Keep invaluable Mobile Library Service petition – County Council response. Our consultation on ‘The Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ attracted more than 15,000 participants and 2013 and clearly indicated the value placed on library services by library users across the County. This is demonstrated once again by the Mobile Libraries petition, and the County Council welcomes this. We want Hertfordshire residents to be enthusiastic about libraries. We used the results of our public consultation to inform the development of the ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy last year. This Strategy is designed to ensure that Hertfordshire Library Service continues to thrive over the next ten years, remaining relevant to changing community needs and customer demands, and sustainable at a time when there are great pressures on local government finances across the country. The ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy allows Hertfordshire to maintain a library building in all 46 communities that currently have one, and proposes changes to the way library services are delivered, investing in improved technology and encouraging communities help us by providing volunteer support for local services. The County Council remains committed to ensuring that vulnerable and isolated residents can continue to access library services. The question is whether the current mobile library service is any longer the most effective way to achieve this. The current mobile library service remains a fairly traditional service, which has not been able to take advantage of many of the technological advances that have changed the face of library buildings in recent years. It is relatively expensive to deliver, costing approximately £14 per person visit, and the results of the ‘Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ indicated that 77% of respondents who used mobile libraries also used other Hertfordshire libraries. The ‘Delivering the Inspiring Libraries Strategy’ paper, published in September 2014 included the proposal to replace the current mobile library service with an expanded Home Library Service for people with disabilities, mobility difficulties and carers. Feedback from mobile library customers suggested that an expanded Home Library Service alone did not provide an adequate alternative for many people who find it difficult to access library buildings. In February 2015, the Customer Service, Performance and Libraries Cabinet Panel delayed taking a decision on the future of the mobile library service until further work could be done to identify options for alternative provision. The results of this work were presented to the Panel on 15 May 2015 in the paper ‘Inspiring Libraries – Delivering Outreach Services’. As a result, Panel recommended to Cabinet that the Library Service should: • Adopt clarified eligibility criteria for the Home Library Service (set out in paragraph 6.3 of the paper). • Invest in the further development of e-services as part of the Home Library Service offer in order to improve access to library services and other county council services for people who are unable to travel to a library. • Begin the process of recruiting and training additional volunteers to support an expanded Home Library Service. • Explore potential options for community transport to a local library in communities currently served by the mobile library service, and share examples of best practice. • Promote the concept of self-organised Community Book Swaps. • Signpost mobile library service customers to the full range of existing library services that may meet their needs, including the offer to pre-school groups and childminders. • Contact all current mobile service customers to make them aware of the appropriate alternative options for accessing library services as described in this paper. • Withdraw the current mobile library service from 31 October 2015. These recommendations were agreed by Cabinet on 18 May 2015. Keep invaluable Mobile Library Service petition – County Council response. Our consultation on ‘The Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ attracted more than 15,000 participants and 2013 and clearly indicated the value placed on library services by library users across the County. This is demonstrated once again by the Mobile Libraries petition, and the County Council welcomes this. We want Hertfordshire residents to be enthusiastic about libraries. We used the results of our public consultation to inform the development of the ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy last year. This Strategy is designed to ensure that Hertfordshire Library Service continues to thrive over the next ten years, remaining relevant to changing community needs and customer demands, and sustainable at a time when there are great pressures on local government finances across the country. The ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy allows Hertfordshire to maintain a library building in all 46 communities that currently have one, and proposes changes to the way library services are delivered, investing in improved technology and encouraging communities help us by providing volunteer support for local services. The County Council remains committed to ensuring that vulnerable and isolated residents can continue to access library services. The question is whether the current mobile library service is any longer the most effective way to achieve this. The current mobile library service remains a fairly traditional service, which has not been able to take advantage of many of the technological advances that have changed the face of library buildings in recent years. It is relatively expensive to deliver, costing approximately £14 per person visit, and the results of the ‘Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ indicated that 77% of respondents who used mobile libraries also used other Hertfordshire libraries. The ‘Delivering the Inspiring Libraries Strategy’ paper, published in September 2014 included the proposal to replace the current mobile library service with an expanded Home Library Service for people with disabilities, mobility difficulties and carers. Feedback from mobile library customers suggested that an expanded Home Library Service alone did not provide an adequate alternative for many people who find it difficult to access library buildings. In February 2015, the Customer Service, Performance and Libraries Cabinet Panel delayed taking a decision on the future of the mobile library service until further work could be done to identify options for alternative provision. The results of this work were presented to the Panel on 15 May 2015 in the paper ‘Inspiring Libraries – Delivering Outreach Services’. As a result, Panel recommended to Cabinet that the Library Service should: • Adopt clarified eligibility criteria for the Home Library Service (set out in paragraph 6.3 of the paper). • Invest in the further development of e-services as part of the Home Library Service offer in order to improve access to library services and other county council services for people who are unable to travel to a library. • Begin the process of recruiting and training additional volunteers to support an expanded Home Library Service. • Explore potential options for community transport to a local library in communities currently served by the mobile library service, and share examples of best practice. • Promote the concept of self-organised Community Book Swaps. • Signpost mobile library service customers to the full range of existing library services that may meet their needs, including the offer to pre-school groups and childminders. • Contact all current mobile service customers to make them aware of the appropriate alternative options for accessing library services as described in this paper. • Withdraw the current mobile library service from 31 October 2015. These recommendations were agreed by Cabinet on 18 May 2015. Keep invaluable Mobile Library Service petition – County Council response. Our consultation on ‘The Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ attracted more than 15,000 participants and 2013 and clearly indicated the value placed on library services by library users across the County. This is demonstrated once again by the Mobile Libraries petition, and the County Council welcomes this. We want Hertfordshire residents to be enthusiastic about libraries. We used the results of our public consultation to inform the development of the ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy last year. This Strategy is designed to ensure that Hertfordshire Library Service continues to thrive over the next ten years, remaining relevant to changing community needs and customer demands, and sustainable at a time when there are great pressures on local government finances across the country. The ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy allows Hertfordshire to maintain a library building in all 46 communities that currently have one, and proposes changes to the way library services are delivered, investing in improved technology and encouraging communities help us by providing volunteer support for local services. The County Council remains committed to ensuring that vulnerable and isolated residents can continue to access library services. The question is whether the current mobile library service is any longer the most effective way to achieve this. The current mobile library service remains a fairly traditional service, which has not been able to take advantage of many of the technological advances that have changed the face of library buildings in recent years. It is relatively expensive to deliver, costing approximately £14 per person visit, and the results of the ‘Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ indicated that 77% of respondents who used mobile libraries also used other Hertfordshire libraries. The ‘Delivering the Inspiring Libraries Strategy’ paper, published in September 2014 included the proposal to replace the current mobile library service with an expanded Home Library Service for people with disabilities, mobility difficulties and carers. Feedback from mobile library customers suggested that an expanded Home Library Service alone did not provide an adequate alternative for many people who find it difficult to access library buildings. In February 2015, the Customer Service, Performance and Libraries Cabinet Panel delayed taking a decision on the future of the mobile library service until further work could be done to identify options for alternative provision. The results of this work were presented to the Panel on 15 May 2015 in the paper ‘Inspiring Libraries – Delivering Outreach Services’. As a result, Panel recommended to Cabinet that the Library Service should: • Adopt clarified eligibility criteria for the Home Library Service (set out in paragraph 6.3 of the paper). • Invest in the further development of e-services as part of the Home Library Service offer in order to improve access to library services and other county council services for people who are unable to travel to a library. • Begin the process of recruiting and training additional volunteers to support an expanded Home Library Service. • Explore potential options for community transport to a local library in communities currently served by the mobile library service, and share examples of best practice. • Promote the concept of self-organised Community Book Swaps. • Signpost mobile library service customers to the full range of existing library services that may meet their needs, including the offer to pre-school groups and childminders. • Contact all current mobile service customers to make them aware of the appropriate alternative options for accessing library services as described in this paper. • Withdraw the current mobile library service from 31 October 2015. These recommendations were agreed by Cabinet on 18 May 2015. Keep invaluable Mobile Library Service petition – County Council response. Our consultation on ‘The Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ attracted more than 15,000 participants and 2013 and clearly indicated the value placed on library services by library users across the County. This is demonstrated once again by the Mobile Libraries petition, and the County Council welcomes this. We want Hertfordshire residents to be enthusiastic about libraries. We used the results of our public consultation to inform the development of the ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy last year. This Strategy is designed to ensure that Hertfordshire Library Service continues to thrive over the next ten years, remaining relevant to changing community needs and customer demands, and sustainable at a time when there are great pressures on local government finances across the country. The ‘Inspiring Libraries’ Strategy allows Hertfordshire to maintain a library building in all 46 communities that currently have one, and proposes changes to the way library services are delivered, investing in improved technology and encouraging communities help us by providing volunteer support for local services. The County Council remains committed to ensuring that vulnerable and isolated residents can continue to access library services. The question is whether the current mobile library service is any longer the most effective way to achieve this. The current mobile library service remains a fairly traditional service, which has not been able to take advantage of many of the technological advances that have changed the face of library buildings in recent years. It is relatively expensive to deliver, costing approximately £14 per person visit, and the results of the ‘Future of Hertfordshire Libraries’ indicated that 77% of respondents who used mobile libraries also used other Hertfordshire libraries. The ‘Delivering the Inspiring Libraries Strategy’ paper, published in September 2014 included the proposal to replace the current mobile library service with an expanded Home Library Service for people with disabilities, mobility difficulties and carers. Feedback from mobile library customers suggested that an expanded Home Library Service alone did not provide an adequate alternative for many people who find it difficult to access library buildings. In February 2015, the Customer Service, Performance and Libraries Cabinet Panel delayed taking a decision on the future of the mobile library service until further work could be done to identify options for alternative provision. The results of this work were presented to the Panel on 15 May 2015 in the paper ‘Inspiring Libraries – Delivering Outreach Services’. As a result, Panel recommended to Cabinet that the Library Service should: • Adopt clarified eligibility criteria for the Home Library Service (set out in paragraph 6.3 of the paper). • Invest in the further development of e-services as part of the Home Library Service offer in order to improve access to library services and other county council services for people who are unable to travel to a library. • Begin the process of recruiting and training additional volunteers to support an expanded Home Library Service. • Explore potential options for community transport to a local library in communities currently served by the mobile library service, and share examples of best practice. • Promote the concept of self-organised Community Book Swaps. • Signpost mobile library service customers to the full range of existing library services that may meet their needs, including the offer to pre-school groups and childminders. • Contact all current mobile service customers to make them aware of the appropriate alternative options for accessing library services as described in this paper. • Withdraw the current mobile library service from 31 October 2015. These recommendations were agreed by Cabinet on 18 May 2015.