Best Returns

Best Value Guidance
for
Library Authorities in England

2. Introduction

The Library Association has a role in supporting library authorities to prepare for best value and in clarifying how best value links with recent developments in the public library sector.  This guidance forms part of that process.  It sets out the principal elements of best value and the linkages between them, and places sector-specific issues in the context of the best value framework.  

This guidance is aimed at all those who have responsibility for ensuring that library authorities achieve best value.  This includes council officers and elected members.  It will also be of interest to all those with a stake in the performance of library authorities.

This guidance will help library authorities to:

• understand the component parts of best value;
• understand how performance indicators link with best value;
• understand how the public library standards link with best value;
• learn from the experiences of the first year of best value;
• prepare for carrying out best value reviews of their service(s); and
• prepare for inspections.

This guidance is not intended to be an exhaustive study of best value, nor does it attempt to take authorities through the process of conducting best value reviews in detail.  It is not a prescriptive ‘how to’ guide.  Rather it highlights what library authorities should consider when approaching best value reviews, outlines how their performance will be assessed and suggests further sources of help.  It is intended to complement the best value guidelines of individual authorities.

The overall best value framework is common to both England and Wales.  The former Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (now the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions), and the National Assembly for Wales have produced guidance on implementing the framework specific to local authorities in England and Wales respectively.  Because of the differing guidance and the introduction of initiatives in the public library sector in England only - notably the public library standards - Best Returns is aimed at library authorities in England.  But much of it will also be relevant in Wales.

Best Returns was developed following interviews with the Local Government Association, Department for Culture Media and Sport, Audit Commission, officers and members of The Library Association and other practitioners.  The second edition also includes contributions from the Improvement and Development Agency, London Libraries Development Agency, Re:source (the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries) and three case study library authorities.  They all provided helpful suggestions on what this guidance should cover.  The Library Association would like to thank all those who contributed to the guidance.  While acknowledging this contribution, responsibility for the contents of the guidance rests with The Library Association alone.

3. About best value