Arts Council and libraries.

This week I went to Dewsbury to take part in a regional roundtable event, hosted by the Arts Council England (ACE), for key museums and libraries stakeholders within the region. The event was part of the 'journey' to transfer responsibility for libraries from the MLA to ACE as covered in my previous blog. It looked at Estelle Morris's review and focused on thinking around how we can make the most, in Yorkshire, of our broader cultural footprint.

 It was in many ways a symbolic meeting. There were no major developments to report and it was not a forum for hard bargaining about what the libraries and museums sector want from ACE. Instead it was an opportunity to get to know each other. We are still in the 'forming' stage of team development and will have to move on to 'storming' and 'norming' before we start 'performing'. It does mean that libraries in out region can now put Dewsbury on their cognitive map.

 Many items of interest did emerge from the discussion. Some in the arts world are concerned that the inclusion of the museums and libraries sectors will dilute the support of ACE for their sector, and this is exactly the point that I made about the concern of librarians. However everyone recognised that there were areas of common interest and possible synergies to be had. The Arts Council has a good track record in influencing its sector through advice and in the distribution of funding from government and lottery sources. It recognises that the position of public libraries with regards to funding is different but is keen to engage with the sector.

 The roundtable gave a general welcome to the Morris review and is looking forward to the appearance of a revised ACE strategy document. It was suggested that there should be a stronger and more aspirational overarching statement on the value of 'arts and culture' and I contributed the Darien statement that "the purpose of the library is to preserve the integrity of civilisation" with a warning that such statements can be too aspirational!

 ACE has the role of advocacy for its sector but like the MLA before it we should not expect them to be a 'Save our Libraries' campaigning body as such. The MLA did come in for criticism of its role in this respect and this is one issue that ACE will need to sort out. ACE does have a good track record in protecting the arts and influencing decision makes. It was pointed out that this comes down to winning hearts and minds and in this sector the contribution of creative and performing artists in arguing for the value of the arts has been critical. The impact of authors supporting Save our Libraries campaigns has been significant (e.g. 'Bennett to read riot act in court over library closures' The Independent 20th July 2011), and links with the wider arts community can only help.

 This led on to my asking a question about measuring the value of arts and cultural activities. I had noticed that in the ACE strategic framework for the arts - Achieving Great Art for Everyone - there is a section on evaluation which says "Robust evidence will be important, both to inform effective policy making and to demonstrate the impact and value of the arts" and this echoes what is happening in our sector. (Come to the SINTO Members' Day if you want more information). One aspect that was raised in the meeting was wellbeing, and this is an area where arts and culture can be shown to have an impact. English National Ballet has been working with people with Parkinson's disease and a recent report identified seven steps to protect against Alzheimer's which include mental stimulation in old age. Given the rising costs of care of elderly people to society, the benefit of cultural activities including library use is compelling. Of course ultimately we don't want to save libraries, or ballet, because they have a cost benefit. They have an intrinsic value which transcends this. Achieving Great Art for Everyone contains a number of statements on the theme 'What can art do' which are applicable to culture in general and to libraries by implication. I will finish with a small selection:

• Art reminds us of what more is left to do in the world
• Art can help us find expression for the ecstatic joy of being alive…
• Art in the form of books and the written word can … make us better human beings and create the circumstances for a creative and humane society.
• Art gives meaning. Life is meaningless and art is an attempt to make sense of it.
• [Art] allows us the illusion of escaping our daily lives while simultaneously taking us deeper inside ourselves.

 
 

 

 

 

Review of the Arts Council's strategic framework

The news of the transfer of museums and libraries (but not archives) from the MLA to the Arts Council was I suspect greeted by the majority of the profession with neither whoops of joy nor cries of disappointment. For many people the overall strategic framework in which we operate has little practical impact on what we do. For public librarians fighting against or struggling to manage cuts in public libraries the change may appear to be about rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic.

While having some sympathy for this view I do feel that this strategic framework is important and has the potential to make an impact on what we do for good or for ill. It is therefore a discussion which library staff at all levels should be part of.

The aim of this review by Baroness Morris of Yardley is to consider how the five strategic goals in the Arts Council strategic document Achieving great art for everyone, could be developed so as to embrace the expanded responsibility of the Council for museums and libraries. Critics of the review have said that “They [the Arts Council] are trying to shoehorn the needs of the library sector to fit in with the functions of the Arts Council". To some extent this is a valid point. The existing Arts Council goals are being developed. No one is suggesting that they should be torn up and a completely new set of goals written. That is the political reality and I am not sure that there is any point in trying to change that. We need to accept the good intention of the Council in commissioning this "icebreaker" and embarking on "a wider conversation with the libraries and museums sector about our future role."

One concern of the libraries sector is with dilution. If we accept that there is a need for a strategic oversight of the libraries sector then we want a body that can focus on libraries and understands the sector. There used to be a Library and Information Commission. This merged with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and now this is merging with the Arts Council. We fear that no one really understands what it is we do; will this just get worse when we are a small fish in an even larger pool?

A second concern is that the Arts Council is not a good partner for the libraries sector. Yes, there are areas of common ground but do we really have much in common with the 'luvvies' of the Arts world. Won't we be left nursing a drink in the corner of the ball while the person who brought us dances with the glitterati?

The solution to these concerns surely lies in our own hands and that is why we should be careful of responding negatively to this initial approach. As Baroness Morris points out "One of the challenges for any sector is not to let itself be defined by its organisational structure… The success of any sector depends in part of its ability to cross boundaries and link with and learn from others. The activity itself can outlive its organisational structure."

We must not allow ourselves to be defined as wallflowers. The roll of libraries is unique and special but Baroness Morris has identified enough areas of common ground and synergy to make further debate worthwhile. She has suggested the following overarching goal:

"Museums and libraries, art and performance are of value in their own right but they only make real sense when they connect with people and become part of the life of the nation and its citizens. The overarching goal of the arts and culture sector must be to realise its potential as an essential part of a civil and civilised society."

No, perhaps this statement on its own would not convince council leaders bent on wielding the axe that public libraries are really needed. But it echoes what many librarians and library campaigners have been saying, and by joining together with artists and performers - and those who appreciate such things - it must give us greater strength.

Baroness Morris concludes:

"Whether it is a performer or an artist, a local library or a major collection, it is only through being confident in themselves that they will ever recognise their place in the wider sector and the part they can play in society."

We cannot expect others to share this belief in our role if we don't recognise it ourselves and express it with confidence. We cannot allow ourselves to be the wallflower at the party. As Diana Krall said:

There may be trouble ahead

But while there's music and moonlight and love and romance

Let's face the music and dance

Freedom of Information

The "mission statement" for the website Whatdotheyknow.com is "To help you find out inside information about what the UK government is doing" It achieves this by helping members of the public submit Freedom of Information requests to national and local government. Full details of the FoI requests and the responses are made available on the site.

The site currently contains details of a request made to Leeds City council under the heading Rationalisation of Library Services: e-mail from officials, which asks: "Please supply all emails by or to council officer Catherine Blanchard that relate to the current proposed Leeds Library Services changes and cuts."

The correspondence is of interest on many levels. It shows the local authority as being slow to respond to the request and defensive. Perhaps this is justified. There is such a thing as "vexatious" requests and from the Whatdotheyknow website you can see that this applicant has made over 600 FoI requests. Does this make him a champion of human rights fighting on behalf of his community or a serial complainer out to cause trouble?

At one stage in the correspondence the local authority objects to the fact that the request has come through Whatdotheyknow.com rather than from a private e-mail address. This raises an interesting question about the role of the library in helping users with the FoI legislation. The mission statement quoted above could be applied directly to the library service. It is clearly our professional role to "help you find information about what the UK government is doing". Libraries provide access to government publications, newspaper reports, websites, etc. Librarians would be expected to provide information about FoI legislation and material on how to use it. Providing signposting to Whatdotheyknow.com must be seen as part of this. But would library users be able to access it from the library or might they find it is blocked by the council's filtering? Would members and senior officers be happy with the library directing users to such a site? Would some librarians impose censorship by, for example, not listing this site under sources of government information? Our responsibilities as professionals are clear.

Another issue is that it serves to remind to library managers and leaders of the concept of freedom of information. At one point in the correspondence, the Information Commissioner's office is quoted as saying:

"It is the view of the Information Commissioner's office (ICO) that staff acting in a professional capacity must have a reasonable expectation that comments and opinions that they make in the course of their work may fall under a request made ... While the disclosure of comments... may result in embarrassment to the
staff concerned and to ... the organisation, the data cannot be withheld unless there is a valid exemption"

One would hope that information professionals are information savvy. One would also hope that they are technically savvy and would not accidentally copy e-mails to people they are not intended for, and that they are aware of the requirements of the FoI legislation and the principles of freedom of information in general. It is not a bad idea to think that any e-mail you send might enter the public domain and to ensure that what you are saying is professional at all times.

One effect of FoI legislation will probably be to ensure that when people want to make potentially embarrassing comments they won't do it in a recorded form such a e-mails. If you want to tell a colleague that the local library campaigners are a bunch of nutters who should be ignored then do it face-to-face! But the real lesson should be that the public do have a right to know what government is doing in their name and that libraries exist to help them achieve that.

Future of Libraries Services in the Big Society

6th National Conference, London 21st June 2011
A conference of this sort is clearly aimed at library leaders; i.e. not just heads of services and senior library managers but also at senior officers and members - those who make the long term policy decisions and control the purse strings. It is this latter group that have the greatest need to hear this sort of discussion - given the widely recognised low level of appreciation of the issues by many library leaders - and it was disappointing but not unusual to find that they were underrepresented in the audience. My own quick rough count of the attendees list shows c40 librarians, 11 senior directors and 4 councillors.

But of course you didn't have to be there in person. I and apparently many others were watching the conference on-line courtesy of Policy Review TV. I would love to know how many heads of service set up viewing sessions for their Directors, Chief Executives and portfolio holders. They would have been able to share and event that, while not exactly earth shattering in terms of new ideas, provided much to consider and debate.

The first speaker was Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture with direct responsibility for libraries. The significance of Government Ministers at events like this is quite arcane. They will arrive, deliver a speech, and then leave, so there is seldom an opportunity for debate. Sometimes they will use the opportunity to deliver a major policy speech but, as in this case, it is usually more subtle. The fact that they have accepted the invitation to appear - and have actually turned up - is often the most important aspect. In this case it suggests that the Government (or at least a part of it) does think that library services have a future. It is not much, but it is better than nothing.

Mr Vaizey's speech went little further than this. He began by saying he was in a positive mood and praised the "fantastic work going on in libraries all over the country". Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick at any rate. He then moved on to specific examples, the coming together of three London boroughs to form a unified library service; the award to Hillingdon of the Bookseller's Library Innovation of the Year award; Lancashire Libraries' partnership with the University of Lancashire and examples of new builds and refurbishments. There was nothing in the way of carrots or sticks to encourage other authorities along the same path except for keeping Mr Vaizey in a positive mood.

The Minister then declared that "… the public library service is a huge asset to be exploited; not a burden to be gradually got rid of". This reference to the Governments consultation on administrative burdens on local authorities suggested a commitment to maintaining the Public Libraries Act, particularly as he moved directly on to the issue of his intervention in library closures under the act. He stated that he would not shy away from doing so if there was a case for it but immediately mentioned two provisos. The first was that the current situation was still fluid. The second was that it was better to have a dialogue with local authorities and that officials from his department had met with officers and campaigners in 5 local authorities to discuss cuts. He added that he would not meet with people personally as this might compromise his position in making a final decision as required. His message to local authorities appeared to be that he was happy to give them plenty of time to discuss options and alternatives but although he was keeping his powder dry he was prepared to use the weapon of intervention if all else failed.

At this point the Twitter feed for the conference was filled with Tweets pointing out examples of library service cuts which appear to show a very strong case for immediate intervention. Inevitably many will see this claim to be holding fire "for the present" as covering up an intention not to shoot at all.

Mr Vaizey then moved on to the options and alternatives that he was inviting authorities to consider. Rationalisation (i.e. mergers) was one option. "Community supported" libraries was another. He did promise that continued council support to community libraries with a core service would be a key factor. He referred to the MLA document Community Managed Libraries and the work of Locality

Finally the Minister referred to the transfer of responsibilities to Arts Council England and the benefits that this would bring. He promised another Future Library project and hinted at a "few more ideas that we need to explore". Opportunities for libraries to access Arts funding were dangled before the audience and the desirability of WiFi enabled libraries was mentioned, without of course any indication of how this might be funded.

Overall it was a disappointing presentation, at least for anyone hoping against hope for a stronger lead on library cuts. His support for the role of volunteers in delivering library services was clear. The Minister did draw a line in the sand and warned councils not to cross it but their room for manoeuvre behind that line is large. His closing remarks that the situation provided "opportunities" for libraries shows that his scriptwriters had run out of any original ideas and were scrapping the bottom of the cliché barrel. However we must take what we can from this speech. Mr Vaizey could have sent his apologies and his phrase that "the public library service is a huge asset to be exploited; not a burden to be gradually got rid of" could well feature on the Voices for the Library website (although the cynics out there may well ask exactly how the "asset" of libraries will be exploited, and by whom!).


Sharing top billing with Ed Vaizey was Annie Mauger, Chief Executive of CILIP. Annie's theme was the role and importance of professional librarians in delivering library services. She began by saying that that CILIP members would of course expect her to defend the role of professional librarians but pointed out that CILIP is also a charity with the clear aim of upholding the "public good" and not just the interests of librarians. The two were synonymous. Public libraries always have been living examples of the Big Society in practice - including the use of volunteers. The core professional skill of librarians in knowledge of their community was central to the process; Annie drew a parallel with the role of GP's in the NHS under the Government's reform proposals.

Leaders of library services are often not librarians themselves. This is not important in itself, what is important is that people get a good library service. Everyone seems to think they know how to run libraries but they don't know what they don't know! There are three key aspects of professional skills:

• Librarians know what you don't know. These information finding skills are central to open access and knowledge sharing which are the basis of the Big Society.

• Librarians know their communities. They understand their needs and plan to meet those needs. They make the process so easy that it is almost invisible.

• They are impartial, neutral and safe. Above all they are trusted.

Turning to volunteering Annie pointed out that this had existed within library services for many years but what was new was devolving services to communities. There was talk of a statutory core network and a community network. How do you ensure the standards of the community network? Volunteers need training and support at least. There was a need for a capacity of skills and knowledge. Some communities might be able to provide this capacity but other more deprived communities lack this, and the greatest need is with the latter. Annie stressed that we were talking about "brains not bricks", not about library buildings but services.

"If we lose an understanding of what a professional library services is" claimed Annie "then we lend books but we don't inform, support, educate, help to grow, help local authorities intervene early in the lives of young people; and put some heart into communities."

In conclusion, there is a distinct set of core skills. The library profession has a responsibility to skill-up the library workforce and young professionals need to aspire to a leadership role in librarianship. A key new role for librarians is as a collaborator with communities.

This was an inspiring speech but lacking, it has to be said, an inspiring presentation. Compared with the always inspiring Miranda McKearney who spoke later, Annie was rather subdued. Her message about library leaders not knowing what professional librarians bring to the party is not new but is very relevant. What she could only hint at is that often this is the fault of those professional librarians for not keeping their skills up-to-date and not putting themselves forward. As I said at the start of this blog, how many heads of service have used this conference as an opportunity to get this important message over to their local "Power people"?


Video recordings of the presentations at this conference are available at http://www.policyreview.tv/live/571/216

From Lending to Learning

What is the role of libraries and librarians? In particular, what is our role in respect of books?


For some the library is dead. Everything is available on the Web and it can be delivered to your mobile digital device so why do we need the library as an intermediary? Many people (and not just librarians) strongly disagree with this and argue that the library is still an important concept for many reasons. It provides access for the digitally excluded; it selects and organises information in digital and print formats; and of course everything is not available on the web.

Some observers have a more fundamental objection to relying on digital information. Professor Susan Greenfield fears that "our very understanding, our sense of reasoning, might now also be diminished and brutalized by the simplistic sensory sensations of the screen experience" (ID: the quest for meaning in the 21st century). She suggests:

"For us, the icon on the screen can be a symbol for many things but without a pre-existing conceptual framework there can be no metaphor. An intellectual skill that comes from reading books is the process of generalization of an abstract concept from a multitude of different examples. Might succeeding generations be less inclined to savour ideas without icons? Will they understand concepts such as democracy, honour or soul?  Once you have framed your question about an abstract concept you can turn to Google or Wikipedia. But my concern is that such open ended questions won't occur to those brought up in a world of screen experiences. A world of immediate response rather than of reflective initiative."

So books and libraries are still relevant, but what exactly is the role of  libraries and librarians. Some critics have accused us of loosing the plot:

 "The once famous and treasured book collections had been allowed to dwindle to the point of uselessness, if not extinction. Book lending - the libraries' main function - had halved. Visitor numbers had fallen." (Tim Coates. The Good Library Manual).

 Coates is not anti IT. Far from it, but his message is that librarians should focus on the essentials. Provide a good stock, an attractive building and extended opening hours and everything else will fall into place. Anything that distracts attention away from this core function is a bad thing. If I understand Tim Coates correctly he is saying that if we run "good" libraries then the users will come and when they come they will benefit from all the wonderful things that libraries and books can provide. But librarians should not be overly concerned with those final ends. Those goals - lifelong learning, social inclusion, community empowerment - may well emerge, but our concern should be with running an efficient library and nothing more.

However, many professionals are not prepared to accept this view of their role. Ronan O'Beirne is the latest to call for a new direction in his recent book From Lending to Learning;

 "… the role [of libraries] has less to do with books and more to do with literacies, people, the human condition and social justice - and … much to do with learning"

 
O'Beirne is not arguing against books nor against the role of libraries in providing books. Instead his argument is that the focus needs to shift from the stock to the users;

"The library needs to focus on learners; it needs to embed an understanding of the needs of learners in both traditional and computer-supported learning into every activity. This shift of emphasis needs to be championed by library leaders and set before the users of the service in a clear way."

Ronan O'Beirne will be the keynote speaker at the SINTO Members' Day on the 27th July this year. This is an opportunity to hear his views and debate the issues raised for the profession.

Difficult users

"I cannot imagine life without libraries, the librarians are real friends and so helpful."


This quote (taken from the Voices for the Library website) is typical of the views of many thousands of library users who have nothing but respect and even affection for library staff. But it is not always the full story.

As in any public facing service, library staff will also have to deal with people who are unfriendly, grumpy, annoyed, angry and even aggressive. Libraries are freely open to their clients and our doors are open to anyone. It's not something that most library staff spend much time worrying about, but the fact is that any member of staff might find themselves dealing with a difficult customer.

In the past the usual response of front-line staff was to call for "the librarian" to deal with problems, but changing staffing patterns mean that front-line staff are more likely to have to deal with problems without the immediate support of senior staff.

The aim of Dealing with Difficult Users is to recognise factors which may influence the negative attitudes and behaviours of the user and to understand the different methods of dealing with these attitudes and behaviours. During this one day session learners will discover their own natural style when dealing with a difficult user. In an interactive format learners will discuss techniques and practice applying them in a ‘scenario’ session.

The goal is to defuse difficult situations so that staff and user can work towards a solution. However the course also recognises that sometimes, through no fault of the staff, a difficult customer can become aggressive and even violent. Staff will be shown how to recognise the warning signs and how to use distance to when dealing with a difficult customer. Finally the use of "reasonable force" will be explained.

Libraries have a duty of care to their staff and other users. Although such situations are thankfully very rare library staff must be given the confidence and skills to manage difficult customers. This course, delivered by staff from the West Yorkshire Police Training Centre, is essential training for all staff dealing with the public.

Further information is available here.

Developing and managing e-book collections

Developing and managing e-book collections on a budget 8th July 2011


A recent report in The Guardian on the popularity of e-books points out that both Waterstone’s and Amazon in the UK say that sales of e-books outstrips the sale of hardback books while in the USA Amazon sells 105 e-books for every 100 print books.

In April The Guardian looked at the growth of e-book lending by UK public libraries. Phil Bradley, vice president of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip), was reported as saying: "It's a 24/7 service; you don't have to physically look after the books; you're able to get books to people who can't get to the library, such as shift workers and those who live in rural areas; the readers can choose the size of the font, which helps the visually impaired; it's flexible and it helps to outreach library service."

As part of our Preparing for the Future programme, SINTO is offering an course to help your library service prepare for the impact of e-books.

Developing and managing e-book collections on a budget: an introduction is designed to support libraries in any sector that are beginning to set up e-book collections. The course will also facilitate consideration of the new opportunities e-books offer for libraries and users in academic, public and special library and information services, and will explore some of the significant collection management and promotional issues which challenge information and library staff.

Further information here.