“We operate as a consortium, and have a single agreement for the GLL consortium of libraries relating to pric- ing, processing and delivery. We also assess suppliers for ‘green practices’ and work with them to develop envi- ronmentally friendly policies further. We looked at biodegradable book cov- ers but do not feel that they are fit for purpose. And so, in 2023, we will be trialling a plastic-free library, buying books without jackets. We are starting with one of our smaller libraries, and we shall then assess how the books wear without the plastic covers.
Central to local
“Libraries provide services for local people – and it is important that local libraries have some autonomy in purchasing. In GLL, we try to keep a balance, buying many products and services centrally but still allowing for local autonomy to keep the service focussed on local needs.
“When I have negotiated the levels of discount or the price that we pay for certain things, that is usually the end of my part in the process. The work of raising the purchase order for larger items or ordering books or newspapers is then taken over by others within the team.
We have an acquisitions team in each partnership - one or two people who are responsible for buying stock. Physical stock is bought by these teams who also lead on monitoring the use of stock across the service.”
But Diana adds: “Every library has a library manager and these manag- ers can request items they need for their own library – and then see the result on their own shelves. We set up systems to buy bestsellers and other standard categories of stock – but it is really important that local librarians can buy stock for local libraries. Librar- ies relate to individual communities, and it is essential that librarians have flexibility to buy the material required for those communities. Some libraries for instance need to buy materials in particular languages – in Woolwich we have a large Nepalese community and may need to add specialist suppliers to obtain the stock.
“Although in many ways we operate as a consortium, we do not operate an inter-lending scheme between Partner- ships because we feel that the interests of local customers should be priori- tised: if customers in another Partner- ship want to read a book, we buy it. We prefer to buy rather than borrow in any case – it is often cheaper and it builds the collections by adding requested items to stock.”
E-resources “Diana says: “Our aim is to have a
backbone of reference material availa- ble online available to all of our library Partnerships. This collection of e-ref- erence material is purchased centrally and prices are negotiated centrally – and their use is monitored centrally, too. Items such as Ancestry and Find my Past became extremely popular during lockdown, sometimes, we trial a product in one library service – and then extend its availability if it is successful. The Financial Times online was originally purchased for Wandsworth Libraries and has proved so successful that we are now buying it for all the libraries we manage, Interestingly, it is a product which has to be used in a library – and so contributes to increasing our visitor numbers as well as the use of e-materials.
“E-magazines, e-newspapers and music downloads and streaming are bought centrally, too, although the local acquisi- tions teams are involved in the selection of e-books and e-audio products.”
Data
“We’re obsessed with data,” Diana says, “so if something works we’re going to push it, and if it doesn’t, we’ll ask why. It is systematic. We monitor the stock using Collection HQ, a software package which shows what is issuing in libraries and what is not. The data that GLL gathers enables us to monitor trends. We are currently comparing to pre-Covid issue figures – and are delighted that both Bromley and Greenwich are now issuing
Libraries as warm spaces.
more physical books from libraries than they were before the Pandemic.”
Warm spaces
The value of physical library buildings cannot be measured by book loans alone. Warm spaces are a prime example of libraries responding to a need. GLL staff have been working centrally and locally to get them ready.
Diana says: “Our view is that libraries have always been warm spaces. Libraries have always offered a warm and wel- coming space for people to read or to use IT. In the current crisis we are offering additional support, some of which is organised centrally, and some, locally. Centrally, we have agreed a sponsor- ship deal with Brakes, a company which supplies our cafés with food and drinks products: they are now supplying free tea and coffee for our warm spaces – and libraries across GLL are organising ‘Chat over a cuppa’ sessions, coffee mornings, afternoon tea and so on.
“And locally, individual Partnerships are developing specific initiatives: Wandsworth Libraries are running Films after five, so people can go into a library after work and watch a film in the warm. Another Partnership is supporting food banks, and sourcing new books to be distributed with food parcels, while others are offering sim cards sourced via the National Databank, to support people who are finding it difficult to pay for data.” BG
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