Meeting documents

To consider local feedback to the County Council’s proposals for libraries in the Borough provided by dual-hatted councillors to enable the committee to formulate its own response to the current County Council consultation (see consultation document attached):

Scarborough Library – core library - Cllr John Ritchie

Filey Library – hybrid library - Cllr Sam Cross

Whitby Library – hybrid library - Cllr Joe Plant

Eastfield Library – community managed library – Cllr Tony Randerson

Scalby Library – community managed library – Cllrs Andrew Backhouse and Derek Bastiman

The committee considered North Yorkshire County Council’s current public consultation on its proposed changes to local Library Services with a view of submitting a response.  The County Council’s Stronger Communities Delivery Manager (Scarborough & District), Karen Atkinson first addressed the committee outlining the three types of library in the proposals – core, hybrid and community managed – and the extensive support, including financial and legal assistance, her team would provide to volunteers to enable them to realise their ambitions for their local library.  The core library would depend upon 30-40% volunteers, the hybrid would have one full time paid member of staff and the rest volunteers, whilst the community-managed library would be entirely managed by volunteers.  Dual-hatted councillors then related their local community’s feedback to the proposals and the committee commented accordingly:

Scarborough Library – core library – Cllr John Ritchie

Local users and organisations were concerned that not enough volunteers would come forward, and around the library’s sustainability and ongoing support it would receive from the County Council.  Reference was also made to the increasing importance of the library’s IT service for vulnerable people and people on benefits as universal credit (which was digital by default) was rolled out.  More generally, there was a growing difficulty in recruiting volunteers.

Eastfield Library – community-managed library – Cllr Tony Randerson

There were serious concerns shared by the Parish Council, users and staff that there was not enough volunteering capacity in Eastfield to sustain a community-managed library, and therefore that this important community hub would fold.  Reference was made to the levels of deprivation in Eastfield but also to the growing population because of the Middle Deepdale development and new housing in nearby Cayton.  This significant population increase, location of the library, and demand on library services at the least justified a hybrid library.  It would be easier to attract and organise volunteers if a full time paid member of staff remained at the library.

Filey Library – hybrid library - Cllr Sam Cross

There were similar fears that not enough volunteers would come forward.  Here was an important community hub which was at risk of reducing its services or even closing at a time of austerity and hardship when its services were needed most.

Whitby Library – hybrid library – Cllr Joe Plant

Cllr Plant could not be present at the meeting but expressed similar concerns about volunteer capacity and that by relying on a single paid member of staff, this may well put pressure on other parts of Library Services, when that staff member was absent on leave.

Scalby Library – community-managed library – Cllr Derek Bastiman

Given the size of the catchment and the population the library served, and the importance of its IT facilities in a catchment area where in places there was poor or no broadband access, it was not appropriate for it to become community-managed.  There was not sufficient volunteer capacity to sustain a community-managed library.  Unless it became a hybrid library, all the present trustees would leave.

Members discussed the County Council’s proposals and the issues raised.  The Chairman, Councillor Jeffels referred to the very positive experience of the Derwent Bridge Library which became community managed in 2012.  This move had served to galvanise the community, had generated much interest, received great support from the County Council in the process, and created fulfilling volunteering opportunities for many in the local community.  Members welcomed the success of Derwent Bridge but noted the different social and economic profile of areas such as Eastfield where the capacity within the community was not as developed.  The committee did however encourage the convening of public meetings to generate interest and encourage public participation in the local library.  In reply to Members’ questions, Ms Atkinson confirmed that her service had built up a good picture of which areas would struggle most to recruit and retain volunteers, and had also liaised with the CVS Alliance to seek their assistance in identifying and mobilising resources to plan for greater volunteer involvement in the Libraries Service.

The Chairman thanked Ms Atkinson and dual-hatted Members for their contributions to the meeting.

RESOLVED that:

(i)            The consultation document be noted; and

(ii)          The committee submit a response maintaining that Eastfield and Scalby libraries should be run as hybrid libraries for the reasons given above, but also making  the general points above in respect of volunteer capacity, sustainability, and IT access for vulnerable people, whilst noting the success of the Derwent Bridge Library, and the importance of reaching out to the local community through public meetings and other ways to encourage interest in becoming a volunteer to enable the service not just to remain open, but to prosper.