A very fair question, Aran. Not being an expert in not-for-profit
business models, I haven't got a ready answer, just a few thoughts on
what an independent public library sector might look like.
I would look around for inspiration at other institutions which retain
their independence while receiving state funding, such as some museums,
charitable trusts, universities. What they have in common is their
ability, indeed duty, to manage their assets solely in pursuit of the
objectives for which they were founded. That means that their
independent governing bodies own and control their real estate and
plant. They employ their own staff. They can raise investment funding.
They can generate income and use it for their own purposes.
I imagine the government's regional structure would have to be the
geographical basis for independent public library institutions in
England with national institutions for the other parts of the UK. This
could be expected to facilitate the distribution of state funding. That
would mean 9 regional library authorities for England and one national
authority each for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Whatever the organisational structure, the vital things are the
ownership of assets and the freedom to manage them in the interests of
the library's customer community.
Robert Harden
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On Wednesday, January 14, 2004, at 04:48 PM, Lewis,Aran M wrote:
> Robert, if you take public libraries out of local government, where
> would
> you put them instead? No doubt we can all think of a number of
> possibilities
> and models, but what would you advocate?
>
> Cheers,
> Aran Lewis
> Senior Librarian, Stock Support Services
> Lambeth Libraries
> Carnegie Library
> Herne Hill Road
> London SE24 0AG
>
> 020 7926 6069
>
> [log in to unmask]
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