Date: 17 February 2011 20:37:28 GMT
Subject: proposed library closures
Dear Mr Vaisey,
I wish to draw your attention to the consultation ongoing in North Yorkshire at the moment on the reduction in library services. North Yorkshire proposes either to close 23 of their smaller libraries or turn them into community run libraries. Both Ingleton and Bentham libraries come into this category of either closure or switch to community status.
Local people already volunteer for many activities in the community. The Tourist Information Service is staffed by volunteers. Children's playgrounds are run by volunteers as is the local swimming pool. The population of these two communities is relatively small. They could not achieve a satisfactory voluntary library service, which would not only involve staffing the library but maintaining the fabric of the buildings and the on costs of running the libraries. At a meeting in Bentham on 14th February the residents rejected the council's proposal for them to consider a community library because of the factors stated above.
The nearest library would then be in Settle, some 11 miles away. There is no public transport between Bentham and Settle that would enable residents to use that library, and a very limited bus service from Ingleton. Therefore if both these libraries were to close, those without a car would have no access to a public library.
Your own literature states:
"We would be concerned if libraries were closed, or their services disproportionately reduced, just to save money."
On Wednesday 16th February, the council rejected the opportunity tabled by one of the councillors to debate a motion offering an alternative solution to the cuts in library funding.
I know that you propose a "wait and see" approach to council cutbacks in library services, but it is obvious that the swingeing cutbacks in provision in North Yorkshire are simply about saving money and not about producing a better or more efficient service.
Could you please, therefore, remind North Yorkshire County Council of its duty to
" provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof, . . . " Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.
Regards,
Jane Chilton
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CANNON RYAN <Ryan.Cannon@culture.gsi.gov.uk>
Date: Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Subject: CMS 166733 Libraries
To: "niltobychilton@sky.com" <niltobychilton@sky.com>
From: CANNON RYAN <Ryan.Cannon@culture.gsi.gov.uk>
Date: Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Subject: CMS 166733 Libraries
To: "niltobychilton@sky.com" <niltobychilton@sky.com>
Dear Ms Chilton
Thank you for your email of 17 February to Ed Vaizey MP expressing your concerns about the proposed closures of libraries by North Yorkshire County Council. Your letter has now been passed on to the libraries’ policy team in the DCMS as they are responsible for monitoring and assessing all correspondence to the Department on library services.
The Government has said its most urgent priority is to tackle the UK's record deficit in order to restore confidence in our economy and support recovery. The reduction in local government resource over the next spending period presents a real challenge and library services cannot be excluded from the cuts authorities are having to make. It may be helpful for some background information to be provided to you on the subject of library services.
The Government is committed to championing the public library service. Libraries can and do contribute to a range of local and national government priorities – for example, they can help people access a whole range of educational materials, find employment or get online support for any issues such as health and well-being improvement, and work with parents, schools and colleges to support education and learning agendas. All these connections can have positive benefits for communities.
Decisions about library services, both before and after consultation with local communities, are a matter for the local authority in the first instance. The Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, has a duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to superintend the delivery of library services by local authorities.
Developments concerning library services across England are being carefully monitored by officials. The Minister for Culture, Ed Vaizey MP, recently wrote to every local authority in England to remind them of their responsibility under the Act to provide a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service. In that letter he repeated the key findings from the report of the inquiry that was held in 2009 into proposed closures of libraries by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council: that when re-organising library services it is important that authorities have a strategy, that they have considered the needs of their local communities and that they have consulted local people.
The closure of a library does not of itself signal an automatic breach of the 1964 Act. Sometimes a library authority will close or consider closing a library to ensure a more efficient service across its geographical area overall and this will be based on a local assessment of library needs. Before reducing the library service to communities local authorities should consider other efficiency options, including some innovative ideas such as - shared services, merging functions or staffing across authorities or public services, and the use of volunteers or of other community buildings.
To help local councils adapt to the current economic challenge, the Minister launched The Future Libraries Programme last summer. This is a joint Museums Libraries and Archive Council (MLA) and Local Government Association Group (LGA) programme which aims to support over 30 participating authorities to explore options that will help them to deliver the front line services communities want and need more efficiently. As it develops, learning from the 10 pilot projects will be shared widely to support non-participating authorities to deliver their services more efficiently too. Further information about the programme is available on the MLA website at http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/the_future_libraries_programme. The MLA is available to support any authority in developing plans for their library service.
We are aware that many local authority library proposals remain subject to consultation with local communities and that the MLA is in contact with many authorities. Consideration by the Secretary of State of whether or not any statutory powers should be used to assess an authority’s compliance with the 1964 Act will be made on a case-by-case basis and after careful consideration of all relevant facts and local circumstances.
Yours sincerely
Ryan Cannon
Public Engagement and Recognition Unit
Department for Culture, Media and Sport |2-4 Cockspur Street |London |SW1Y 5DH * Ryan.Cannon@culture.gsi.gov.uk|; www.culture.gov.uk
DCMS aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport |2-4 Cockspur Street |London |SW1Y 5DH * Ryan.Cannon@culture.gsi.gov.uk|; www.culture.gov.uk
DCMS aims to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries.
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