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Many thanks to those who replied to my recent posting about the
difficulties we were encountering in Oxfordshire over obtaining insurance cover
for the use of libraries out of hours where the key holder is not a member of
Council staff. My basic question was: “Do other Authorities allow
non-Council staff to have keys to libraries for classes and similar out of
hours use?” The eight replies are summarised below.
Four authorities do allow outside organisations to have keys and access
codes to use libraries out of hours, whether these are educational bodies (e.g.
WEA) or local societies (e.g. photographic Society). In all cases, there are of
course the necessary procedures in place to ensure the security of the building
and the health and safety of participants.
Specifically on the insurance issue, one requires the organisation to
take out its own insurance (which must be acceptable to the Council), and
another incorporates an element for insurance in the lettings charge.
Interestingly, although the first solution is a positive way around the view
shared by our insurers that councils cannot insure such activities, evidently
the other authorities are obtaining insurance cover, whether or not directly
passed on to the hirer, which raises the question of why we cannot all benefit
from the same approach. I will be feeding this back to our insurers!
Three other responses indicated that out of hours activities were only
allowed where there was a Council key holder, though this was often a caretaker
or security guard rather than a member of library staff, and in one case was
extended to a member of Council staff being present, even though (s)he may be
attending in a personal capacity.
In the remaining response, the authority has had to tighten up
recently, having faced the same sorts of issues as Oxfordshire does.
Charles Pettit
Assistant
Oxfordshire County Council