Library Privatisation in the UK
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
1
Definition
“Privatization is the shifting of a library service
from the public to the private sector through
transference of library management and
operations from a government agency to a
commercial company.” ALA 2011
http://www.ala.org/tools/outsourcing/definitio
ns
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
2
The current situation
• Hounslow – contract awarded to John Laing Integrated Services
(JLIS) in 2008 on a 15 year deal. 12 staff made redundant and ICT
‘Skills Suite’ closed. Claim to have made savings of £1.25m, council
has spent £5m refurbishing libraries since contract signed.
• Croydon/Wandsworth. Process started Sep11, 3 companies in final
shortlist are JLIS, Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) & South London
Library & Cultural Services (SLLCS) ‘a private company with charity
status’ set up by Wandsworth as an in-house bid. GLL preferred
bidder for Wandsworth, contract to be signed Jan13, implemented
Apr13? – Croydon to make announcement? Contract for 8yrs with
possible 8yr extension.
• Wokingham – plans scrapped at last minute (25/10/12) "we haven't
been convinced there will be enough benefits for our library users
to continue with the process.”
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
3
Alternative Models?
• Greenwich Libraries – GLL awarded 15yr contract in 2012, see
discussion on http://853blog.com/tag/greenwich-leisure-limited/,
also preferred bidder for the Wandsworth contract (to be signed
Jan13 and implemented Apr13?), Croydon to make announcement?
• Lambeth Libraries – proposed ‘cooperative model’ – community
hubs, volunteers, shared services, private investment? (Croydon
Labour also considering)
http://www.fabians.org.uk/creating-co-operative-libraries/
• Slough Libraries – managed since 2011 by Essex CC who also
provide support services for Southend and Thurrock Libraries.
Contract worth £10m, a saving of £850k over the 5yr contract
period. Whether this is privatisation or not is contentious due to
Essex CC being another LA and not a private company but apart
from this is very similar.
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
4
Future proposals
• Harrow Labour are proposing privatisation even though in a
recent consultation conducted by the authority the majority
of those asked said no and the Tory group opposes it!
http://dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Harr
ow
• Many LA’s have or are considering privatisation/outsourcing
including Worcestershire, Kent, Ealing, Southampton and very
recently County Durham.
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
5
Companies
• John Laing Integrated Services
(JLIS) – Part of John Laing group, major
public sector builders, developers etc. JLIS run
Hounslow Libraries, claim to have saved
£1.25m? No real performance or financial
data available (commercially sensitive?)
Also held/hold major contracts with Croydon
Council and are shortlisted (and favourites?) for
library contract.
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
6
Library Systems & Services (LSSI)
• Library Systems and Services (LSSI) - formed 1981,
signed first library management contract 1997, biggest
player in US, run approx. 76 libraries across 18 services.
Recently lost contract in San Juan, Texas due to
concerns re. lack of transparency about profits.
Controversial record on pensions, union recognition,
deprofessionalisation, consultation etc. for more info
see www.dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.com. Set up
UK office 3-5yrs ago but no UK contracts signed?
Withdrew from Wandsworth/Croydon process May
2012. see
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/081090
28.2012.702482 for recent article
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
7
Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL)
• GLL traditionally manage Leisure Services but
with the ex-Asst. Dir. of Haringey Cultural Services
and ex-MD of the private firm ‘Instant Library’,
Diana Edmonds, joining them they have branched
out into libraries, recently signing 15yr deal to
run Greenwich Libraries which led to protests and
a strike also preferred bidder for Wandsworth
(Croydon?) contract?. For a discussion on
Greenwich see
http://853blog.com/tag/greenwich-leisurelimited/
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
8
CIVICA Library & Learning
• Civica provide IT services for Libraries, it also
manages school libraries in Singapore. They
pulled out of the procurement process for
Croydon/Wandsworth Libraries in May2012
stating;
• ‘Having undertaken an internal risk assessment and considering the
potential risk to the Civica brand of taking on a contract which is
outside their core competence, they felt they could not take that risk
and must withdraw’.
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
9
Essex County Council
• Essex CC have been running Library Services in
Slough since 2011 and also provide ‘support
services’ to Southend and Thurrock Libraries.
In Slough they claimed to have increased
opening hours by 25% and to have made 15%
‘efficiency savings’ through ‘economies of
scale’ and cutting ‘back office’ functions etc.
They pulled out of the Croydon/Wandsworth
procurement process early in 2012.
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
10
Successful Anti-Privatisation
Campaigns
• Edinburgh – after 3 years of lobbying from Unison, GMB,
Unite and campaigners, Edinburgh Council decided against
privatising services and kept them in the Public Sector.
see: http://www.unison-edinburgh.org.uk/citynotforsale/
• Simi Valley, California – SEIU and library campaigners blocked
the privatisation of the library service by LSSI by invoking the
newly passed AB438 Bill.
see: http://www.seiu721.org/2012/02/move-to-privatize- simivalley-library-bl.php
• Cornwall – after intense political pressure and active
campaigning Cornwall have dropped their privatisation plans.
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
11
Further Information
• www.dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.com
• www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/FTWPrivandoutsour
cing.pdf
• http://www.unisonedinburgh.org.uk/citynotforsale/
• http://soslibrary.blogspot.co.uk/
• http://savesantaclaritalibraries.wordpress.com/
• http://www.ala.org/tools/outsourcing
Produced by Alan Wylie for Speak up
for Libraries Conference 10/11/12
12
Privatisation
– a foregone
conclusion?
Speak Up For Libraries
conference
Saturday 10th November 2012
Aims of the workshop
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An overview of privatisation
Information about procurement
New legislation – help or hindrance?
Share experiences
Come up with practical actions
What is procurement?
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Putting services out to tender
Outsourcing
Set process governed by European Union law
A political choice?
Case law
An internal council process
The procurement process*
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Pre-procurement
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Setting out strategy, looking at needs
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Moves towards procurement
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Reviewing services, options appraisals and improvement plans
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Active procurement
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Advertising the service, selecting bidders and awarding contract
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Post-procurement
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Managing the contract and performance
* More detail in UNISON’s guide An Introduction to Procurement
UNISON’s view
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Keep public services public
Encourage our branches to have a dialogue
Early engagement
More opportunity to influence
‘Twin-track’ approach
Advice and guidance available
New legislation
 Open Public Services White Paper
• Co-ops and mutuals?
 Localism Act
• Community Right to Challenge
• Triggering a procurement process
• No guarantees
 Social Value Act
• Offering some protections?
A foregone conclusion?
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No – councils have the right not to award a contract
Wokingham experience
Plenty of other examples
Other options
‘General power of competence’
Duty of ‘Best Value’
Taking action
 Although procurement is an internal process, there is
scope for users and campaigners to influence the
process
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Find out if your local authority has a procurement strategy
Contact the UNISON branch
Is there a procurement agreement?
Is there scope to campaign together?
Make contact with your councillors and MP
Invite to user group meetings
 Take action early – even if the service is not under
threat!
For further information please contact:
Hannah Bailey, Assistant National Officer
h.bailey@unison.co.uk