Purpose

To explore the scope for increasing access and
delivering efficiencies through greater community involvement and
increased use of new technologies.

Content

Under the Libraries and Museums
Act 1964, Buckinghamshire Council has a statutory duty ‘to
provide a comprehensive and efficient library service’. The
Libraries Strategy (approved by Cabinet in March 2023) set out the
vision for a service that provided welcoming and safe spaces for
everyone to access reading, culture and the information and
services they need to learn, discover, imagine, and thrive. The
priorities for Buckinghamshire Libraries were:
·      
Encouraging Culture, Reading and Learning
·      
Building Stronger Communities
·      
Enabling Access, Information, and
Inclusion
·      
Promoting Health and Wellbeing
 
The current service offer was
delivered through a network of 29 library buildings, an extensive
digital offer and a home visit service
for vulnerable customers. The library service had a Medium-Term
Financial Plan (MTFP) savings requirement of
£555,000 by Financial
Year (FY) 2026/27. The total net service budget for FY 2024/25 was
£3,476,397, of which £3,106,384 were staffing
costs.
 
Work had taken place to
consider options and identify a sustainable and resilient model
that would deliver the savings quickly and maintain the library
service offer. The service budget profile meant that the savings
potential realistically concerned staffing costs for the ten county
libraries (as opposed to community libraries in smaller towns and
villages, which were principally staffed by volunteers; similarly,
opportunities on premises costs were minimal).
 
The recommended option -
‘Library Flex’ - had been developed following an
options appraisal of new self-service technologies and extending
community libraries, and was based on a combination of both, since
neither in isolation satisfy all requirements. It was designed to
retain the libraries’ operational footprint in towns and
villages across Buckinghamshire, to meet the needs of the
county’s dispersed population; and it brought potential to
deliver even more effectively on Council and partner priorities by
creating additional opportunities to co-locate or extend services
within library premises.
 
The new self- service
technology would reduce the staffed hours by 25%-30%, saving
£555,000 per annum, but there was a potential to gradually
increase the total opening hours by 50% or more, widening access
and providing additional benefits to existing and new customers.
The priority was to retain a safe and welcoming environment by
working with volunteers, Friends of libraries groups, local
community organisations and other council services to make use of
the library space when there were no staff on site, as this would
make it more welcoming and create more community
ownership.
 
The technology allows for 24/7
access, so over a period of time there
were endless possibilities for making the most of the library
buildings. For example, early morning access for commuters and yoga
classes, late-night study facilities or film clubs, public meetings
organised by the police. Conversations were already taking place
with the new Locality Family Support and Safeguarding teams to
explore the use of library spaces and Buckinghamshire Healthcare
Trust were also keen to explore developing their Health on the High
Street model in libraries.
 
The total budget for staff at
the ten largest and busiest libraries was £1,941,168; a 25%
staff reduction at these libraries would generate a saving of
£485,292 and a 30% reduction would generate a saving of
£582,350 (subject to appropriate consultation). Capital
investment would be required to implement the model and realise
these savings. A budget of £200,000 for a self-operated
library model had already been agreed in the current capital
programme for 2024/25. The business case for Library Flex
demonstrated that additional £300,000 capital investment
would enable this model to be extended across eight libraries and
deliver the total savings required of £555,000. It was
anticipated that the additional £300,000 was found from the
proposed Cost of Change Fund subject to Cabinet approval of this
fund. The proposed next steps were to undertake a consultation
exercise on the model to ensure that the opening hours for each
site provide an inclusive and customer - focused service that
ensured that staff were available to support customers at the times
of greatest need and demand and to then plan the implementation for
Spring 2025 subject to consultation.
 
It was agreed that a report
would be brought back to Cabinet in six months reviewing the
‘Library Flex’ model.
 
RESOLVED
 

That the outline
business case in order to deliver the
budgeted MTFP savings by implementing the ‘Library
Flex’ model, as detailed in the Cabinet report, be
agreed. 

That the
associated capital investment of £300,000 funding from the
proposed £1.5m funding for change business cases be APPROVED,
subject to Cabinet approval of this fund at today’s meeting
(Paragraph 2.6(ii) in the Budget Monitoring Outturn 2023-24 report
refers). 

That a
consultation exercise be held to inform the opening hours of each
site, to ensure inclusive and customer focussed services, and to
market community involvement opportunities.