I can't help noticing that the recommendations don't include making sure
there's enough staff available to keep libraries open; support our customers
in all these new initiatives; manage the everyday running of library
services; and fulfill the ever-hungry demand for more and more complex,
time-consuming and almost-but-not-quite identical paperchases for various
arms of the central executive.
You could very easily make a case for having a full-time member of staff to
tackle the iterative reports-back for the sundry accountability programmes.
And another working full-time to secure funding for service development
projects. Which leaves who actually running the ship?
We can work more efficiently and effectively but there's limited scope for
rejigging staff to increase productivity without someone taking some hard
decisions about non-productive but socially- or politically-sensitive uses
of staff time. We've had the buildings, books and bodies discussion before.
I won't reprise it.
There's a lot of very useful stuff in the report. It would have been nice if
it had included an admission that it is necessary to streamline the
centralised accountability processes so that library managers spend more
time managing libraries than filling in forms about how they'd like to
manage them if they had the time. It would also have been useful if it had
included the point that services are provided by people and that part of the
bookshop experience is the investment in enough bodies, both front-of-house
and backstage, to provide the product and deliver the service.
The opinions voiced are my own and not necessarily those of Rochdale Library
Service.
Steven
Steven Heywood
Systems Manager
Rochdale Library Service
Wheatsheaf Library
Baillie Street
Rochdale, England OL16 1JZ
Tel: 01706 864967
Fax: 01706 864992
Bicycles' graveyard: can you help?
http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/living/libraries.asp?url=localbike
> ----------
> From: Hanstock, Terry[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Reply To: Hanstock, Terry
> Sent: 17 May 2002 10:44
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Building Better Libraries
>
> The Audit Commission report - Building Better Libraries - can be found
> here:
>
>
> http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/publications/lfair_libraries.shtml
>
>
> Regards
>
> Terry Hanstock
>
> Information Specialist
> Library & Information Services
> The Nottingham Trent University
> The Boots Library
> Goldsmith Street
> Nottingham
> NG1 5LS
>
> Direct line 0115 8482893
> Fax 0115 8482286
>
> e-mail [log in to unmask]
>
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