Public Libraries Section

Country Report: Great Britain

August, 2000

Public Library Standards In May 2000 the Department of Culture, Media and Sport issued draft public library standards "Comprehensive and Efficient-Standards for Modern Public Libraries : A Consultation Paper" (www.culture.gov.uk). This includes 24 standards with the level at which the DCMS will intervene if standards are not met. It is planned to issue a final set of standards in the autumn which will come into force on 1 April 2001. Authorities will have 3 years to ensure that that their standards meet or exceed the intervention level. Authorities are asked to consider the implications of the standards and include their findings in the Annual Library Plan for 2000 which they now have to submit to the DCMS. The standards have been developed in conjunction with both The Library Association and the Local Government Association and should therefore carry authority with individual local authorities.

Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport. The Select Committee of the House of Commons published a very positive report on public libraries. An important recommendation was that networked and multimedia services be regarded as core services of a public library and should therefore be free. They support the development of public library standards and recommend that National Lottery funds should be available for public libraries, which is not the position at present.

Re:source From the 1st April 2000 the Libraries and Information Commission and the Museums and Galleries Commission merged to form a new body rather strangely called re:source, which now also includes archives within its functions. It has also taken over the role of the British Library research and Development Department It has recently published its Manifesto (http://www.resource.gov.uk/manifesto.html ) There is concern that some of the very useful and practical work being carried out by the former Library and Information Commission will be lost in the attempt to develop objectives which bring together all elements of the new body's functions.

Empowering the Learning Community One of the final acts of the Library and Information Commission was to publish a report of a Task Group set up by the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport and for Education and Employment, "Empowering the Learning Community"(http://www.lic.gov.uk). It makes a number of recommendations on cross-sectoral working and co-ordination of library resources for the benefit of the learner. It suggests that public and educational libraries in a community or region should draw up "access maps" to enable users to reach resources in other libraries. It also says that consideration should be given to making school library services a statutory responsibility.