Community Led Libraries

How to create needs based library services

(1) The Spirit Level

• Wilkinson & Pickett (2010) The Spirit Level: why equality is better for everyone

• Almost everything (including library use) is affected not by how wealthy a society is, but how equal it is

• Societies with a bigger gap between rich and poor are bad for everyone in them – including the well off

(2) Income Inequality

Low HighJapan 1 UK 20Finland 2 Portugal 21Norway 3 USA 22Sweden 4 Singapore 23

(3) Public Engagement

• Brook (2011) International comparisons of public engagement in culture and sport

• Consistently higher attendance and participation in culture and sport in Scandinavia

• DCMS (2011) Taking Part Survey - library use in the UK fell from 56% in 2001 to 40% in 2011

(4) Library Use

Library useFinland 72%Sweden 70%Denmark 68%UK 40%

(5) Equality & Library Use

Equality Library useFinland 2 72%Sweden 4 70%Denmark 5 68%UK 20 40%

(6) Mind the Gap

• The Equality Trust (2011) Research Digest: Trends & Measures

• Between 1960 – 2005 income inequality increased by 32% in the UK and decreased by 12% in Sweden.

• In the 1960s Sweden and the UK had similar levels of income inequality. By 2005 the gap between the two had increased by 28%.

(7) Overview

• Needs based library service – identify, prioritise and meet community needs

• Community-Led libraries - service planning, design, delivery, evaluation

• Holistic and Systematic approach – strategy, structures, systems, culture

(8) Open to All?

• Resource (2000) Open to All? The Public Library and Social Exclusion

• NIACE (2003) Developing a Needs Based Library Service

• Ashgate (2010) The Public Library and Social Justice [with John Vincent]

• Ashgate (2012) Community Led Libraries [with Ken Williment, Working Together Project]

(9) Needs Based

• Identify community needs – profiles, assessments, partners, relationships

• Prioritise – those with the greatest needs• Meet needs – universal / targeted services• Redirect resources – challenges from users,

politicians / board, managers, staff

(10) Exclusive Paradigm

(11) Inclusive Paradigm

% population

Library Users

Working class

60% 33%

Middle class 40% 44%

(12) Social Class

(13) Community EngagementPASSIVE REACTIVE PARTICIPATIV

E

EMPOWERMENT LEADERSHIP

Local residents and organizations are informed of issues by library service.

Local residents and organizations provide input into the priorities and resource use of library service.

Local residents and organizations influence the priorities and resources of library service.

Local residents and organizations work in shared planning and action with library service.

Local residents and organizations initiate and lead on issues with support from library service.

(14) Traditional Service PlanningCommunity Assessment

Needs Identification

Service Planning

Delivery Evaluation

Staff review

Demographic data

Library use statistics

Comment Cards

Community survey results

Staff identify service gaps or under-served communities

Staff review literature

Staff consult with other staff and service providers

Staff develop service response

Staff deliver service:

Develop the collection,

Hold the programme,

Design facilities.

Staff review various inputs:

Feedback forms

Programme attendance

Collection use

Library card enrolment

(15) Community Led Planning

Community Assessment

Needs Identification

Service Planning

Delivery Evaluation

Staff review all of the traditional measures and:

Staff spend time in community developing relationships with local people

Staff hear from community about what is important to them.

Staff discuss with community and hear from them what their priorities are.

Service ideas are the community’s ideas.

Community is engaged in the planning of the service.

Staff act as partners and facilitators rather than as creators and experts.

Community and staff work together to deliver the service: Community involved in selecting materials

Community active in hosting the programme

Community work with the library to develop policy recommendations.

Community and staff discuss:

How did the process work?

Did the service/policy, etc. actually address the need?

What could have been done differently?

(16) Holistic & Systematic

(17) Strategy

• DCMS (2003) Framework for the Future • Promotion of reading and informal learning• Access to digital skills and services including e-

government• Measures to tackle social exclusion, build

community identity and develop citizenship

(18) Staffing

• The right people• In the right jobs• With the right skills

(19) The right ‘man’ for the job

• Wilson & Birdi (2008) The right ‘man’ for the job? The Role of Empathy in Community Librarianship

• Communication, listening & negotiation skills• Influencing relationships• Reflective practice• Improved confidence and assertiveness• Dealing with conflict

(20) Staffing Structure

• LGA (2004) Extending the Role of Libraries• ‘Strengthen strategic management to ensure

that appropriate services are delivered across the public library authority, rather than leaving project development to individual operational management teams that target specific areas and populations.’

(21) Specialist Team Strengths

• Vanguard services - big leap forward• Innovation, experimentation and change• New collections and services• Knowledge of local communities• Raise awareness among library staff • Training and guidance

(22) Weaknesses

• Isolated and not mainstreamed• Two tier services • No redirection of resources• Library staff not engaged• Limited access to resources• No performance measures • Not valued, vulnerable to budget cuts

(23) Whole Service Approach

• Structures aligned with service strategy • Staff clear about what is expected of them• Everyone pulling in the same direction• Impact and outcome indicators• Positive effect on organizational culture• Services become embedded and not

vulnerable to changes of policy or budget reductions

(24) Service Structure

• The right services• In the right places• At the right times

(25) Opening Hours

• LGA (2004) Extending the Role of Libraries• Increased opening hours led to more:• Use of ICT facilities• Visitors in total• Visits from target groups• Books lent

(26) Systems

• Inappropriate rules and regulations• Charging policies which disadvantage those on

low incomes• Book stock policies which do not reflect the

needs of the community • Lack of signage in buildings • Lack of a sense of ownership and involvement

by the community

(27) Welcome to Your Library?

• ADP (2004) Welcome to Your Library• External signage – library hard to find• Internal signage – unclear• Environment - unwelcoming• Stock – no books in other languages• Joining procedures – no particular sensitivity• Customer care – staff not friendly

(28) Culture

• ‘The way we do things around here’• Hearts and minds• Attitudes and behaviours• Shared values

(29) Community Development

OUTREACH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTGoes out into the community to deliver a service or programme (story time at school, display at community centre).

Begins with relationship building.

Tells audience what the library has to offer, but rarely seeks opinions of participants and what they might like the library to offer.

Identifies and assists in articulating individual or community needs.

[Source: Working Together Project (2004-2008), Canada.]

- Identifies and provides services that meet those needs. - Investigates ways to work collaboratively to meet needs. - Identifies gaps in services and policy.

(30) Social Justice

‘It falls to our generation to make one of the biggest transformations in human history. The rich countries have got to the end of the really important contributions which economic growth can make to the quality of life and also that our future lies in improving the quality of the social environment in our societies. Greater equality is the material foundation on which better social relations are built.’