Agenda item

Further to Minute No. 199 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 24th April, 2013, consideration was given to a report, presented by the Customer and Cultural Services Manager, concerning the changes which have been implemented during the past two years within Customer and Library Services. The submitted report summarised the changes and provided an initial review of the impact of changes to opening hours and the implementation of the joint library and customer service model. The various sections of the report dealt with:-

-          service changes and the increasing take-up of on-line services;

-          closure of the community library at Kimberworth Park;

-          closure of the Service Centres at Swinton and at Dinnington;

-          changes to the opening hours in 13 of the 15 libraries across the Borough area;

-          reductions in spending and the achievement of budget savings targets;

-          implementation of a new mobile library timetable;

-          launch of the e-book borrowing service, in response to customer demand;

-          details of the joint library and customer service model;

-          the impact of the changes upon service delivery;

-          a summary of the feedback received from customers;

-          making libraries and service centres the ‘hub’ of their communities and localities (e.g.: Mowbray Gardens).

Reference was made to the following salient issues:-

·           the availability and use of the mobile library service – one vehicle visiting villages and towns in the Rotherham Borough area; the other vehicle visiting facilities such as sheltered housing schemes; Members noted that customers visiting Council premises often wish to access a variety of Council services, not only a single one such as a library; Members requested details of the routes of the mobile library vehicles;

·           the availability and usage of the payment machine facilities at the service centres; the reliability of these machines;

·           the provision of a variety of services for local communities (eg: at Mowbray Gardens – language classes for people for whom English is their second language; education classes);

·           the system of lending e-books, which has begun to attract new members to the library service;

·           the consultation process prior to the closure of the Kimberworth Park community library and the provision of the mobile library in that location;

·           the continuing pressures upon service delivery of the reductions in local authority budgets; in terms of the review of customer services and libraries, Members welcomed the use of a clear rationale and consultation process; the shared used of premises for service delivery was also beneficial to customers;

·           the importance of the availability and delivery of services in deprived communities;

·           the availability of volunteers to assist with service delivery;

·           Members referred to specific issues affecting the individual customer service centres (eg: computer access for customers; dealing with customers at busy times; availability of rooms where customers may discuss issues in private);

·           the trends relating to the migration of customers to alternative facilities, as a consequence of the service changes (eg: people who previously used locality services now preferring to visit the Council’s Riverside House building);

·           publicity and marketing – in relation to the facilities/services on offer and for changes to opening hours;

·           the effective use of ICT facilities to improve customer service (eg: the availability of wi-fi services).

Members placed on record their appreciation of the work of the staff of Libraries and Customer Services.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the example of the provision of services from the Mowbray Gardens centre be used as a template for centres throughout the Rotherham Borough area.