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ITEM LC7

LEARNING & CULTURE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – 10 SEPTEMBER 2002

THE ANNUAL LIBRARY PLAN 2002

Report by Director of Cultural Services

1. This report presents a second draft of the Annual Library Plan 2002 (ALP) (download as .doc file) (charts - download as .xls file) which the County Council is required to submit to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by 30 September 2002. An initial draft (i.e. minus some of the descriptive and narrative sections) was presented to the Executive on 23 July 2002. The Executive accepted that the initial draft represented work in progress, as it had only been possible to commence the Annual Library Plan 2002 after 14 May 2002, when the Executive had agreed the Best Value Review of the Library Service. However, the initial draft had contained all the sections that are essential for planning purposes and the Executive approved in principle the three-year strategy and Action Plans for submission in due course to the DCMS. The Executive also approved the draft of its "initial proposals" for forwarding to this Committee for consideration inviting comments to the Executive for consideration of the updated draft on 17 September prior to submission to DCMS. (Council will be invited to ratify the final draft on 5 November).
2. The version of the draft Annual Library Plan tabled at this Committee contains some further narrative sections recently completed. Work will continue on such sections to meet the deadline of 30 September for submission to DCMS. The current draft has been sent to members of the Scrutiny Committee, Group Leaders, relevant officers and is available for public inspection.
3. Annual Library Plans will be assessed this year by DCMS in three ways: by the quality of the plan as a planning document; on the 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.

Best Value Review of the Library Service (BVR)

4. The outcome of the Best Value Review was approved by the Executive on 14 May 2002. Oxfordshire has subsequently undergone an inspection by the Audit Commission Best Value Inspectorate, which presented its Interim Challenge on 22 July 2002. This judged the current service as "Fair", which has been accepted as a reasonable verdict. The Interim Challenge went on to state that the prospects for improvement were "Uncertain". This has been robustly challenged by Executive Members and Officers, in a series of verbal and written representations. The final judgement has been promised by the Inspectorate for September, and an oral update will be provided at this meeting.
5. It is judged that the Best Value Improvement Plan (BVIP), which has been incorporated in this Annual Library Plan in Chapter 7, represents a "Promising" prospect for improvements to services. Already some of the improvements have been implemented, for example speedy supply of bestseller titles in multiple paperbacks which are proving extremely popular. These improvements taken with the restructuring of the service to achieve better work clarity and accountabilities, and the development of performance management at all levels of the service, have been judged as setting the appropriate direction for the service. The present work to deliver the People’s Network by early 2003, and the replacement of the Library Management System and its extension to all libraries by April 2004, represents a huge step change for Oxfordshire libraries. The Executive’s inclusion of all libraries in the Oxfordshire Community Network (Broadband) also signifies crucial support for the modernisation of the service. These and other matters have been drawn to the attention of the Inspectorate.

Achievement of Library Standards

6. In the Appendix to this Annual Library Plan are listed the DCMS Standards and Oxfordshire’s current performance. Evidently in a number of cases there is some way to go. Some standards will be reliant on the implementation of the improved ICT infrastructure outlined above: this, for example, should significantly improve the reservation service performance. In others, for example primarily Library opening hours, there is a recognition (as in a number of other counties) that extra resources will be required to achieve them. The Best Value Review noted that further work and costings on library opening hours will be presented to the Executive in due course.

Current draft Annual Library Plan

7. As well as the Best Value Improvement Plan, the Annual Library Plan Chapter 7 includes ongoing action plans from the Annual Library Plan 2001, such as the continuing programme of enhancements to premises to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act by 2004. Chapter 7 therefore represents a comprehensive forward action plan for the Library Service, with details of actions, timescales and lead officers. Scrutiny Committee resolved to monitor progress on Library Service priorities at its meeting in May 2002 including the implementation of the Annual Library Plan, and officers will comply with this.

Financial Issues

8. In addition to the revenue pressures to achieve all the Library Standards noted above, the Best Value Improvement Plan is already demonstrating that more can be achieved from current budgets by improving systems and programmes. The Best Value Improvement Plan included the reallocation of some existing budgets to higher priorities. Over and above this it includes further work on efficiencies and workload analyses, which along with the ICT changes and the introduction of MIS in October 2002 will result in significant business reengineering.
9. In the case of the Capital Programme, solutions will continue to be sought through partnerships and innovations to improve Library premises (as currently being effected at Kidlington). A fresh analysis of potential solutions to improving major libraries in the Preparation Pool for Cultural Services is planned, including Thame, Banbury and Abingdon. This renewed attention to the Library Premises Review is against the background of the updated Capital Strategy of the Council, and the move towards Prudential Guidelines in April 2004 for the Authority.

Conclusion

10. The draft Annual Library Plan records significant improvements to and a challenging forward agenda for the Library Service. It is commended to this Committee.

RECOMMENDATION

11. The Scrutiny Committee is asked to:

1. consider the draft Annual Library Plan 2002; and
2. forward any comments on the plan to the Executive for its meeting on 17 September 2002.

RICHARD MUNRO
Director of Cultural Services

Background Papers: Annual Library Plan – 2^nd Draft August 2002

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

September 2002

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