Libraries Inspire

Dr Alyson TylerLibraries Development Adviser

CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales @libalyson

Image of the Bibli family – promoting libraries in Wales www.thebiblis.com

Outline of talk

Wales context Libraries for Life Libraries Inspire overview Collaboration examples

What is CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales?

Policy division of Welsh Government (est. In 2004)

Cross-domain approach

30 staff (7 vacant posts)

Government building in Aberystwyth

CyMAL’s roles and activities

Advise the Minister Develop policy Deliver grant programmes Provide advice and support for sector Provide free training programme Networking Research Publish magazine Sponsorship on National Library and National Museum

Wales context 3 million people 20% speak Welsh 22 local authority library services 1 National Library c.12 HE libraries (mergers ongoing) c.23 FE libraries (mergers ongoing) 50+ health libraries 5 Prison libraries ? School libraries ? Workplace libraries

Image from CC Flickr - giveawayboy

Welsh libraries in statistics (public)

Over 14.7 million visits 2009/10 (up 5.4% from 2008/09)

Active borrowers rose to 681,000 (up 5.6% on 2008/09)

Over 14.4 million books borrowed 2009/10 Over 980,000 audio-visual loans in 2009/10 Over 2 million enquiries were handled by public

libraries in 2009/10Figures from the CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) Public Library Actuals survey for 2009-10.

Welsh libraries in statistics 2 (public)

330+ public libraries service points in Wales open 10 hours a week or more

Over 2800 terminals with free internet access Over 2 million hours of free computer use in libraries made

Swansea Central and Cardiff Central libraries are in the top 10 UK libraries for most items issued to borrowers for 2009/10.

Figures from the CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) Public Library Actuals survey for 2009-10.

Library strategies in Wales

2005-07 @ your library £2m

2007-08 Interim year

2008-11 Libraries for Life £10.5m

2011-12 planning/interim year

2012-15/16 Libraries Inspire (proposed)

Libraries for Life 2008-2011 (six works strands)

Community Learning Libraries Programme

Online content and resources (led by NLW)

Regional library partnerships framework

National marketing strategy (led by one authority)

Developing workforce skills

Welsh Public Libraries Standards Framework 3

BBC Wales weatherman and Welsh rapper in Fancy That library event

Libraries Inspire Framework – the planning process

Internal planning process started in 2010 External consultation process (45+ responses) Revisions and discussions summer 2011 Launch autumn 2011 Annual Delivery Plan – in partnership

The Vision – Libraries Inspire

“Libraries in Wales will work together to inspire people to enjoy reading, improve their knowledge, develop their skills and participate in their respective communities. Library services will be responsive to meeting people’s changing needs in a local, safe, modern physical and virtual environment.”

Libraries Inspire – core offer

Libraries Inspire themes / work areas

Sustainable models of service delivery Resources for all Space for all Skills for life A helping hand Attracting the audience Delivering a quality service

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Collaboration or combat?

Collaboration examples from Welsh libraries Online resources

Joint purchase of online material – national offer Cat Cymru & regional resource delivery Library portal www.library.wales.org E-books pilot (14 local authorities)

Marketing – national campaigns, Biblis.com Welsh information literacy project

http://www.library.wales.org/informationliteracy/ Regional framework (eg training – cross sector) Joint LMS – initial work

Resource discovery – Cat Cymru

freeimages.co.uk

•50+ catalogues•Webfeat software •Soft launch 2008, still in beta form•Not marketed yet due to various concerns

Cat Cymru – library.wales.org

Cat Cymru screen shot

Cat Cymru search results

Resource delivery - regional ILL delivery schemes

Image from flickr

•Resource discovery needs delivery•Funded regional pilots for regional ILL

•North Wales library vans expanded scheme•Mid & South West – postage, reciprocal physical access with passport •South East - courier

Benefits of resource collaboration

Improved service for users Useful in times of financial hardship (92% titles

requested only once, in SE scheme) Helps public libraries meet some of the Welsh

Public Library Standards Staff get to know each other across all libraries May lead to greater collaboration on collection

management

Challenges of resource collaboration Geography Bugs in Cat Cymru Differences in indexing & cataloguing Reticence to promote – fear of flood of requests Net borrowers and net lenders Still slower than other options? Two tier system? Changes in LMS currently taking months to resolve in Webfeat Who pays for the delivery if/when funding runs out? Costs/charges vary across regions and Wales and sectors Not helped cross-regional borrowing Cost of postal delivery versions go up if usage goes up Delivery and logistics

Questions?

Contact details

alyson.tyler@wales.gsi.gov.uk

0300 062 2103

Twitter @libalyson

http://libalyson.wordpress.com http://libalysoncym.wordpress.com/

(Cymraeg/Welsh)

www.wales.gov.uk/cymal