"Foresight. Consultation on the next round of the Foresight programme"

http://www.foresight.gov.uk/

The Response of The Library Association

Summary

The Library Association represents some of the most practical and exciting thinking on Foresight objectives: we have the potential to become the major access point to the benefits generated by the Foresight programme, as well as having considerable expertise in areas of social amelioration. There is however, work to be done, not least in taking the best models from existing projects and applying them to the development of a public information infrastructure.

As Ross Shimmon, Chief Executive of The Library Association, says in the press release that accompanied the LIC Report, 'New Libraries: The People's Network' :

"We look forward to working with central and local government, and other partners, in developing in greater detail plans to establish the public libraries network, and assure the future of public libraries as a leading player in the information society of the 21st century."

As the government states in its own response to the same report:

"Libraries contribute to four of this Government's most important policy objectives. They underpin education, providing essential support for school children, students, and lifelong learners; they enhance public access to the world's storehouse of knowledge and information; they promote social inclusion, by helping to bridge the gap between those who can afford access to information and those who can't; and, increasingly, they have a role to play in the modernisation and delivery of public services.

A nationwide public libraries IT network, linked to the National Grid for Learning, will help deliver these objectives. Libraries will continue, quite rightly, to focus on their core book lending service; but IT provides them with new opportunities to prosper and grow. As a signal of our belief in the library service, and in the significance of the public libraries IT network, we intend that, where practicable, every public library should be connected to the National Grid for Learning by 2002."

The Library Association is an essential part of the delivery of the objectives of Foresight Phase Three. We look forward to working with the Office of Science and technology and our Foresight partners.

References

Foresight: Consultation on the next round of the Foresight Programme
Department of Trade and Industry: Office of Science and Technology

Winning through Foresight: Action for Leisure and Learning
http://www.foresight.gov.uk/documents/fszq30002/fszq300021.html

The changing business of learning
http://www.foresight.gov.uk/documents/fszq30002/fszq300024.html

Broadband Britain
http://www.DTI.gov.uk/CII/broadband/index.html

Total quality management and effective leadership
http://www.DTI.gov.uk/mbp/bpgt/m9ja91001/m9ja91001.html

NIACE
http://www.niace.org.uk/Research/

The Contribution of Smaller Firms
http://www.DTI.gov.uk/comp/benchmark/sects/3contri.htm (also pdf)

Review of the Public Library Service in England and Wales
Department of National Heritage, Aslib, 1995

New Libraries: The People's Network
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/services/lic/newlibrary/

New Libraries: The People's Network: The Library Association's Response
The Library Association

New Libraries: The People's Network: The Government's Response
Department of Culture, Media and Sport

Project Liberator: the Regional Information Service
http://ris.niaa.org.uk/

Croydon Online
http://www.croydon.gov.uk/index-library.htm