AGMALibrary, Information and Archive

Services

2020 Vision

Track record of partnership work

• Decades of library co-operation – ILL• Stock purchasing consortium• Ask About Business• Time to Read• Stock management• E-books and e-resources

Our challenge

• Can the ten library services of Greater Manchester work together to achieve service transformation that will deliver significant cost savings and ensure a sustainable quality customer service offer for the future?

Shared Services

• Initially driven by the economics• An alternative to salami slicing in individual

services• Size matters

The projects

• Future Libraries Programme – Greater Manchester

• NWIEP – all North West • Managed in parallel• Shared funding• Wider learning and support

Options1. Collaboration on procurement and specialist

services (more of what we do now)2. Merge strategic management and specialist staff3. Full merger of services including customer facing

services4. Status quo

Feasibility findings

• Sharing Dividend possible – but more to gain in service improvement and sustainability terms than cashable savings

• Greater Manchester has the AGMA (and now GMCA) advantage

• Not the case for other parts of NW

Chasing the money• Always knew that cashable savings dividend would not

be in place to deliver savings in 2011/12• Savings for 2011/12 now much greater than

anticipated – severe measures being taken now by councils

• This also affects the potential cashable savings dividend for the future

GM - current position

• 10 library authorities• Providing the statutory ‘comprehensive and efficient’

service through:– 168 library service points (50% collocated and

integrated with other services/partners)– 2,000 computers for customers– 4 million books and other media items

The business …

• 1.4 million registered customers– (65% of residents)

• 11.5 million visits were made to libraries• 1.5 million customer computer sessions took place in

libraries• 3 million visits were made to library website/online

catalogue• Net expenditure £51 million

Is a GMLS viable?• Coherent geography and identity – AGMA, GMCA,

LEP • Libraries – common purpose, track record of

collaboration, support of senior library managers to develop full business case

• Greater Manchester Library Service – largest of its kind in England

• More viable if separate organisation? – income generation, other sources of funding

Single service option

• Provides a new platform of centres of excellence, district hubs and localised neighbourhood services

• Provides opportunities to drive efficiency AND improvement

• A new map on which to reassess the statutory definition of ‘comprehensive and efficient’

AGMA engagement

• Began during the budget setting• Individual authorities making their own

savings• Attention shifted to the ‘idea’ the ‘concept’ –

bigger, better, together - the NYPL

AGMA challenges• Local identity • Role of elected members – political

sovereignty• Professional judgement• Harmonisation of service standards• Alignment of staff terms & conditions• Why do librarians want this?

Sharing our journey

• Vision for GM libraries in 2020• Evidence of partnership benefits to date• Mapping a realistic timeline for alignment• Making improvements NOW through

benchmarking and shared practice• Focus on customer benefits

Aim

• To create a vibrant, high quality, relevant and economically sustainable public library service for the people of Greater Manchester for the 21st century

Benefits• City Region Library Service supporting:– Economic growth– Healthy living– Learning

• High quality infrastructure of main libraries:– Connected and providing centres of excellence– A new map of provision– Hubs to support localised neighbourhood service

points

Libraries – or more?

• Archives?• Museums?• Arts?• Cultural services?• Leisure services?

Moving forward• Feasibility work indicates potential for substantial

customer service benefits and some savings• Working within AGMA to build on the feasibility

work through the new improvement programme• Timing and pace• Complex and subtle interplay of stakeholders• Flexibility

Priorities for 2011/12

• One Library Card• Information Services• Reading• Performance, benchmarking & peer review• Archives and local studies

The bigger prize

• NYPL• Sharing dividend• Sustainable future• Vision 2020• Should have gone to Vision Express!

Thank you

Questions?

Comments?