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2 A growing organism planning the future for libraries Libraries on the agenda! Delhi March 2008 John Dolan OBE Head of Library Policy Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

3 The MLA Partnership is government's agency for museums, galleries, libraries and archives. We deliver strategic leadership in England and in each of its regions and we collaborate with partners across the UK. Our research identifies good practice, which we use to promote improvement. We offer advice, support and resources to funding bodies and other groups to incentivise innovation. Our aim is to raise professional standards and champion better services for users and readers of all ages and backgrounds, whether residents or visitors.

4 Framework for the future

5 -Published year vision -Priority areas -A call to action A Brief history of Framework for the Future

6 The Framework message 2003 Library strengths Support reading and informal learning Equalise access to digital skills and e- government services Promote citizenship, community, identity and social inclusion Library weaknesses … -Falling traditional use -Fragmented. Variable quality -Innovation is uneven -Leadership weak; development and recruitment time bomb -Not central to key local or national agendas -Poor advocacy

7 Framework action 2003 – 2008 Leadership development for senior managers Peer review. Poor performers learn from good practice for improvement Reading & learning – the focus for development. From literacy to marketing reading The People’s Network. Wider audiences through modern technologies for learning and communications Library buildings. Making the case for investment in an attractive environment Marketing. Messages for library audiences Disabilities website Engaging communities. £80m [2008] Big Lottery funding for innovation in partnership with local communities

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9 The web - The People’s Network Service Internet access in every library From project to service National user services on the web Draws new audiences – younger & more diverse Available nationally –In libraries –Via the web –Anywhere. 24/7

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11 Reference online Coordinated purchase of electronic reference works 24 major national publications Quicker, cheaper for publishers and libraries Consistent offer to users Anywhere, – 24/7 for library members Economies of £1.7m

12 Blueprint for excellence - consultation 2007 Consultation on future priorities Users groups Online survey Focus groups Workshops Young people Books and reading Learning Community space New technology and communications Skills for life Knowledge economy Young people Excluded groups

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14 The national context

15 Context 1. The world around us Global economy and supply chain Demography –Age, Diversity, Migration, Workforce Consumer culture and expectations Technology driving social, educational, economic change Information and communications Climate and environment

16 Realising Britain’s potential - Cabinet Office Strategy Unit 2008 Nine key challenges 1.Global Britain; success in the world 2.Economic prosperity: workers and business in globalised, competitive world 3.Life chances; reducing inequality, unlock Britain’s talents 4.Population; supporting a growing, ageing, more diverse population 5.Families and communities: strengthen family life; foster strong communities 6.Safe Britain: safe and secure for all 7.Personalised public services: better tailoring services to diverse needs 8.Climate challenge: making the transition to a low carbon Britain 9.Democratic renewal: modernising democracy for the 21 st century NB. Discussion paper, not policy.

17 Nine key challenges:- 1.Global Britain; success in the world 2.Economic prosperity: workers and business in globalised, competitive world 3.Life chances; reducing inequality, unlock Britain’s talents 4.Population; supporting a growing, ageing, more diverse population 5.Families and communities: strengthen family life; foster strong communities 6.Safe Britain: safe and secure for all 7.Personalised public services: better tailoring services to diverse needs 8.Climate challenge: making the transition to a low carbon Britain 9.Democratic renewal: modernising democracy for the 21 st century NB. Discussion paper, not policy.

18 Learning and Community

19 New meanings of literacy

20 Multiple literacies? Read, write, speak Information Literacy Media Literacy Digital Literacy Consulted - Participating – Engaged - Empowered

21 Learning and communities interconnected

22 Costs have been attached to each of these risks and summed to the age of 37 (the last point at which reliable survey data is currently available). The total resulting costs to the public purse to age 37 arising from failure to learn to read in the primary school years are estimated at between £44,797 and £ 53,098 for each individual. This works out at a total of £1.73BN to £2.05 BN every year. The long term costs of literacy difficulties The Long Term Costs of Literacy Difficulties KPMG Foundation December

23 The importance of Community

24 Community engagement More people everywhere getting actively involved in their neighbourhood Local people able to influence decisions about their own neighbourhoods and public services from Your neighbourhood – Getting involved and having a say [ODPM & Home Office]

25 Community diversity and cohesion Significant demographic characteristics –Ageing population –Children and young people. Families –Diversity Commonwealth, post-colonial migration Eastern Europe A library role –A space for community social and democratic activity –Partnership with the voluntary sector –Community involvement in decision making –Access to public services – Education, Health, Local government –Partnership with other relevant services

26 The changing library

27 “Who knows that a day may not come […] in which dissemination of knowledge will be effected by direct thought transfer, in the Dakshinamurti fashion … when the dissemination of knowledge, which is the vital function of libraries, will be realised by libraries even by means other than those of the printed book?” Five Laws of Library Science SR Ranganathan, 1931

28 library collection staff Author, Publisher User, Reader,

29 Publisher Author Retailer - Library supplier - Supplier selection - Consortium purchase Wholesaler Library Authority & Policy Library management Librarian Service delivery staff Who is responsible for what and to whom? Volunteers Community engagement Passive display/ active promotion User & reader Buyer-reader Donations / Publicity Getting the book to the reader

30 Access - physical to virtual C19 th Content - physical to virtual Late C20 th Turn of the century C21 st

31 Libraries trajectory 1 19 th century – physical access to physical resources Late 20 th century – some e-access to physical resources Turn of the century – e-access to e- resources 21 st century – e-access to e- resources

32 Libraries trajectory 2 Personalised learning Cross sector learning Lifelong learning for skills, creativity and leisure Library design for –study, group, social and community activity Authenticated access to resources Authoritative resources Online Library web

33 Early years and Child development Study support – school, further & higher education Weekends and holidays Skills for life & Reskilling Personal growth Health & wellbeing Curiosity and enthusiasm Life … Learning styles Learning needs at different times Personal and community learning Citizen as researcher Creative skills and innovation Learning for the economy Learning and social cohesion The patterns of lifelong learning

34 This traditional definition of a library is from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Our challenge is to redefine the role and purpose of the British Library in the information revolution of the 21st century.

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37 Priorities in Higher Education libraries

38 SCONUL vision - academic information services in the year 2010 “Individuals will have better access to electronic content, with access centred on communities of interest based on work, leisure, formal and informal e- learning and lifestyle. People will move seamlessly from one community to another” SCONUL - Society of College, National and University Libraries

39 SCONUL - factors in higher education Personalisation Systems and services are designed for the individual Based on work, leisure, formal and informal e-learning and lifestyle. People move easily from one community to another. Single formats, service types, etc. will no longer exist; individuals seek technology or services that fit purpose Collaboration Across sectors and between global communities Shared facilities, storage, conservation and digitisation Support research across institutions; ‘virtual organisations’ Lifelong learners use multiple institutional communities Discovery tools to find community-specific resources.

40 SCONUL – factors in higher education Space Physical and virtual space equal status Diverse learning communities; Exploit all available technologies Fully flexible IT support infrastructure; blend of wireless, hard wired and portable devices Bandwidth for wireless provision enhanced; but the increased capabilities for hard- wired facilities Management and skills Full costing; need evidence of impact and return on investment; e-measures embedded Redirection of staff time; alternative skills – information fluency, finance, marketing, income generation Focus on personal help, face- to-face or web-based

41 Improvement through innovation

42 Innovation in core business Learning –reading to enjoy; the enriching power of literature –literacy and skills for life – literacy, numeracy, speaking –study support for school, FE and HE students –information, advice, referral and guidance services –Supporting enterprise, creativity in the knowledge economy Community –Identity, culture, ideas, opinions, knowledge –community engagement, devolution, democracy in the library service through the library in the wider community –building stronger communities

43 Innovation through technology Benchmark efficiency and effectiveness –Customer access to information, learning, knowledge –In-library, remote, downloadable resources –Interactive Web 2.0 services –Back office operations

44 Innovation in partnership Priority audiences –Children, families, young people, older people, disabled people, excluded groups Priority strategic themes –Literacy, skills, reading for enjoyment, learning, health, information services, democracy Partnerships across learning and enterprise –Early years, schools, public library, informal learning, academic –Creative industries, Knowledge economy Partnership across the cultural sector –Libraries, museums, arts, sport, heritage

45 Framework for the Future -the next phase

46 Framework Action Plan - Towards 2013 [to be launched May 2008] Governance and sustainability Learning, Reading and Skills The Digital Library Improvement and efficiency

47 Future Sustainability

48 Research and evidence - for advocacy and improvement Recent research projects Longitudinal research and evidence Case studies and good practice Outcomes and Impact Best practice – benchmarking and sharing Evaluating innovation [Big Lottery Community Libraries Programme]

49 Governance Legislation National leadership and direction Local ownership and relevance Engagement of communities –Geographical communities –Communities of need and interest Partnership, collaboration and joint projects Diverse funding models – trusts, outsourcing, commissioning

50 Learning, reading and information Skills Access to information and guidance on learning and training Promote informal learning and education support Measuring progression – th eoutcomes of learning in libraries National strategies for reading, writing, spoken and information literacy Prioritise children and families, young people, adult learners

51 Digital innovation Integrated learning and communications network Customer controlled access to both physical and digital resources Online learning and cultural content Delivery to personal communications devices Authoritative content. National agreements and licences Social networking and learning

52 Workforce Leadership – vision, planning, partnership building negotiation Management – people, finance, resources Skilling the entire workforce, not just the “professionals” Modern skills – outward looking, communicative, proactive, community leaders Career and Personal Development

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54 Partnership Cross government –Education & Learning, –Business & regeneration –Leisure and Culture Diversity and community Local government 3 rd sector Arts, Sport, Heritage Co-located building developments Dual use libraries Learning projects Staff training Marketing Reading development

55 National strategies delivered locally National –National policy, strategic leadership –Research, evidence, incentives Regional / sub-regional –Strategic collaboration –Regeneration focus infrastructure, investment Local –Local government priorities and performance –Community ownership, development, delivery

56 Thank you John Dolan OBE Head of Library Policy Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

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