Corporate report

Leadership for Libraries Taskforce: six month progress report (April - September 2015)

Published 26 November 2015

1. Introduction

The library can be the buzzing heart of a local community, or a peaceful space for quiet reflection; it’s a source of information, entertainment and inspiration; a gateway to literature and learning; the centre of a practical support network for those in need. It’s free to enter and open to everyone.

Libraries have evolved to become vital assets in their local communities, where customers are as likely to find a job, learn a skill or apply for a driving licence as they are to borrow a book or read a newspaper. You don’t even have to enter a bricks and mortar building to use the library – you can carry it in your pocket and refer to it at will, online.

Libraries are highly valued by the public, providing a wide range of facilities and services to their communities. In order to examine how best to continue to do this in challenging economic times, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) jointly commissioned William Sieghart to produce an independent report. It was to consider the current structure and role of public libraries, including community libraries, in England as well as identifying any opportunities for future delivery.

Published in December 2014, the Independent Library Report for England recommended the setting up of a jointly sponsored (ministers and Local Government Association (LGA)) task and finish group to:

• provide leadership
• implement the recommendations
• help reinvigorate the public library service

The Taskforce, established by the Chair of LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board and Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy first met in March 2015.

Since then, the Taskforce has created a dynamic partnership that fosters and promotes different way of working across the library sector and beyond. This first six-monthly progress report sets out how the Taskforce has delivered specific actions against these priorities through the individual and collective input of its members. The report includes:

• an update on the Taskforce’s achievements, highlighting successes to date
• a summary of existing Taskforce activity
• proposed next steps and suggested areas of focus over the next six months
• annex A - background and structure of the Taskforce
• annex B - meetings with government departments
• annex C - Meetings with key partners and and library visits

2. Update on the Taskforce’s achievements

In creating any new body, it is important to quickly build credibility and trust with key partners and to demonstrate the ‘value added’. This is particularly relevant in the library sector which has a myriad of interested parties, users and delivery bodies who have strong views on the future of the public library network in England. Further information on the structure and aims of the Taskforce are set out in Annex A.

The Taskforce has also been mindful that many reports have previously been written on how public libraries should evolve, with a perception that little action has happened as a result. Therefore, it has initially focused its limited resources on actions that start to deliver projects on the ground, whilst not losing sight of the longer-term strategic issues that it will need to address.

The Taskforce has been able to deliver a wide variety of activities through collective and individual member actions. This unified approach has helped to build stronger links in the library sector, as well as making better use of resources to promote the continuing value of libraries.

2.1 Successes to date include:

WiFi – to support digital enablement

£7.4m of funding has been made available (Budget 2015) to enable universal WiFi coverage in public libraries in England. This will support online access for those people who are currently digitally excluded and increase opportunities for libraries to deliver a wider range of services. Arts Council England (ACE) are administering the funding scheme that was officially launched on 27 July 2015. Installation is due to complete by March 2016.

This scheme complements a two year pilot by BT and Barclays that has provided WiFi to 100 libraries and community centres and digital support, coaching and guidance from BT Digital Friends and Barclays Digital Eagles volunteers. It will help participants to become more digitally confident and gain new skills.

On 27 July 2015, the Taskforce in partnership with the Tinder Foundation announced funding of £100,000 to pilot new approaches to building digital skills in socially excluded, hard to reach groups. This action research pilot on digital inclusion will run between 1 October 2015 and 31 March 2016 and is targeted at libraries that already have WiFi installed.

Helping libraries add value

The Taskforce helped to secure £400,000 funding for Enterprising Libraries from the British Library, ACE and DCLG. This initiative has helped six city libraries establish hubs in their buildings for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The chief executive and chair have met with and requested meetings with various government departments to highlight the value of libraries and the work they are already undertaking to support various policy agendas, including specific manifesto commitments. These meetings have also sought to identify future opportunities for collaboration and options for library investment. Further information on these meetings is set out in Annex B.

The chief executive has been actively exploring opportunities for co-location and/or shared services with a range of partners and library services. This will help to provide more joined-up services for citizens, whilst also offering opportunities to share costs and/or make efficiencies.

Best Practice

The Taskforce and the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL), with funding support from ACE, have commissioned a pilot from the graduates of SCL’s Digital Leadership Programme. They are exploring, through practical experimentation, how public library services stimulate sharing and adoption of effective practice on the theme of health and wellbeing. This work concludes in autumn 2015.

The Taskforce continues to support and raise awareness of existing best practice guidance and schemes such as sector-led improvement and peer reviews by LGA.

Workforce Development

The Taskforce, with financial support from ACE, have taken on two (time-limited) secondees from library authorities. They bring their knowledge of day-to-day work in libraries to the Taskforce and, in return, gain new skills, broaden their experience and raise their awareness of the wider policy landscape affecting library services. This is part of the Taskforce’s contribution to supporting the development of the library workforce.

Communications

The Taskforce recruited a communications officer in August 2015 to help promote the value of libraries and showcase best practice throughout the sector.

The chief executive has met with a wide range of individuals and organisations from the library sector and beyond. These meetings have addressed past and present work with library services as well as opportunities for future collaboration including resources and support. Further information is set out in Annex C.

The chief executive and Taskforce members have visited a range of local authorities and their libraries to get a better understanding of the different models and offers that they provide to their communities. Further information is set out in Annex C.

3. Summary of existing Taskforce activity

3.1 Digital enablement

In the 21st century, it is critical that libraries embrace digital technology and maximise its use both for the benefit of their local communities and to release efficiencies in the logistical operation of the library service itself.

Though the focus of this priority is on digital enablement and the use of digital assets such as online collections and formats such as e-books, the Taskforce continues to support all forms of media within the library to help encourage and promote reading for pleasure and education. Achieving the right balance between the physical and the virtual library service is of critical importance in maintaining the library network’s traditional strengths whilst seizing the opportunities the digital world offers.

Digital Devices

Much of the digital infrastructure in libraries was provided in early 2000 with the rollout of the People’s Network. Whilst many local authorities have upgraded their digital equipment since then, the overall provision of hardware and software is often older than ideal and can limit the ability to run new services. In addition, the usage demands on the equipment are usually high. This is expected to increase as more government services go online such as the rollout of Universal Credit.

The Taskforce, in association with partners, is investigating a variety of options to help ensure that all public libraries have access to appropriate digital devices and training to help meet the growing demand, especially to support digital inclusion and assisted digital initiatives. This includes the consideration of possible pilots for the loaning of digital devices and MiFis using recycled and/or other equipment.

Unifying digital presence for public libraries in England

SCL appointed BiblioCommons, an organisation that works to transform how libraries serve communities online, to scope the potential for a unified digital presence for libraries. The first phase of the project, which was funded by a £30,000 grant from ACE, researched the consumer and library sector needs and created a vision and roadmap for the unified digital platform.

The aim is to improve how library customers can access, understand, and use the information and resources that libraries collectively provide. This includes online collections, book catalogues, IT training material, etc. as well as providing easy access in one location to basic information like events calendars, library locations and opening hours. A national digital presence could help bring new users into public libraries, both virtually and physically, and enrich the library experience for existing customers.

The Taskforce has been supporting this work led by SCL, and will consider recommendations and next steps arising from the report once published. The chief executive has also been meeting with Library Management System suppliers and others partners in the library technology sector. They are considering proposals for improving the user - including library staff - experience of these systems and to discuss how efficiencies in their operation can be obtained.

E-Lending

Following a review on e-lending by William Sieghart in 2013, the Publishers Association and SCL led a series of pilots with four local authorities (Vivacity Peterborough, Newcastle City Council, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, and Derbyshire County Council) from March 2014 to February 2015. This was to carry out research into the impact of e-book lending in public libraries on authors, publishers and the library service, in order to identify a suitable and sustainable model for all stakeholders. A final evaluation report of the pilot was produced in June 2015. The pilot helped to build greater understanding and improved relationships between publishers and librarians about e-lending.

Since the completion of the e-lending pilot, the chief executive has met with relevant organisations and individuals in the sector including the pilot library authorities. The Taskforce will continue to work with the Publishers Association, SCL and other partners on developing and expanding e-lending in a phased approach on a voluntary basis.

Access to Research

The Access to Research initiative was launched in 2014 with funding from ACE. This has given free, walk-in access to a wide range of academic articles and research in public libraries across the UK. Over 10 million articles are now available online, free of charge, in participating libraries as a result of a unique collaboration between librarians and publishers. The Taskforce will support partners involved in this project as required, while they consider the future access and/or possible extensions of the project.

3.2 Libraries adding value

Libraries have always supported a range of agendas, most notably improving literacy and the love of reading. Over time, the library offer has grown to include provision of advice and support on issues like health and wellbeing, and business and economic growth. The Taskforce is working to ensure that stronger, strategic links are created between libraries and the senior decision makers leading these policy agendas across the public sector, so that libraries exploit their potential to add value to their communities. The Taskforce is also working to make better links with corporate and voluntary sector partners where mutual ambitions align.

ACE are funding various programmes to support this work including consultancy support to the Taskforce to gather specific evidence on the financial and other benefits of the programmes that libraries deliver now, and how they could deliver more with further targeted investment.

The Taskforce continues to support and promote the Universal Offers established by SCL and partners including ACE and The Reading Agency. The aim of each of the Offers is to develop a core package of partnerships, resources and advocacy messages at a national level, which can then be delivered locally and shaped to meet differing local needs. The Offers currently cover the four key areas of service: Reading, Health, Information and Digital. Future Universal Offers are planned with a Learning Offer being launched on 5 November 2015.

Business and economic growth

The Enterprising Libraries initiative is a £1.3 million partnership between DCLG, ACE and the British Library. It has enabled 16 public libraries across the UK to provide free access to collections and face-to-face advice and guidance for entrepreneurs on how to start, protect and grow their own business.

The British Library, through its Living Knowledge vision, is aiming to expand on their existing highly successful Business & Intellectual Property (IP) Centres to other city libraries by the end of the decade. In June 2015, they also announced a new partnership with the Library of Birmingham to work together in 2016 on a cultural collaboration.

Health and wellbeing

A report by Simetrica commissioned by ACE, published in March 2015, also showed health benefits from the public’s involvement in / advice from libraries. It highlighted that libraries generally have an important role in library users’ quality of life and wellbeing. Medical cost savings associated with library engagement are estimated at £1.32 per person per year and aggregated NHS cost savings of £27.5 million per year.

The Universal Health Offer includes the Reading Well Books on Prescription programme. This now provides curated resources around the following conditions: common mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, phobias and some eating disorders and dementia.

Loans of the dementia titles have increased by 275% since the list was launched in January 2015. Fifty per cent of libraries are in receipt of some funding from local public health bodies. This is in recognition of the role they can play in supporting people to access information and to engage in beneficial reading activity. SCL and The Reading Agency are working with partners to produce the next list for young people with mental health issues.

SCL and The Reading Agency are also holding a round-table in October 2015, hosted by the Wellcome Foundation, to develop and extend the health partnerships in place as part of the health and wellbeing offer.

Reading

The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge programme is both helping young people to develop their skills but also providing strong role models for children. Reading Hack, the Paul Hamlyn funded programme for young people, is now being piloted in over 50 local libraries. The goal is to identify and embed ways of getting and keeping young people involved in reading and providing opportunities for skills development.

World Book Night, run by The Reading Agency, inspires people to become confident and enthusiastic readers to help give them an equal chance in life. An interim evaluation on the impact of both giving and receiving books on World Book Night highlighted that receiving a book really does give people enormous pleasure and makes them feel that they would like to continue reading.

The Reading Agency successfully bid to the Department for Education for the contract to develop reading groups in schools. They are building on their successful Chatterbooks programme and working in partnership with school libraries, the Schools Library Service and Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians to deliver this.

The Reading Agency is developing an outcomes framework with funding from the Peter Sowerby Foundation in partnership with a wide range of organisations including European partners.

Co-location / Shared Services

The chief executive has been exploring opportunities for co-location and/or shared services with a range of partners and library services to provide more joined-up services to users, whilst also identifying opportunities to share costs and/or make efficiencies. This activity has involved identifying and meeting with organisations such as the Post Office to highlight further opportunities for co-location and facilitating discussions between partners. For example Citizens Advice Bureau on potential national agreements for shared working that can then be adapted for local development.

The chief executive has also met with officials from the One Public Estate programme to ensure that libraries are included in their future planning. The One Public Estate programme is a pioneering initiative delivered in partnership by LGA and the Cabinet Office’s Government Property Unit. It was launched in June 2013 and is designed to allow local authorities to work with central government and local agencies to release assets and share land and property information across the public sector.

As rationalisation of the government estate progresses, this can identify opportunities to move other services into library buildings. Or to move library services from older, more expensive, buildings in a poor state of repair into buildings that offer a more flexible, cheaper, space better suited to the needs of a modern library. This will align with local authority Estates Strategies.

3.3 Best Practice

There are some excellent examples of local authorities and libraries delivering services in new and innovative ways that better meet the needs of their existing users and attract new or re-joining users. The Taskforce wants to support local authorities and libraries to share and learn from existing and new best practice so that they build sustainable long-term models for library service delivery.

Guidance

There is a wide range of existing best practice publications already in existence. The Taskforce is seeking to build on this, improving its visibility and linking them together as a unified package to share with:

• local authorities
• libraries (including volunteer and community managed models)
• the library workforce
• other partners

This is to help them make informed decisions.

LGA already supports and promotes sector led improvement. They have a range of practical support available, on a free of charge and/or subsidised basis, to enable local authorities to exploit the opportunities that this approach to improvement provides. For example, LGA, with funding support from ACE, have recently offered to support three peer reviews of library services and delivered a programme of sector led support for library portfolio holders on 15 September 2015.

Survey

An independent researcher has been collating existing library research to better understand why people currently do or don’t use libraries and what libraries could do to increase usage. To supplement this, she has been undertaking new user research and carried out a survey to map out examples of best practice in libraries across England. This included user perspectives on libraries. The results from this will be combined with the outcomes from the Health and Wellbeing pilot to inform future workstreams and prioritisation of actions.

Data

The Taskforce recognises that having access to timely, accurate, comparable data is critical to monitoring the delivery of, and improving the quality of, library services. They are currently evaluating existing published data by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

The Taskforce, alongside the findings from other surveys and user research, will use this information to consider what data is needed in the future, how it should be collected and disseminated, and how to fill in any gaps identified.

The above work will help add value for the users of the library service by ensuring that local communities have access to high quality services, information, support and reading materials. This amplifies the work already being done through the Universal Offers.

3.4 Workforce development

As libraries expand the services they offer, it is important that the library workforce are trained, resourced and empowered to deliver confidently and to take on new roles as part of wider service provision. Likewise, it is important that the library and information management profession continues to attract and engage new entrants. The Taskforce is encouraging innovation and transformation through the development of the library workforce at all levels, and for all library models, to prioritise excellent customer service and public engagement.

In 2014, SCL commissioned the development of a Digital Leadership Programme. The central objective was to create a pilot training programme for current and emerging library leaders, which took pressing issues relating to digital technology and used them to explore and develop leadership skills and competencies. Seventeen library leaders took part in this pilot with further cohort programmes being rolled out in 2015/16.

Over 2014-15, approximately 14,000 people (which represents over 80% of the library workforce) have undergone a Digital Skills E-learning programme, the evaluation of which was published in 2015. This pointed to an increase in levels of digital skills and leadership among the public library workforce. SCL have also recruited 50 library interns to build the future library workforce and support succession planning.

The Taskforce wants to ensure the graduates of the digital leadership programme and the regional trainers who supported the Digital Skills E-learning rollout continue their development and inspire others. As part of this, the Taskforce is looking to develop a series of action learning sets focused on innovation and transformation. The first of these was the establishment of a best practice health and wellbeing pilot. The Taskforce will consider the outcomes from this to help refine generic guidance for best practice that can be used and further developed by other library authorities. It could also provide a model for adopting effective approaches more widely.

The Taskforce will evaluate the effectiveness of the secondment programme described earlier to decide if it should be repeated in future years. The chief executive is investigating other opportunities for secondments both to and from the library workforce to help share skills and experiences with wider organisations and individuals and, by doing so, to develop a network of advocates for the profession.

Surveys

In addition to the survey by the independent researcher referenced in the Best Practice section, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) have undertaken a survey to map the workforce and obtain a comprehensive data set on the existing skills.

The Taskforce, in collaboration with other related organisations such as Health Education England, will use the surveys and research to:

• discuss what the future workforce needs to look like - including capacity, capability and skill requirements
• map existing workforce skills
• identify the new skills required
• develop a programme to fill any gaps and maintain skill levels

3.5 Communications

The Taskforce needs to increase understanding of the value of public libraries in the minds of users, practitioners, policy-makers and the media.

A 2012 study by the Carnegie Trust found that there was a gap between positive public attitudes towards public libraries and user behaviour in England. Around three-quarters of those taking part in the survey (74%) said they felt that public libraries are either very important or essential to their community, but only half had used a library at least once in the last year and only around half again (52%) had used it at least once a month.

The 2014 Independent Review of Public Libraries found that over a third of the population in England visits their local library regularly and in the most deprived areas that figure rises to nearly a half. And yet despite over 200 million annual visits to public libraries much of the prevailing public and media narrative about libraries is currently focused almost solely on cuts and closures.

Whilst it would be wrong to ignore and to ‘sweep under the carpet’ the funding pressures local authorities are under and how this can impact on the delivery of frontline library services, this narrative fails to celebrate and promote the value libraries are adding to their communities every day and the ways in which service managers are delivering change.

A priority of the Taskforce is, therefore, to create a positive, common narrative about the value of libraries to society so that everyone, from decision makers to opinion-formers to users, recognise and support libraries. As well as providing evidence of how investment in libraries can support growth, jobs, industry, learning, creativity, etc at local, national and even global level. This narrative needs to clearly state the services which libraries now provide and how these are evolving - especially the developing digital offer - as this is not well understood. This has the potential to attract new and lapsed users as well as maintaining and possibly increasing visits by current users.

To support this vision, the communications lead has produced a Taskforce communications strategy (including key messages, audience segmentation, communication channels) and established the Taskforce’s online and social media presence, with the aim of reframing public libraries as exciting, innovative and productive public spaces. Alongside partner communication channels, key messages from the Taskforce will disseminate information about libraries and the development and the adoption of new service models as well as the work of the Taskforce in supporting these. Trends and changes in sentiment analysis, behaviour and other key metrics will be used to monitor the success of the communications strategy. The strategy also needs to reach library and information professionals to disseminate best practice and impact measures and to sustain digital enablement and workforce development over the longer term.

The Taskforce is also maintaining a list of all future events and visits being planned by Taskforce members and other library partners to co-ordinate these as part of the wider Taskforce communication strategy. This will also help identify potential visits and meetings for ministers across government to help reposition libraries closer to the forefront of innovation, growth and the knowledge economy.

3.6 Ambition for Public Libraries in England: Making it Happen

During the various meetings and visits, there has been a growing consensus that a document that sets out the government’s and the Taskforce’s shared vision for public libraries in England - and, most importantly, how it would be achieved - would add value. Such a document would:

• provide a shared direction and purpose
• highlight existing good practice
• provide a focus for collaborative action to address the challenges library services are facing
• recognise the need for local democratic accountability

At its second meeting, the Taskforce agreed that it would recommend production of such a document to Ministers and LGA members, and confirmed their willingness to support DCMS in the production process. Subsequent discussions between Taskforce members have resulted in a suggested title for the document of “Ambition for Public Libraries in England: Making it Happen” as adequately reflecting the proposed purpose and content. It was also reinforced that this document should be developed alongside the delivery of already identified priorities.

If such a document were developed, the Taskforce recognised that there would be opportunities to link in with, and learn from, strategies and frameworks from the Devolved Administrations and other international library models.

4. Proposed next steps and areas of focus over the next six months

The Taskforce will:

• continue to lead on digital enablement including completing the rollout of WiFi and further expanding the e-lending offer
• continue to create and reinforce stronger, strategic links between library services, senior decision makers and other partners
• consider how upcoming government policy initiatives (such as the outcomes of the 2015 Spending Review) will influence library services and the future work of the Taskforce
• create guidance packages including one for chief executives and library portfolio holders which support local authorities and library services to learn from existing and new best practice
• continue to ensure the library workforce have the skills needed both now and in the future, including developing SCL led action learning sets, focussing on innovation and transformation
• create and disseminate a new positive narrative to promote the value of libraries
• recommend that ministers and LGA agree to develop “Ambition for Public Libraries in England: Making it Happen” in partnership and consultation with the Taskforce and other key organisations
• publish the next progress report in March 2016

5. ANNEX A: Background and structure of the Taskforce

5.1 Background

In February 2014, DCMS and DCLG jointly commissioned William Sieghart to produce an independent report considering the current structure and role of public libraries, including community libraries, in England as well as identifying any opportunities for future delivery.

The Independent Library Report for England was published on 18 December 2014. It identified a range of opportunities for the future whilst still retaining the local identity and accountability of the library service. One of the key actions from the report was for central and local government to ‘jointly establish a library taskforce, led by councils, in partnership with others interested in the sector: to provide leadership; to implement the recommendations and to help reinvigorate the public library service in England’.

The chair of LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board and ministers (DCMS and DCLG) took immediate steps to set up the Taskforce, which is expected to operate for three to four years. They appointed the chair, chief executive and members, and agreed the objectives, priorities and reporting arrangements.

5.2 Membership of the Taskforce

Chair

Dr Paul Blantern is the chair of the Taskforce as well as being the chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council where he is responsible for a wide portfolio of customer facing services including libraries.

Chief Executive

Kathy Settle became the chief executive for the Taskforce in April 2015. She was also the Director for Digital Policy and Departmental Engagement at the Government Digital Service, Cabinet Office until September 2015.

They are supported by representatives from the following organisations:

Arts Council England as the development agency for libraries in England, ACE builds on the vision and priorities set out in Envisioning the library of the future. It provides investment and expertise for Taskforce members to enable the delivery of its objectives.

The BBC welcomed and endorsed the ambition in the Independent Library Report for England to ensure libraries remain a vital part of public life. They support libraries by building on their various activities to encourage reading, literacy and digital enablement. Within the Taskforce, they recognise the role that digital technology can play in transforming public libraries and are helping to explore what digital capability and infrastructures would most benefit libraries and how these can be rolled out over time.

The British Library is the national library of the UK, underpinning research, innovation and enterprise in the UK’s knowledge economy. It has built and is expanding on various partnerships with public libraries, particularly including the Business and IP Centre network.

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CIILIP) is the professional body representing library and information workers across the UK. It provides leadership and advocacy for the profession, investing in the development of skills and competencies to meet the current and future needs of communities and businesses. As a member of the Taskforce, CILIP supports the development of a fresh vision of the public library network in England, promoting enterprise, information literacy and equality of access to knowledge and information.

The Chief Cultural & Leisure Officers Association (cCLOA) represents senior strategic leaders managing public sector cultural, tourism and sport services. It seeks to influence the development of national policies and to lobby for positive change in the cultural and leisure sectors. Members are often the Senior Strategic Leader for Libraries amongst a wide portfolio of other services. Iain Varah is the immediate past chair of cCLOA and the chief executive of Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure. It is one of the country’s largest trust providers who pride themselves on running one of London’s most efficient and effective library services amongst a range of other services.

Chief executives from nominated local authorities - representing local council’s interests and accountability.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the joint accountable body for the Taskforce and has responsibility for central government policy relating to public libraries in England.

The Local Government Association is the joint accountable body for the Taskforce and the national voice for local government.

Public Health England (PHE) leads on protecting and improving the nation’s health and wellbeing and reducing health inequalities. They do this through world class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and delivery of specialist public health services. Many of these programmes are delivered through or linked with public libraries.

The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) leads and manages public libraries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is made up of the head of service of every library authority, and advocates for continuous improvement of the public library service on behalf of local people. SCL’s work plan is driven by the Universal Offers (reading, information, health, digital and learning) which it has developed, with partners including The Reading Agency, to ensure library customers and local communities can benefit from shared national programmes which have the flexibility for local delivery.

The Reading Agency is a charity whose mission is to create and deliver innovative reading opportunities that inspire people to read more, encourage them to share their enjoyment of reading with others and celebrate the difference being able to read makes to all our lives. The Reading Agency is funded by ACE and other partners. Their programmes are developed and delivered in partnership with public libraries and run in schools, colleges, workplaces and prisons. They reach 1.5 million people across the whole of the UK every year.

5.3 Taskforce Remit

The terms of reference were agreed and set out at the first meeting on 10 March 2015. The members bring their expertise and particular interests from their representative bodies and then work together through the Taskforce to develop, agree, implement and monitor specific programmes of work. They then report back to their respective organisations.

The Taskforce’s role is to enable the delivery of the recommendations from the Independent Library Report for England and to build upon, and add value to existing good practice, partnerships and other activities that are already supporting public libraries. They also promote libraries to national and local government and to potential funders, and create a strong and coherent narrative around the contribution public libraries make to society and to local communities.

5.4 Taskforce desired outcomes

The Taskforce wants to:

• get libraries seen as an integral solution to delivering (central and local) government agendas in a cohesive way to local communities
• get libraries seen as essential community hubs
• get libraries valued by decision makers and users alike
• enable a new future for libraries

5.5 Taskforce priorities for 2015/16

The Taskforce priorities for 2015/16 are:

• digital enablement – including the provision of universal WiFi access, e-lending, digital shared network and quality content
• libraries adding value – making stronger, strategic links between libraries and other policies such as health and wellbeing and business and economic growth
• best practice – helping local authorities and library services through sharing and linking to existing / new best practice and building sustainable long-term models for libraries / community hubs
• workforce development – building the skills needed to help the library workforce deliver these priorities and to take on new roles as part of wider service provision
• Communications – promoting the value of libraries and the work of the Taskforce, highlighting innovation and good ideas

5.6 Taskforce Meetings

The Taskforce has held meetings on:

• 10 March 2015 - DCMS, London
• 19 May 2015 - LGA, London
• 29 July 2015 - Exeter Library, Devon
• 10 September 2015 at the British Library, London
• 19 November 2015 - Newcastle City Library, Newcastle upon Tyne
• 21 January 2016 - BBC, London

5.7 Funding

DCMS provided £250,000 funding for 2015/16 to set up and support the Taskforce.

ACE has provided:

• £100,000 to fund the secondment of library staff into the Taskforce as part of the workforce development programme
• £54,000 to provide consultancy support in gathering specific evidence on the financial and other benefits that libraries deliver

The Taskforce continues to identify and investigate other possible funding and resources to support its priorities including discussions with Foundations and Trusts.

5.8 Taskforce Staff

The Taskforce team comprises of:

• one Chief Executive: part-time from 27 April and full time from 5 October 2015
• one Secretariat: full time from March 2015
• one Communications Lead: part-time from 29 July and full time from 1 September 2015
• one Programme and Project Manager: full time from 17 August 2015
• two library secondees who joined part time in August 2015 to deliver time-limited projects to March 2016

Other secondees may join the team for short-term specific pieces of work.

A number of other individuals and organisations provide support to the Taskforce on a gratis basis. They have received support from:

• an independent researcher who provides time-limited assistance with user research and library surveys
• Deloitte who provides time-limited assistance with aspects of business case development

The Taskforce is very grateful to them for their assistance.

6. ANNEX B: Meetings with government departments

The chief executive and chair along with William Sieghart (chair of The Independent Library Report for England) have met with and/or requested meetings with various government departments (at official and ministerial level). This is to highlight the value of libraries and the work that libraries are already undertaking to support various policy agendas, including specific manifesto commitments. These meetings also seek to identify future opportunities for collaboration and options for library investment. The priority departments identified, based on where libraries can and do add most value, are as follows (ministerial meetings shown; various meetings have also been held with policy officials):

• Department for Work and Pensions - Iain Duncan Smith on 13 July; Lord Freud on 8 September; a meeting with Justin Tomlinson is due to take place on 26 October
• Department for Education - a meeting with Nick Gibb is due to take place on 12 October
• Department of Health (including NHS England & Public Health England) - Jane Ellison on 13 October
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills - a meeting with Anna Soubry is being arranged
• Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs - a meeting with Rory Stewart is due to take place on 29 October
• DCLG - Marcus Jones on 11 September
• Cabinet Office - a meeting with Matt Hancock is being arranged
• DCMS - the first of a series of regular meetings was held with Ed Vaizey on 13 July; a meeting with John Whittingdale is due to take place on 18 November

7. ANNEX C: Meetings with key partners and library visits

The chief executive has met with a wide range of individuals and organisations from the library sector and beyond. These meetings include a review of previous reports, recommendations and proposed next steps. In addition to Taskforce member organisations, these have included:

• Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians
• authors and agents including Society of Authors and Association of Author’s Agents
• booksellers and suppliers
• BookTrust
• Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Cityread London
• Civic Agenda
• digital inclusion partners including Go ON UK and The Tinder Foundation
• foundations and trusts
• further education
• Health Education England
• library campaigners
• Library Management Systems including suppliers and technical experts
• local authorities including chief executives and library portfolio holders
• National Literacy Trust
• Post Office
• Pub is the Hub
• Public Libraries 2020
• publishers including The Bookseller, Faber & Faber and The Publishers Association
• Share the Vision
• Society of IT Management
• The National Archives
• Unison

The Taskforce is seeking to create specific user forums to better engage with organisations and individuals on key actions and is taking soundings on how best these should operate.

7.1 Visits

The chief executive and Taskforce members have visited a range of local authorities and libraries to get a better understanding of the different models and offers that they provide to their communities. These visits have included discussions with the library workforce and users, as well as meetings with councillors, portfolio holders and local authority chief executives and directors to:

• promote what libraries do to support delivery of their services and agendas
• highlight the range of delivery models possible for library services
• identify good practice and highlight good practice taking place elsewhere
• seek views on how the Taskforce can help reinvigorate public library services

Visits to date include the following library authorities:

• Barnet
• Cornwall
• Devon
• Essex
• Hampshire
• Lambeth
• Leicester
• Leicestershire
• Lewisham
• Manchester
• Newham
• Northamptonshire
• Southwark
• Stockton-on-Tees
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Warwickshire

Future visits are planned to:

• Cheshire West and Chester
• Leeds
• Merton
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• Wirral
• York