Library opening hours – the decision

The future opening hours of 16 Warwickshire libraries have been decided – by the communities they serve.

A consultation conducted between November 14 and December 11 last year invited local people to choose between two sets of opening hours for libraries remaining in local authority control from April 1 this year.

These were based on known usage – visits and loans per hour, time and day – along with other relevant local factors such as market days or regular events.

Local people were asked to decide on the opening hours of the following libraries:

• Alcester
• Atherstone
• Bedworth
• Coleshill
• Kenilworth
• Leamington
• Lillington
• Nuneaton
• Polesworth
• Rugby
• Shipston
• Southam
• Stratford
• Wellesbourne
• Whitnash
• Wolston

The consultation questionnaires, which were available in all Warwickshire libraries and online, also contained a third ‘no preference’ option. There was also a space for people to add comments if they wished.

A total of 5,881 consultation responses were received countywide, 4,299 on paper and 1,582 online.

The votes have been counted and the most popular option, as chosen by each community, will be implemented on April 1, 2012. Until, then opening hours will stay as they are.

The overall reduction in opening hours across the library network will contribute to the service achieving target savings of more than £2 million.

Warwickshire County Council will continue to run 18 libraries after March 31 and is working closely with local groups to develop community libraries elsewhere. These should be open and operational by 1 April 2012.

Two council-run libraries, Warwick and Stockingford, were not included in the recent consultation because their future opening hours had already been decided – to match those of Shire Hall and the Stockingford Early Years Centre respectively.

More details on the new opening hours are available at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news

Cllr Colin Hayfield, Portfolio-holder for Customers, Access and Physical Assets, said: “We took the decision that our customers will decide the opening hours of the libraries, and thanks to the thousands of responses we have received we believe we are meeting the needs of the communities with the new opening hours.”

Meanwhile, Warwickshire County Council continues to work closely with community groups around the county developing new community libraries. All of these should be open and operational by April 1, 2012.

The transformation of the Library and Information Service is a part of the general financial savings, where Warwickshire County Council must cut spending by more than £70 million over the next three years. As part of the savings plan, the Library and Information Service budget will reduce by £2 million.

Library opening hours consultation is now closed

The Warwickshire Library and Information Service consultation into the future opening hours of the county’s main libraries has now closed.

The consultation got underway on Monday, November 14, and ran until last night, asking local people to decide on the opening hours of the following libraries:

• Alcester
• Atherstone
• Bedworth
• Coleshill
• Kenilworth
• Leamington
• Lillington
• Nuneaton
• Polesworth
• Rugby
• Shipston
• Southam
• Stratford
• Wellesbourne
• Whitnash
• Wolston

More than 5,000 people completed questionnaires in libraries or online on the future pattern of opening hours for libraries remaining under the Library and Information Service control.

There are two exceptions: Warwick’s new opening hours will match Shire Hall’s opening hours, and Stockingford’s opening hours will match those of the Early Years Centre.

The new opening hours will be introduced from March 31. Details of the outcome of the consultation will be available at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries and www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com

Cllr Colin Hayfield, Portfolio-holder for Customers, Access and Physical Assets, said: “We have taken the decision that our customers will decide the opening hours of the libraries. The majority vote will be the option we go with. We are still gathering all the consultation entries, it is extremely encouraging that more than 5,000 people have responded.”

Meanwhile, Warwickshire County Council continues to work closely with community groups around the county developing new community libraries. All of these should be open and operational by April 1, 2012.

The transformation of the Library and Information Service is a part of the general financial savings, where Warwickshire County Council must cut spending by more than £70 million over the next three years. As part of the savings plan, the Library and Information Service budget will reduce by £2 million.

Library opening hours consultation ends on Sunday

There are just a few days left to respond to the library opening hours consultation and for local people to join almost 5,000 who have responded so far to the survey.

By the end of the third week of the four week consultation, 4,667 people had completed and returned a survey, with 3,188 completing the paper survey in libraries and 1,479 people completing the online survey.

There have also been more than 2,000 visits to this blog for information.

There are just a few days left of the consultation left until Sunday, December 11.

Almost 3,500 surveys returned in 2 weeks!

In just two weeks there has been an incredible response to the library opening hours consultation, with almost 3,500 surveys returned.

During week two of the consultation there were 1,329 paper surveys handed in to libraries and 333 were completed online, this follows the first week, where there were 958 paper surveys completed and 839 online. A total of 3,459 survey responses so far.

There have also been more than 2,000 visits to this blog for information.

There are still two weeks of the consultation left until Sunday, December 11.

Survey responses flood in

The library opening hours consultation is continuing to attract responses, with the latest figures revealing that in the first week of the survey there were 958 paper surveys handed in to libraries, far more than first thought, plus 731 online surveys were completed – a total of 1,689 consultation survey responses in the first week!

More than 1,000 responses in week 1 of consultation

More than 1,000 people have already expressed their views on the future opening hours of Warwickshire’s main libraries. 

Just one week into the four week consultation on the opening hours of the county’s main libraries has attracted almost 700 online survey responses, and almost 500 written survey responses handed in to libraries. 

The Warwickshire Library and Information Service blog www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com has been visited by almost 1,500 people in the first week, many of whom have clicked through to the online survey, general library opening hours proposal document, or the individual library plans. 

The consultation got underway on Monday, November 14, and runs for four weeks until Sunday, December 11, asking local people to decide on the opening hours of the following libraries:

• Alcester
• Atherstone
• Bedworth
• Coleshill
• Kenilworth
• Leamington
• Lillington
• Nuneaton
• Polesworth
• Rugby
• Shipston
• Southam
• Stratford
• Wellesbourne
• Whitnash
• Wolston 

The consultation is on the future pattern of opening hours for libraries remaining under the Library and Information Service control. 

The public consultation, offering two options, is available in paper and electronic formats. The majority vote from the public will decide the future opening hours of the library – the library customers will decide. 

There are two exceptions: Warwick’s new opening hours will match Shire Hall’s opening hours, and Stockingford’s opening hours will match those of the Early Years Centre. 

The new opening hours will be introduced from March 31. More details will be available at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries and www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com 

Cllr Colin Hayfield, Portfolio-holder for Customers, Access and Physical Assets, said: “We have taken the decision that our customers will decide the opening hours of the libraries. The majority vote will be the option we go with. 

“I’d therefore encourage as many people as possible to engage with this consultation, either via the web, or by popping in to your local library and completing a survey.” 

Meanwhile, Warwickshire County Council continues to work closely with community groups around the county developing new community libraries. All of these should be open and operational by April 1, 2012. 

The transformation of the Library and Information Service is a part of the general financial savings, where Warwickshire County Council must cut spending by more than £70 million over the next three years. As part of the savings plan, the Library and Information Service budget will reduce by £2 million. 

Library opening hours – you decide

The people of Warwickshire are being given the opportunity to decide on the opening hours of the county’s main libraries. 

A comprehensive consultation gets underway on Monday, November 14, running for four weeks until Sunday, December 11, asking local people to decide on the opening hours of the following libraries:

• Alcester
• Atherstone
• Bedworth
• Coleshill
• Kenilworth
• Leamington
• Lillington
• Nuneaton
• Polesworth
• Rugby
• Shipston
• Southam
• Stratford
• Wellesbourne
• Whitnash
• Wolston 

The consultation is on the future pattern of opening hours for libraries remaining under the Library and Information Service control. 

The public consultation, offering two options, is available in paper and electronic formats. The majority vote from the public will decide the future opening hours of the library – the library customers will decide. 

Proposed Library Opening Hours

There are two exceptions:Warwick’s new opening hours will match Shire Hall’s opening hours, and Stockingford’s opening hours will match those of the Early Years Centre. 

The new opening hours will be introduced from March 31. More details will be available at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries and www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com 

Cllr Colin Hayfield, Portfolio-holder for Customers, Access and Physical Assets, said: “We have taken the decision that our customers will decide the opening hours of the libraries. The majority vote will be the option we go with. 

“I’d therefore encourage as many people as possible to engage with this consultation, either via the web, or by popping in to your local library and completing a survey.” 

Meanwhile, Warwickshire County Council continues to work closely with community groups around the county developing new community libraries. All of these should be open and operational by April 1, 2012. 

The transformation of the Library and Information Service is a part of the general financial savings, where Warwickshire County Council must cut spending by more than £70 million over the next three years. As part of the savings plan, the Library and Information Service budget will reduce by £2 million.

Community library event

A special event for Warwickshire communities interested in running their own library was held at Rugby College last Thursday (2 June 2011). 

The day was designed to help delegates consider their options – and find out more about the practicalities of communities running a library from people already operating community-run services in other parts of the country. 

The morning’s presentations included a talk on a community library operating from within a Herefordshire church; the experience of locals who run the library in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire; and a community partnership running their library as part of a ‘hub’ in Hawes, North Yorkshire. 

Worcestershire County Council explained how they are ‘bridging the service gap’ with two mini volunteer-run village hall libraries, both managed by the council – plus around 200 community book collections in other public places, such as children’s and youth centres. 

Other speakers covered topics including volunteer recruitment, developing social enterprises and asset transfers. The afternoon gave delegates a chance to quiz speakers for more information on a one-to-one basis. 

Around 30 Warwickshire community representatives attended the event, travelling from all over the county. 

The event was chaired by Cllr Colin Hayfield, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio-holder for Customers, Access and Physical Assets. 

“I found the day very informative and useful – and I hope everyone who came along, to represent their respective communities, did too,” said Cllr Hayfield. “It’s a steep learning curve for Warwickshire County Council, as well as for volunteer groups looking to run their own local library services. Hearing how other communities and library authorities have approached this has been really enlightening.” 

The day ended with an open questions session. Cllr Hayfield was asked about the process for submitting business cases, and whether communities could have longer to complete them. Although the deadline for submissions is 9 June 2011 – the end of the libraries consultation – Cllr Hayfield said community groups would be given more time to complete their business plans, if needed, with help from library staff.

Other questions were about ongoing support for community-run library projects, which will include stock and IT services, access to the county library management system for processing loans, reservations and returns, a telephone helpline, and regular visits from library staff.

Meanwhile the Warwickshire Library and Information Service consultation on proposals for the future of the service continues until Thursday, and all consultation feedback received by June 9 will be analysed and reported to Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet in July. The report will be made public at the same time. Councillors will consider the contents before making any final decisions on the future of the library service.

More information, along with the library consultation questionnaire, is available in all Warwickshire libraries and online at: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/facingthechallenge

Consultation progress can also be followed by Twitter www.twitter.com/warksdirect or via the consultation blog at www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com

Libraries consultation – final week

As the 12-week consultation on proposals for radical change to Warwickshire’s Library and Information Service draws to a close, local people are being urged not to miss their opportunity to join more than 4,000 people who have already responded to the consultation. 

All consultation questionnaires, whether handed in at a library or completed online, have to be in by Thursday, June 9. The consultation aims to give people the opportunity to have their say on plans to reshape the library network and cut costs. 

Cllr Colin Hayfield, Portfolio-holder for Customers, Workforce and Partnerships, said: “This will be the biggest transformation in the history of Warwickshire’s library service so I urge local people to make their views known by returning the consultation questionnaire before this week’s June 9 deadline.” 

The Library and Information Service must cut spending by £2 million over the next three years as part of Warwickshire County Council’s plans to achieve required savings of more than £70m across all services. 

Sixteen Warwickshire libraries have been identified as no longer sustainable in their current form, alongside other cost-cutting measures including reduced opening hours, reductions in the workforce and mobile library fleet, and cutting the number of public computers across the library network. 

So far more than 4,000 people have completed questionnaires – 2,025 handed in as written questionnaires and 2,050 completed online. Many hundreds of other people have visited roadshows and public meetings to find out more about the proposals for the future of the service. 

There have also been about 3,000 visits in the last few weeks to a dedicated online blog bringing the latest information about the consultation at www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com 

Councillor Hayfield said there had been strong interest from a number of communities interested in setting up their own libraries. 

“As well as offering staff support to communities preparing business plans, the County Council has set aside £100,000 to help volunteer-run library projects get off the ground,” he said. “We are also prepared, in principle, to consider leasing council-owned library buildings at a peppercorn rent to communities submitting a strong business case.” 

All consultation feedback received by June 9 will be analysed and reported to Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet in July. The report will be made public at the same time. Councillors will consider the contents before making any final decisions on the future of the library service. 

More information, along with the library consultation questionnaire, is available in all Warwickshire libraries and online at: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/facingthechallenge 

Consultation progress can also be followed by Twitter www.twitter.com/warksdirect or via the consultation blog at www.libraryconsult.wordpress.com

New financial template unveiled

A new Warwickshire Library Business Case Financial Template is now available for those interested in creating community libraries to complete alongside their business case.

The financial information is required to support proposals in a business case and can be submitted in this format, but it is primarily a guide as to the financial information required.