Surrey County Council is currently undertaking an equalities questionnaire consultation with registered users of the ten libraries proposed to adopt the Community Partnerships Model. If you are a user of one of these libraries and have not received a questionnaire in the post please contact Enquiries Direct on 01483 543599. The latest date for reply is Fri 29 June.
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25 January: Surrey calls for court order on libraries plans to be reversed
Read the minutes of the Select Committee meeting on 19 January 2012 for the latest information about the Library Service Public Value Review
Item 6: Arrangements to support Community Partnered Libraries. Full details.
The leader of Surrey County Council, David Hodge, has announced that he is proposing the end of any plans for further community-run libraries.
Full details of his announcement
Listen to a podcast of the announcement
At its meeting on 27 September 2011, at the end of the debate on Item 6: the Progress Report on the Public Value Review of the Library Service, the Cabinet voted to accept its recommendations, with one abstention. The recommendations were:
(1) Agree libraries provision in the 10 areas, Bagshot, Bramley, Byfleet, Ewell Court, Lingfield, New Haw, Stoneleigh, Tattenhams, Virginia Water, Warlingham, is delivered via the Community Partnerships Model.
(2) Agree Molesey Library is not created as a Community Partnered Library but to be included in the strategic library network.
(3) Note that the MTFP [Medium Term Financial Plan] contains no provision for staffing for the Community Partnered Libraries 2012/13 and agree that in the event that any of the communities are not progressing towards partnership, a further report on the future of those libraries will be considered by Cabinet in December.
(4) Agree the Strategic Library network as set out in paragraphs 20-23 [of the report].
(5) Agree that no further libraries be considered for Community Partnership until at least the pilot libraries have been operating for one year commencing 1 April 2012, and have undergone a subsequent full evaluation of their sustainability and success.
(6) Endorse the service developments being introduced to replace the Mobile Library service.
Read the Decision Sheet from the Cabinet meeting.
Watch a webcast of the Cabinet meeting.
At its meeting on 1 March 2011, in response to the call-in by the Select Committee for Safer and Stronger Communities, the Cabinet confirmed the decision taken at the Cabinet meeting on 1 February 2011. The decision included proposals for 11 community partnered libraries. You can request a copy of the full recommendations by calling 03456 009 009.
We need to change our libraries to reflect the changing way people say they want to use them. We also need to ensure they are cost effective and efficient to run so that we can meet the budget pressures we face over the next four years.
As part of the review of our library service, we have offered people the opportunity to take over the day-to-day running of some of Surrey’s libraries. Through sharing resources the council will be able to focus on the larger and busier libraries, as well as the virtual library, and communities can help ensure they have a library that meets the needs of their community.
A list of the criteria used, and the data that underpins the decision is available.
The way people use libraries is changing so we need to refocus the service to reflect this. Each year fewer people use the mobile libraries and the cost of providing them increases. In light of this we will be ending this service on 30 September 2011.
However, we are aware that this is a service that is valued by many people. We are looking at how we can offer users of the service different ways to access the library. Options that we are looking at include Books On Wheels, transport to the nearest library or e-readers so books can be downloaded from the online library.
Mobile library users were sent a letter asking them how they may want to use the library in future.
If you have any questions about the changes to the mobile library service please call us on 01483 543599.
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