saving of £159,000 will be met by withdrawing the mobile library service in Bath & North East Somerset, moving resources into increasing opening hours for our part-time libraries and extending the Home Library Service. 

Councillor David Dixon, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods ... said

"It is clear that to achieve the required level of savings changes are needed to library service provision.  We remain firmly committed to a library service which provides excellent service, good value for money, and is fit for purpose.   The proposal above would achieve the required saving whilst at the same time enabling the library service to respond to particular needs.  Our current Home Library Service, run by volunteers will be expanded to far more customers who find themselves house-bound, or for some reason cannot access their local library.  We are also very keen to recruit volunteers to enable our smaller libraries to open for longer and provide a better value of service within local communities.  

We do need to hear from as many service users as possible over the next couple of months so that the right decisions can be made and I therefore encourage you to take part in this consultation".

Why we are consulting

The context for this consultation is that the 2 mobile library vehicles are coming near to the end of their operational lives and will require substantial investment to continue in their current form.  We wish to invite library customers and staff, communities and businesses, Town and Parish Councils to give us your opinion on the best way for us to deliver our services in the future.  

There are a number of ways that current mobile library users could continue to access library services if the mobiles were withdrawn. For example: 

•·         Extending the Home Library Service for people unable to travel;

•·         Putting library collections into local community centres/village halls;

•·         Extending opening hours at part-time libraries with the assistance of volunteers.

•·         Working with community transport organisations to enable library users to come into town centres and perhaps incorporate a library visit with a shopping trip for example 

Results from this consultation will inform the Cabinet meeting in the New Year. In addition to this questionnaire, public meetings will be held during January in the Chew Valley, Peasedown area and Batheaston area. Venues and times will be posted on the Library web site www.bathnes.gov.uk and the information will be available from the mobile libraries or by ringing Council Connect on 01225 394041.

We appreciate your participation in this consultation.

This consultation has now closed and the results are available.

Consultation Documents

• Introduction to survey on the Library Service 2012 - 2013 (34Kb)
  Please read these notes to give you an understanding as to why we are conducting this consultation.
  07 Dec 2011 13:55
• Online Library Survey results (75Kb)
  This is the online responses report for the Library Proposals. To see further in depth analysis please visit our website http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/leisureandculture/Libraries/information/Pages/Consultations.aspx (Copy & Paste into the address bar)
  24 Feb 2012 13:15

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