Libraries For All: Social Inclusion in Public Libraries

Section 5:
Means of Achieving those Objectives

5.1 This section sets out a process by which public library authorities can implement the policy objectives set out above. We suggest that public library authorities adopt a strategy based on the following six-point plan.

1. Identify the people who are socially excluded and their distribution. Engage them and establish their needs
   
   This requires an holistic approach across the local authority. A starting point should be the production of a community profile. Authorities will then need to consider which of the barriers to social inclusion apply to their particular circumstances, and which groups are most affected.
   
   Once these groups have been identified, the authority will then need to engage with them in order to establish their information and communication needs and how they can best be delivered. The representatives of the groups will need to be involved in developing and establishing the service, and monitoring its success.
   
   

   BRADFORD CENTRAL LIBRARY: X-CHANGE TEENAGE LIBRARY: ADAPTING THE SERVICE TO THE AUDIENCE

   Bradford Central Library adapted a poorly used newspaper reading room into a teenage library for 13 to 18 year olds, following consultation with current young users. The facility was created in 1985, and since then has remained very popular with the young people of the area. The central library in Bradford is unusual in that it serves as a local library for people living in the inner city, the majority of whom are Asian. 70 - 80% of Xchange users are from ethnic minorities, and the facility has been adopted by young people as a place to spend time after school and at weekends. Xchange contains books and music tapes which members can borrow. Borrowing books is free although there is a charge for borrowing tapes. Users can access the Internet on the computer, and the library hopes to make word-processing available in the next year. In the first years of Xchange, staff were concerned that the majority of users were boys, and that few girls visited regularly. There have been experiments with girls only sessions but these have not been as successful as hoped. Girls do, increasingly, use the room, especially for borrowing books, but it still seems to be mainly boys who value having somewhere to meet and spend time with friends. The library regularly carries out surveys of Xchange users.

    

2. Assess and review current practice
   
   The starting point should be to review the services that are currently provided by the authority, particularly those aimed at minority groups. The key questions are: How far does the service meet the needs of all sections of the community, and Is it helping to combat social exclusion? This should take into account other relevant authority strategies relating to IT, poverty and equal opportunities, and the existence of community/voluntary sector information networks.
   
   

   MERTON LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICE: ASSESS AND REVIEW CURRENT PRACTICE

   Best Value principles have been used to review library and heritage services in the London Borough of Merton. Each service area was challenged in terms of "how far does this service meet the needs of all sections of the community" and "is it helping to combat social exclusion". This led to a new specification for each service being developed. The specifications were informed by comparing them with similar authorities, and an assessment of alternative local providers (competition). Account was also taken of the existing Council corporate policies on equal opportunities, combatting poverty, and information and communications technology. The specifications were then the subject of consultation with all key stakeholders, including users, non-users staff and Council members. The revised specifications will provide the framework for a new service structure, staff structure and a strategy for achieving cultural change within the library service.

    

3. Develop strategic objectives and prioritise resources.
   
   Once the needs have been established, authorities should consider how they can best be met. The strategy can be all-embracing, aiming to draw up a programme to help develop social inclusion across the community, or more limited, initially concentrating on the highest priority areas of social need.
   
   The strategy is likely to have resource implications to carry out these activities, but it should be remembered that many of the services targeted at socially excluded people can also be used by other members of the community. As a first step, authorities might consider the possibilities of increasing or redirecting resources to and within the library service. All funding sources will need to be considered and additional resources might be found by working with others and developing partnerships, both within local authorities, and with outside groups and agencies. Public library authorities should also consider the role of volunteers in helping to deliver some library services.
   
   
4. Develop the services, and train the library staff to provide them
   
   In addition to making new facilities or services available, it is important to recognise the role of front-line library staff. The culture of the authority’s library service itself may need to change, in terms of attitudes and behaviours, values and beliefs. Library staff should be fully informed and involved in the process, and be equipped with the new skills, knowledge and competence they will need. These processes should also include any volunteer support staff.
   
   

   BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY SERVICE: TRAINING LIBRARY STAFF FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION

   Under the broad heading of Equalities Training Programme, a series of training workshops are being developed by Birmingham library service. Initially these are for community librarians (local managers) but will increasingly be adapted for all staff. The themes recognise the need to support librarians with awareness training on a variety of equality issues on a regular basis. Topics include mental health customer care, issues and resources for gay people, poverty awareness, issues facing the African-Caribbean community, dyslexia information and Asian literature in English. Speakers have included students of English for speakers of other languages, black British writers, Irish writers, writers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In all cases speakers are invited from relevant voluntary and statutory groups.

    

5. Implement the services and publicise them
   
   As well as making new services available, it is important that they are publicised among the target groups, who should be given every encouragement and incentive to use them. This is an area where local champions from within the groups can play a significant role. Promotion should be continuous, and the opportunity should be taken to publicise success whenever it occurs.
   
6. Evaluate success, review and improve
   
   It is important that the outcomes and success of the service are regularly evaluated against predetermined objectives, criteria for success and performance indicators. This will enable libraries to demonstrate the difference they make to local people, learn lesson, and make further improvements to their service. Evaluation should start at the beginning of the process, and relate to the Annual Library Plan.
   
   

   BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY SERVICE: EVALUATE SUCCESS AND REVIEW

   Birmingham’s Library Services at Home provides a library service to over 2000 housebound individuals and to a large number of residential homes and day-centres. In 1996 a service user survey demonstrated that there was a very low take up of the service from members of the African Caribbean community. The library service carried out research into the reasons for the low take up and a number of recommendations were made. These focussed on the need for culturally sensitive personal contact, and encouraging trust and relationships between the community and the library service. The research also highlighted the need the provide relevant resources in print and on audio tape, including religious material, and books and photographs about the Caribbean. Following the research, Birmingham library service have recruited staff from the African Caribbean community, and hold regular events to encourage reading and use of libraries. The number of people from the African Caribbean community using the Library Services at Home has risen from five to over fifty. The service is now re-evaluating the scheme to identify further improvements.

    

Role of the DCMS

5.2 To help bring the changes envisaged in this paper about, DCMS will:

1. Develop the annual library planning process to put more emphasis on the social inclusion aspects of the library and information service.
2. Consider the extent to which standards and benchmarks reflect social inclusion objectives, and how these need to be strengthened.
3. Help to ensure that, in the longer term, library funding opportunities reflect these social inclusion objectives.

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Foreword by Chris Smith

Executive Summary of Key Policy Objectives

1 Why a Social Inclusion Policy for Public Libraries?

2 The Social Inclusion Context

3 Identifying the Barriers that Keep People Away

4The Social Inclusion Policy

5 Means of Achieving those Objectives

6 The Challenges that Libraries Face

7 The Consultation Process

Appendix A - Bibliography

Appendix B - Terms of Reference and List of Policy Group Members