The words 'deckchairs' and 'Titanic' initially sprang to mind.  That would be unjust because there are a lot of good ideas, but they depend, in particular, on branch libraries not being closed.

In the light of the general economic situation and the funding crisis revealed by the attached LGA report (2012) [see also attached summaries], the priority is to achieve substantial reductions in the cost of delivering the service.   It is difficult to see any way in which those reductions can be achieved without services being shared, and it is little wonder that the CBI (see attached note) has called for this agenda to be embraced.  In fairness, the LGA does appear to be taking on board the idea of sharing services across the board, as the attached summary of the LGA/Drummond MacFarlane report (8/2012) shows - the examples given don't relate to libraries, but everyone will be familiar with the evidence given to the CMS SelCom relating to the Tri-Borough project last year.  

I wish there were grounds for optimism that ACE has got the plot; its report on the future library service is out next month, so we''ll be able to see whether it has.  Hopefully, the DCMS, which also appears to accept that there are currently too many library authorities, will have published its own guidance by then. 

As to answering the hypothetical Treasury official, there's a whole lot of studies from various parts of the globe (UK, USA and Australia) pointing to the added value libraries deliver over cost, and not just in the context of study space.

Geoffrey Dron

Save Bolton Libraries Campaign

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On Sat, Mar 2, 2013 at 8:04 PM, desmond <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

SallyPrentice.org : 25th February
Arts Council discussing with councils what libraries will be like in 2022

Sally Prentice is a senior Labour and Co-operative councillor in the London Borough of Lambeth

http://www.sallyprentice.org.uk/2013/02/arts-council-discussing-with-councils-what-libraries-will-be-like-in-2022/