Appendix A
BOROUGH OF POOLE
Cabinet Agenda Item SA1
5 February 2008
CHANGES TO THE LIBRARY SERVICE
1.
Purpose of Report
1.1
To confirm proposed changes to the library service to meet budget setting
requirements for 2008/9.
2.
Decisions required
2.1
That Cabinet confirm the changes to the library service outlined in this report to
meet the requirements of the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2008/9.
3.
Background Information
3.1
Poole Library Service is a successful high achieving public service valued by
the people of Poole which can be demonstrated as follows:
 The library service has found an impressive amount of efficiencies and
savings in recent years without greatly reducing library service levels,
and still continues to deliver outstandingly high levels of performance.
 Poole was one of only four library authorities in England to meet ten out
ten Public Library Standards set by the Department of Culture Media
and Sport as a measure of library effectiveness.
 The Best Value Residents Survey found 81% of residents satisfied with
libraries and the Adult Plus Survey shows 94% of users happy with the
service.
 Poole libraries issues just under one million items a year and are well
used by local residents.
 In past years the library service has been outstandingly successful in
generating income from the hire of CDs, videos and DVDs.
 Due to changes in the marketplace and in the public's use of other
technologies the income from audio visual hire is falling sharply
Poole Libraries is committed to ensuring that our local libraries are actively
contributing as much as possible to meeting the identified council priorities. In
particular our libraries will strive to build services for Children and Young
People, Older People and develop community engagement. Through these
priorities the library service aims to continue to play a vital role in the lives of
our local communities.
Further cost reductions become impossible to find in an already efficient and
lean service. Overall, the unit’s staffing levels have now reached the point
where they limit capacity for future development and any further cuts will have
to be directly associated with service reductions.
Call-in Scrutiny Committee 5 March 2008
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Appendix A
4.
Medium Term Financial Plan
The 5th February Report to Cabinet on the Medium Term Financial Plan
(MTFP) confirms the challenges the Council faces in delivering the services
residents expect within the tight financial constraints caused by consistently
low government settlements. The report recognised the hard work of Portfolio
Holders, Service Unit Heads and staff in meeting the financial targets required
and identifies that libraries is one of the areas where services will need to
change as a result of the financial pressures.
5.
Unit Financial Pressures – 2008/09
In the 2008/9 budget there are a range of pressures on Culture and Community
Learning Service Unit and on Libraries in particular which produced a total
budget pressure of £176,000 which equates to 8% of the libraries budget. The
pressure is made up from savings targets, fall in income and a range of other
items.
6.
Savings package proposals
Poole Library Service is a lean and efficient service but a package of further
measures have been adopted by unit for 2008/9 to achieve additional savings
and meet the pressures identified. There have been reductions in staff costs, a
reduction in expenditure on books, savings from merger of a Children’s Centre
in Creekmoor Library and miscellaneous savings on utilities, cleaning etc.
Every effort has been made to minimise impact on front line services but some
change to library service in 2008/9 is inevitable
6.1
Public Service Impact
The main impact to public service provision, as a result of the package of
savings are as follows:
6.1.1 Central Library.
It is proposed that Central Library be reconfigured to relocate all services onto
one floor. This will produce a significant cost savings from staff and property
costs. The full year saving will be in the region of £91,000 but in 2008/9 this will
be a part year saving. There is adequate space to achieve this and it will
improve accessibility for people with disabilities.
6.1.2 Opening Hours
It is proposed to reduce opening hours of the library network from a total of 389
to 360, a reduction of 29 hours. This reduction will be achieved by opening all
libraries except Central Library at 10am and late opening will be changed from
7pm to 6pm. The rationale for these changes are that it should minimise impact
on users.
Library statistics indicate that 3.45% of total visitors use the affected libraries
between 9.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. and 0.93% of total visitors between 6.00
p.m. and 7.00 p.m. It is anticipated that the majority of these visitors will
continue to use the libraries at other times during the day.
6.2
2
The overall impact of all the changes set out in this report on staff is that the
library service full-time equivalent (FTE) staff complement will be reduced.
Detailed negotiations need to take place with Unison in line with Council
procedures to implement these changes.
Call-in Scrutiny Committee 5 March 2008
Appendix A
7.
Recommendation 17 in the 5th February Report to Cabinet on the MTFP
recognises the considerable challenges facing the Council during the next few
years. It confirms the need for a more fundamental review of the MTFP to
identify how savings targets will be met. As part of this review it is recognised
that there is a need to identify how Culture and Community Learning will meet
future savings targets and manage future financial pressures.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Current Opening hours of Poole Libraries
Appendix 2: Proposed Opening hours of Poole Libraries in 2008/9
Background Papers
Medium Term Financial Plan 2008/09 to 2010/11 (including budget 2008/09), Report to
Cabinet 5 February 2008
Councillor Adams
Portfolio Holder for Culture and Leisure
Call-in Scrutiny Committee 5 March 2008
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