Libraries Update

From the Agenda for the Renewal and Recreation Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday 13 December 2011 7.30 pm

Item 10 on the agenda recommends the following:

Members agreed that:

● the Executive be recommended to agree that there be no reduction in the hours of
operation of the Borough’s library service without further consultation with staff, their
representatives, ward Councillors and library users and the opportunities to generate
income also be investigated and a further report be submitted back to Members on the
outcome;

● it be noted that the options regarding closure of any library will be the subject of further
consultation with staff, their representatives, ward Councillors and library users and the
completion of an Equality Impact Assessment prior to a further report on this option being
submitted to Members;

● the Executive be recommended that the option as set out in the report to implement
charges for the People’s Network is not supported and should not proceed; and

● the responses received from staff and their representatives to date regarding entering into
a “shared services” arrangement with the London Borough of Bexley be noted and the
Executive be recommended to agree that the option of transferring a shared service into a
trust as set out in the report be investigated further recognising the urgency involved in
order to achieve savings on business rates.

This report updates Members on the ‘Trust Option’ for Libraries. In particular, the report
identifies that as a consequence of the Government determining the baseline for rateable values
earlier than predicted, that it would not be possible to establish a joint Libraries Trust with
Bromley and Bexley within the necessary timescales.

The full agenda for the meeting is available at

Agenda for meeting on 13th December