Mr. J. Myers,
Public Library Review Secretariat,
ASLIB,
The Association for Information Management,
Information House,
20-24 Old Street,
London,
EC1V 9AP

My Ref./Fy Nghyf.
CL/TAJ

Your Ref/Eich Cvf.

Dear Mr. Myers,

REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE

Further to my letter of the 17 June regarding the above mentioned Review, I enclose as promised, a summary of my own views as they relate to the questions posed in your letter of the 12 May which I received on 17 June, 1994.

Although the observations attached are described as being submitted by the Mid Glamorgan County Council I must emphasise that they have not been cleared by my Authority and do not necessarily reflect its views.

A similar document is being forwarded to the Association of County Councils which has also asked my Authority for its views on this topic.

Yours sincerely,

County Librarian & Arts Officer

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY REVIEW

OBSERVATIONS SUBMITTED BY MID GLAMORGAN COUNTY COUNCIL

Introduction

The County Council welcomes the opportunity of responding to ASLIB's invitation to submit its comments on the Review of the Public Library Service currently being undertaken on behalf of the Department of National Heritage.

In making this submission, the Authority is mindful of the history, background and the reasons behind the establishment and development of public library services since the first Public Libraries Act of 1850 enabled local authorities to provide this particular service. It is also conscious of the fact that public libraries are among the most popular and heavily used services provided by local authorities. That between 30% and 50% of the population of England and Wales make use of public libraries at some time or other is indicative of the relevance and influence public libraries have in their respective areas.

Since April 1965 the provision of public library services has been a statutory function and the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, places a duty on library authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient service, and makes it clear that pictures, gramophone records and films can properly be provided as part of that service as well as books.

The Mid Glamorgan County Council sees many advantages in having a public library service which is supported by statute and the extensive developments in the service which have taken place since 1965 are in many ways due to the service being a statutory function. Nevertheless, the Authority would have given more credence to the Act, if a true and helpful interpretation of "comprehensive and efficient service" had been forthcoming together with an indication of what standards were to be attained.

That the present service in the County Library area has reached its present high standard is due to the County Councils desire and insistence to provide services which meet user needs.

In response to the eight questions posed in your letter of 25 May, 1994 the Mid Glamorgan County Council offers the following comments:-

1. The concept of a "free" public library service has been enshrined in the lives of the people of England and Wales since the passing of the first Public Libraries Act 150 years ago. That this concept was upheld in the Public Libraries & Museums Act 1964 and in subsequent governmental publications and ministerial pronouncements lends support to the belief that certain 'core' areas of the service should continue to be fully maintained from the public purse and be free to all users. This Authority is of the opinion that all lending, reference and referral services and access to information in printed form should be freely available to all library users. Guidance and advice relating to all other sources of information including databases should also form part of this free service. The duty of every library to promote and encourage the use of libraries by both adults and children by whatever means possible should also be a part of the overall pattern of library provision.

2. The Authority is aware of the changing pattern and needs of society and of the effect that this is having on public services. Public library services need to continue to adapt to these changes.

The development which has taken place in the automation of public library services in recent years has enabled authorities to improve management methods and administrative procedures while the ease with which information can be accessed places libraries in the front line of information providers.

It is in this latter role that attention should be concentrated not only on enabling libraries to obtain the information required by users but also to ease the provision of information within a library authority. The local public library should be the Information Broker and the Gateway for this service to whole Council and Community. The public library will need a higher profile information role to meet the needs of the new unitary authorities.

Of equal relevance is the need to be aware of the cross border, inter-authority and indeed European roles of the Information Broker. As communication is the vehicle by which information is obtained and disseminated, libraries are seen as having a more significant role in the communications media. The professional skill of librarians and information scientists can contribute to and indeed assume a leading role in the development of local information networks such as local radio and television services and particularly Ceefax type information systems.

3. During the past three years the Mid Glamorgan County Library Service has developed an in-house fully integrated computerised library service with the administrative and management procedures of all of its 37 libraries fully automated. That this task has been accomplished by the library staff indicates the high level of technical skills available within the service. Mid Glamorgan is confident that such skills are appropriate to enable information services as described in Section 2 above to be provided through the public library and that the equipment, systems and databases already developed are appropriate to meet the likely demands placed on it. The strategic locations of public libraries in Mid Glamorgan in relation to the communities they serve ensure that the local library is central to community activity. In this respect the county library service has developed means of promoting and encouraging the use of libraries by establishing Literary Circles based on local libraries. These "Circles" arrange public lectures, discussions, presentations, exhibitions and displays and have played a significant role in the cultural regeneration of communities within the County. Most of these activities are provided in partnership with the Education Service, the Arts Council of Wales, the Regional Arts Association, and other agencies while sponsorship for many literary functions has been forthcoming from the publishing industry and book trade, [Samples of publicity material produced in-house to promote these activities is attached]

4. Despite the many changes which have taken place in society since the public library service became a statutory obligation in 1965., the terms of that legislation still ring true. Books still mean a great deal to a vast number and probably a majority of U.K. residents.

Library authorities must continue to "provide a comprehensive and efficient library service" but they must also ensure that this legislation is maintained in the interest of local inhabitants and the well-being of a literate nation.

In so doing public libraries must be able to provide for general use, for both lending and reference purposes, a representative collection of what is best of the vast output of British and other publishing houses and make access possible to a wide range of information sources.

5. Responding to the known and identifying unknown needs of local residents is fundamental to a library authority's ability to provide effective public library services. While cognisance must be taken of user needs and interests, it is also necessary to promote and encourage participation. While the present system of ensuring service provision is met partly by Council Member involvement and in part by officer participation, the more structured and formal user panel may have its advantages. There are grave dangers in such a development, of course; a weak and diffident response from local residents might not necessarily reflect local choice and might lead to an equally weak and ineffective library service.

6. The Mid Glamorgan County Council is of the opinion that the system of funding public library services from local taxes, coupled with central government support is the best and most appropriate method of funding this well used service. The Authority recognises, however, that other means of funding currently in vogue such as financial aid from other agencies and sponsorships coupled with income generation will have a significant part to play in the future funding of the service. The cost of providing a service which reflects local needs and local choice, however, should be met from the public purse which, in this particular instance, is a combination of both local and national resources. In emphasising the growing importance of income generation, care must be taken that this method of funding is not allowed to compromise the free nature and overall standard of the service. In the same respect services provided from the public purse must be accountable to the funder.

7. Local authorities are known to be particularly ineffective at marketing their services. Public libraries, however, have succeeded in attracting a high percentage of the population to make use of the various services on offer. Marketing is both a national and local responsibility; the raising of the library service's profile may be accomplished by a national body such as the Library Association or the Department of National Heritage while local user surveys, service promotions and local marketing is the role of the local authority. The function of marketing is to create awareness of the product (the public library), develop its image, raise its profile thus ensuring its relevance and success in the community it serves. This function is best achieved by professionally qualified and experienced marketing experts engaged to promote and develop intelligent use of existing and new public library services.

8. Identifying needs is a prerequisite of any organisation providing services to the public. Community profiling and the identification of user and non-user needs are essential tools of good management.

The special needs of particular groups - actual and potential- are best met following the application of these management principles.

Certain groups in the community, such as the Handicapped and the Housebound, require special attention and adequate funding to meet their needs becomes a priority.

Mid Glamorgan strives to meet those needs by providing a domiciliary service to the housebound as well as those in Residential Homes for the Aged while the two cultures in the county are supported and fostered by a wide range of cultural activities provided and promoted by the County Library Service.