Digital
Presentation to Socitm
Birmingham
19 June 2013
West Midlands Society of Chief
Librarians
Society of Chief Librarians
The SCL is a national organisation whose members represent
every library authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
The society leads the debate on the future of public libraries,
advises Government and advocates for continuous improvement of
library services
The SCL President has regular meetings with Ed Vaizey MP, the
minister with responsibility for libraries
SCL West Midlands
Regional SCL groups meet regularly and report to
the national executive
The 14 West Midlands members are:
Birmingham
Staffordshire
Coventry
Stoke-on-Trent
Dudley
Telford and Wrekin
Herefordshire
Walsall
Sandwell
Warwickshire
Shropshire
Wolverhampton
Solihull
Worcestershire
Regional libraries
WM SCL survey 2012
269 libraries and 31 mobiles in the region
Library use rising in the West Midlands
More than 25 million real visits a year
7.8 million virtual visits a year
Free public computers and internet access in
every library
The majority of regional library authorities now
offer a free e-books service
Many also offer free public wifi, Reference
Online and Enquire
Getting people online
West Midlands libraries offer free access to
the internet on nearly 3,500 public computers
They are actively supporting Government
ambitions to be ‘digital by default’ by 2015
Regional library staff and volunteers helped
more than 347,000 people get online last year
That’s 6,675 a week or 950 a day on average
Libraries are crucial to the success of Go ON UK’s
objectives. The thousands of digital champions in
libraries and millions of new internet users are to be
commended.
UK Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox
Race Online case study
In Walsall Mrs Brooks, who lives alone and far
from family, took part in a library course to
help her confidently use the internet
After the eight-week course she could shop for
food online and order things she could not find
locally
She now uses Skype and email to keep in
touch with her family, including her granddaughter who is at university
Before help from the library, Mrs Brooks only
used her laptop, bought for her by friends, to
play solitaire
Digital Promise
SCL national offer 2013 - minimum standards
Free access to the internet for every customer
Clear and accessible online information about library services
Staff trained to help customers access digital information
24/7 access to services through a virtual library presence
Customers can join the library online
They can be contacted online/via email for answers to enquiries
Loan items can be reserved and renewed remotely via an online
catalogue
Doing more
SCL national offer 2013 - encouragement to provide:
Free wifi
Library ‘app’ for full access to digital services from mobile devices
Digital services that work with a range of assistive technology
Assistive technology to ensure digital services are accessible to all
Tailored digital information for each customer
Digital training for customers and staff both locally and remotely
Time-relevant, quality-checked digital content
Support for communities to create their own content
E-lending of digital books, audio and video with remote access
Loan of digital devices for those without other access
Access to digitised local archive and local history resources
Social networking interaction/engagement opportunities
Federated searching of locally-held online resources
Online learning opportunities - eg citizenship, driver theory test, languages
SCL digital ambitions
Partnership working towards:
A single point of digital contact for all public libraries in the UK
A portal or landing page for common access to national digital
services
A national catalogue of resources for loan, referring to online, or
which can be accessed in a designated location
Single standard of library customer authentication adopted
nationally - to allow collaborative access to digital resources
Local delivery of resources to the customer including via remote
lending of digital titles
Digital innovation
West Midlands libraries leading the way
•
Library websites, apps and social media
•
Twitter and web-based reading groups
•
Digital events and activities for annual DATFest
•
Online Book Doctor for recommended reads
•
Kindle project with six city schools
•
Iguana online platform - personalised user experience
More examples
Getting people into libraries - and online
•
Volunteer IT buddies in libraries
•
Hosting IT courses and running taster sessions
•
Helping job seekers find vacancies and apply online
•
Staff-run sessions on e-bay, family history, citizenship
•
Volunteer-led sessions for older IT novices
•
Digital archives for use on library large screens, slate bars and
digital tables
Case study 1
Digital Inclusion - Birmingham
•
Birmingham gave 50 home library customers a reconditioned
computer or laptop for six months
•
Initial training of 10 one-to-one sessions with staff in the first month
•
Follow-up support was provided as required
“The home library service pilot is testing the role that ‘trusted
intermediaries’ can play in supporting predominantly older people
to take their first steps online. Being digitally included allows older
people to learn new skills, reduce isolation, make new friends ......”
Case study 2
Telford and Wrekin recruited 11 volunteer Digital
Champions to help nervous novices join the digital age
•
Comments from people the volunteers have helped:
•
“I really wanted to learn how to do email so that I could surprise my sister in
Australia and send her one.”
•
“I’ve had this laptop for three years and what I really want to do is save some
photos on it from a memory stick. The IT volunteer has just given me that
confidence to have a go and try different things like trying to pay my phone bill.
Previously I was too worried thinking I’d do something wrong. Haven’t quite got it
yet but I’m more willing to try now.”
•
“So pleased I’m doing this as I just want to be able to do something on the
computer and keep my mind going.”
Case study 3
Health and welfare reform - Coventry
•
More people using IT facilities in libraries - especially for online
welfare assessments and health information
•
Library service investigating lower printing costs for health and
welfare information
•
Free public internet and wifi time allowance doubled
•
Working with National Careers Service and Adult Education to
provide tutored guidance for staff
•
In readiness for when the Government goes ‘digital by default’
next year
Case study 4
ITs Your Life - Walsall
•
Working with Walsall Housing Group
•
Helping their tenants to access computers
•
Course centres on money management
•
Prepares people for online benefit applications
•
Ready for changes due in October 2013
Practical technology
To develop real library services
Effective use of technology in real
libraries
Self-service equipment for loans and
returns
And not just in libraries ......
Book vending machine - first of its
kind in the UK
Digital issues to consider
Shrinking budgets and other problems
•
Ongoing funding and investment is essential
•
Reduced staffing - volunteers can help but there is still a capacity
issue
•
More training for staff and volunteers will be needed as
technology advances
•
Customer confidentiality and data protection
•
Techno limitations - broadband is not available everywhere yet
Not all doom and gloom
West Midlands library services continue to look forward
Regional library authorities continue to face financial pressures
Some are losing a significant chunk of their budget
But despite the recession new libraries are opening and others
are getting makeovers
Contact details
•
Ayub Khan
•
West Midlands SCL Chair
•
Tel: 01926 412657
•
Email: ayubkhan@warwickshire.gov.uk
Any questions?