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ITEM EX12

EXECUTIVE – 23 JULY 2002

ANNUAL LIBRARY PLAN 2002

Report by Director of Cultural Services

1. This report presents initial proposals for the Annual Library Plan 2002 (ALP), which the County Council is required to submit to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by 30 September 2002. This update of the ALP was started after 14 May 2002, when the Executive agreed the Best Value Review of the Library Service. As a result it has not yet been possible to complete all sections of the ALP. However, there is sufficient content on the future strategy to enable the Executive to be able to evaluate the gist of the ALP. The timetable allows for consultation with the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee on 10 September, and consideration of that Committee’s comments and recommendations by the Executive on 17 September. The Plan subsequently submitted to DCMS by 30 September will carry draft status, as it is a requirement of DCMS that it is ratified by the full Council (5 November).
2. Annual Library Plans will be assessed by DCMS in three ways: by the quality of the Plan as a planning document; on evidence that the authority has realistic plans to meet the national Public Library Standards; and finally, on evidence that the authority is improving its library service.
3. The draft of the ALP 2002 (download as .rtf file) (which has been sent to Executive members only and is available for public inspection) includes all the sections that are essential for the planning process, in particular the table reporting performance against the Public Library Standards (4.1) and the Action Plans for the following three years (Chapter 7). However it should be noted that at this early stage some of the data for 4.1 is not yet available. Work on the more descriptive sections of the Plan is in progress.

Best Value Review

4. The Library Service has recently been the subject of a Best Value Review, which was approved by the Executive on 14 May 2002. At the time of writing this report, the service is undergoing Inspection by the Audit Commission Best Value Inspectorate, with the Interim Challenge planned for 22 July 2002. An oral update on this Interim Challenge will be made at this Executive meeting. The Best Value Improvement Plan (BVIP) produced by that Review forms the core of the Action Plans, which comprises Chapter 7 of the Annual Library Plan. However this chapter also incorporates actions carried forward from the Annual Library Plan 2001 which are outside the scope of the BVIP, such as the ongoing programme of enhancements to premises to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. Chapter 7 therefore represents a comprehensive forward Action Plan for the Library Service, bringing together the forward strategy agreed by the Executive for the Best Value Review and actions from last year’s Plan which were agreed by the former Cultural Services Committee. This presentation includes details of actions, timescales and lead officers.

Financial Implications

5. The financial implications of the Best Value Improvement Plan were included in the Review Report and Action Plans adopted by the Executive. Other elements of the Action Plans are either within budget or, in the case of premises developments, dependent on partnerships with partners inside or outside the County Council, as noted in the text of the Plan.

RECOMMENDATIONS

6. The Executive is RECOMMENDED:

1. subject to (b) below, to approve in principle the three year Strategy and Action Plans for the Library Service as presented in the attached draft of the Annual Library Plan 2002, for submission in due course to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport;
2. subject to amendment as mentioned in the report, to approve the draft as the Executive’s "initial proposals" for forwarding to the Learning & Culture Scrutiny Committee inviting comments for consideration by the Executive on 17 September prior to submission to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Council.

RICHARD MUNRO
Director of Cultural Services

Background Papers: Nil

Contact Officers: Andrew Coggins, County Librarian Tel: 01865 810212

July 2002

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