Corporate report

Minutes of the fifth meeting of the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce

Published 4 December 2015

This was published under the 2015 to 2016 Cameron Conservative government

Meeting date: Thursday 19 November 2015: 12.30 to 15.30 Location: City Library, Charles Avison Building, 33 New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX

Attendees

• Dr Paul Blantern (Chair) – Chief Executive: Northamptonshire County Council
• Kathy Settle (Chief Executive) – Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
• Paul Bristow – Director, Strategic Partnerships: Arts Council England (ACE)
• Laura Caton – Senior Adviser: Local Government Association (LGA)
• Julia Chandler – Communications Lead: DCMS
• Mike Cooke – Chief Executive: London Borough of Camden
• Ciara Eastell – President: Society of Chief Librarians (SCL)
• Jane Ellison – Head of Creative Partnerships: BBC
• Felix Greaves – Deputy Director of Science: Public Health England (PHE)
• Sharon Kirkpatrick - Taskforce Library secondee: Dorset
• Charlotte Lane – Taskforce Programme and Project Manager: DCMS
• Simon Richardson – Head of Libraries: DCMS
• Pat Ritchie – Chief Executive: Newcastle upon Tyne City Council
• Mark Taylor – Director of External Relations: Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals (CILIP)
• Iain Varah – Chief Executive: Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure and Immediate & Past Chair: Chief Cultural and Leisure Officers Association (cCLOA)
• Anna Wadsworth – Secretariat: DCMS
• Liz White – Head of Strategy Development: British Library
• Sue Wilkinson – Chief Executive: The Reading Agency (TRA)
• Sue Wills - Taskforce Library secondee: Poole

Apologies:

• Brian Ashley – Director, Libraries: ACE
• Rebecca Cox – Principal Policy Adviser: LGA
• Roly Keating – Chief Executive: British Library
• Dominic Lake – Deputy Director of Arts, Libraries & Cultural Property: DCMS
• Nick Poole – Chief Executive: CILIP

Reminder of Taskforce priorities for 2015/16

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. Building sustainable long-term models for libraries/community hubs

Workforce – 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

1. Introduction

Thanks to Pat Ritchie and Tony Durcan for hosting the meeting and for the tour of their library and Business & IP Centre.

The chief executive provided an update on new staff on the Taskforce team:

• Foluke Oshin - PA to chief executive and admin support
• Nick Stopforth - part time secondee from Doncaster/SCL who will be leading on digital work
• a further part time secondee will be recruited in the new year to support Nick in this work

2. Minutes and actions from the last meeting

The minutes from the fourth meeting (10 September) were published on the Taskforce’s GOV.UK page on 20 October. All actions from that meeting were completed.

3. Ways of working

The paper set out some voluntary principles for ways of working for the Taskforce between the member partners and with external organisations.

Discussion points included:

• that the paper should set out the individual offer of each member, what they bring to the Taskforce and what they can take back to their sector
• that Taskforce refers to all members and there shouldn’t be any separation of roles
• the need to reflect points of sensitivity such as confidentiality
• that the principles should be included as part of the terms of reference on the Taskforce’s page on GOV.UK
• that the Taskforce should have a group email account

ACTIONS:

• Programme and Project Manager to investigate setting up a Taskforce email account
• Secretariat to update ways of working and send round to Taskforce to finalise before putting on website as part of terms of reference

4. Dashboard/Roadmap

This set out the key developments for the Taskforce as a dashboard and updated roadmap.

There was an update from SCL on the Health Roundtable and the Unifying Digital Presence.

The Health Roundtable was hosted at the Wellcome Trust, looking at the existing health offer and how it can expand, building on regional and local links. Actions will be taken and discussed with SCL, TRA and PHE.

Points arising from this were that:

• library staff member (Andy Wright) is on secondment at the Wellcome Trust for six months
• the BBC are interested in working on a possible future campaign in 2017
• SCL will approach Jane Ellison (Department of Health) and Ed Vaizey (DCMS) to launch the Books on Prescription mental health offer for children and young people in 2016
• it’s important that the Taskforce keep all ministers informed on what is going on in key areas

A report is due to be published on the Digital Unifying Presence in December 2015.

ACTION: SCL will send the Taskforce the Executive Summary for Digital Unifying Presence once it is ready.

Other items raised were:

• an evaluation on Access to Research, commissioned by SCL and the Publishers Licensing Society, is to be published in December
• that TRA have secured funding for their outcomes framework and are getting increased European interest in this

ACTION: Taskforce to ensure dashboard/roadmap are kept up to date

5. Universal Offers

SCL and TRA gave a presentation on the Universal Offers.

After the presentation the Taskforce:

• considered the impact of the Universal Offers on the sector, by providing a common language and framework
• agreed that the Universal Offers had the potential to make a significant contribution to the development of the ambition document
• considered links to reading and schools
• agreed that any future development of Universal Offers needs to be led by SCL and TRA
• agreed that SCL, TRA, ACE, Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (ASCEL) and the Taskforce team will hold a discussion on national library membership for primary school children
• noted the impact of the Spending Review on libraries ability to deliver Universal Offers now and in the future

An update was provided on the Digital Training and Support procurement framework that is being put in place (led by Cabinet Office) to enable government to buy digital inclusion training services and assisted digital support. SCL are working with the Taskforce on the bid so that, if successful, library services can potentially secure additional funding to support customers with their government transactions and in getting online.

ACTIONS:

• Secretariat to send the Taskforce copies of the Universal Offers presentation
• Secretariat to include an item at the sixth Taskforce meeting on the implications of the Spending Review

6. Ambition for libraries

The paper set out the proposed process and possible timetable for the publication of a document (by DCMS in collaboration with the Taskforce) that sets out the government’s and the Taskforce’s shared vision for public libraries in England, including how it would be achieved and add value.

The Taskforce discussed:

• looking for opportunities post Spending Review to get some key messages out
• concerns over whether the document would be robust enough to meet the various demands from the library sector
• how the production of the document will create opportunity for partnership working in a collaborative context
• how it will also stimulate debate with different partners
• how the future context should be the starting point for the document, by setting out how public service provision, public expectations and mechanisms for getting information is changing
• how it should be designed to focus on the needs of local people and government ambitions and then on showing the critical role libraries can play in delivering these
• how to evaluate the effectiveness of the document
• the link to the Culture White Paper and how the Taskforce should feed into this

Specific points to include in the document are that:

• the emphasis should be on libraries’ contribution to other agendas
• the title will evolve, a suggested alternative is ‘Ambition for public services - how library services help’
• the intended audience should include health groups
• the consultation should have different questions for different audiences
• legal information will need a considered approach

Following the meeting, the six-month report was published on 26 November along with the response from central government.

ACTION: Simon Richardson to ensure that Taskforce views and comments are fed into the work on the Culture White Paper.

7. Update from campaigners/interested parties workshop

The chief executive gave an update on the Taskforce’s work with the library campaigners including a meeting held on 27 October with a number of interested parties on potential radical solutions.

ACTION: Secretariat to separate out areas of work already being addressed or that the Ambition may address, and recirculate for comment.

8. Guidance/Good Practice Toolkit

The paper covered a draft of the Taskforce’s first guidance/good practice package aimed at local authority chief executives and portfolio holders, including case studies which are relevant for different audiences. This is a first draft. The final product is intended as a web manual.

The chair noted thanks to Sharon Kirkpatrick for her work on the first draft.

In discussion it was agreed that the guidance/good practice tool kit should:

• show how libraries help local and national agendas
• include open contact details
• look to include additional case studies that link to agendas
• look at the visual/audio presentation as case studies showing how services have changed lives can bring it to life
• include peer case studies from chief executives/portfolio holders
• be put online as a beta version as soon as possible and then continue to add to and iterate
• use other partners to show how libraries deliver their services
• get technical advice into the governance section including generic legal advice on things to consider
• include in section 2 a grid of national/local priorities and programmes/agendas with which libraries can help
• add more examples of different types of partnerships
• use Taskforce networks to disseminate once available

ACTION: Secretariat to send an amended copy for further comments before it is published online

9. Communications strategy

The communications lead provided an update on the Taskforce’s communications strategy, highlighting the current channels in use and their performance, and provided an extract of key library events over the next month.

Two key points to note were:

• the need for a concise positive narrative to help re-energise existing work, the chief executive has got some pro-bono support to help with this
• that National Libraries Day (6 February 2016) needs planned and co-ordinated messages

Discussion points on National Libraries Day were:

• that it is a grassroots event that has a high profile in local media
• that it is a celebration of libraries
• to identify high profile people to speak up for libraries
• the potential for a Google Doodle
• to involve ReadingHack
• to link up with the BBC’s Make it Digital and Get Reading campaign

ACTION: Taskforce to keep communications grid updated and share plans for National Libraries Day

10. Papers to note

WiFi

ACE provided an update on the delivery of the £7.4 million central government fund to install/upgrade WiFi in public libraries in England.

Discussion points were that:

• the Taskforce has collectively helped raised awareness of the benefit of free WiFi in public libraries
• DCMS confirmed consideration was being given to the remaining WiFi funding

Workforce development

The chief executive provided an update on workforce development following the workshop on 20 October.

Discussion points were:

• that the workforce are getting the skills they need for the Universal Offers through the e-learning platform SCL subscribes to and via a range of modules which are being developed, eg Universal Credit, frontline skills in engaging children and young people, dementia, etc and through programmes like the digital leadership programme
• the links needing to be made with employers and education providers
• that SCL are working with the British Library and Clore for a Library Leaders programme in June 2016 (Birmingham)
• the importance of commissioners of services, and how their role links in with the guidance package
• on how to support library middle managers
• on the sharing of resources across local authorities
• on apprenticeships and the need to do more
• on the importance of mapping skills against what is needed

ACTION: Secretariat to include an item at the sixth Taskforce meeting on apprentices

E-lending

The chief executive provided an update on the e-lending pilots and positive next steps following the e-lending workshop held on 26 October 2015.

The Taskforce noted thanks to Janene Cox (Staffordshire) for leading on this work along with Emma House from the Publishers Association.

Data

The chief executive provided an update on the work to date and future proposals on public library service data. This considers:

• what data already exists
• what data is needed in the future
• how it should be collected and disseminated
• how to fill in any gaps identified

Key points to note were:

• that the Taskforce commissioned Shared Intelligence to produce an analysis of existing CIPFA data which will be circulated and published on the Taskforce’s page on GOV.UK once checked
• that the Taskforce will be arranging a workshop on future library data

Suggested attendees for the data workshop were:

• PHE
• Healthcare representative
• Datahacks
• Scientific publishers
• Public Lending Right team

ACTIONS:

• Secretariat to send Shared Intelligence report once validated and then publish on the Taskforce’s page on GOV.UK
• Taskforce to let the Secretariat know about any other people/organisations to invite to the data workshop
• Simon Richardson to find out if DCMS Cultural & Sport Evidence local profiles still exist

11. A.O.B.

The Annual Library Report from DCMS is due to be published in December and will include references to the Taskforce and the six month progress report.

The date of the next meeting is Thursday 21 January 2016 13.00 to 17.00 Old Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, W1A 1AA.

Agenda items already suggested for this meeting:

• Dashboard and Roadmap
• Presentation by BBC
• Evaluation of Access to Research Journals
• Spending Round / Budget 16 Business Case
• Devolution
• Ambition for libraries
• Communications

12. Summary of key messages from fifth meeting

The Taskforce:

• thanked Newcastle City Council for the tour - we were particularly impressed with the Business & IP Centres and the results to date
• welcomed updates from members on:
  • meetings with ministers
  • the health roundtable hosted by SCL, TRA and the Wellcome Trust
  • the Unifying Digital Presence by SCL
  • the presentation on the Universal Offers by SCL and TRA
  • the roundtable on workforce development with CILIP and SCL which will give specific consideration to entry-level development schemes particularly increasing the number of library apprentices, the Taskforce agreed to discuss this at a future meeting
  • the workshop with library campaigners and interested parties
  • the e-lending and proposed next steps which are to extend in a voluntary and phased process
  • public library data and plans to exploit existing data and achieve improvements for the future
• noted the successful launch of the Universal Learning Offer by SCL on 5 November
• noted the progress of the Taskforce’s six month progress report and their recommendation for an Ambition for Public Libraries in England: Making it Happen document
• supported the first draft of the guidance/good practice toolkit, highlighting how important it is that all members and other interested parties feed into it with a strong recommendation to get out it early and then add to it
• noted that ACE had announced the local authorities allocations for the WiFi funding project and thanked Brian Ashley and his team at ACE for their hard work in managing the process so smoothly
• will work collectively on co-ordinated communication plans including one for National Libraries Day on 6 February 2016 and on finalising the positive narrative for libraries
• confirmed discussions at the next Taskforce meeting on implications of Spending Review outcomes