Live at the Lightbox, Barnsley, a project supported by the Arts Council. Photo © Barnsley Library
priorities. This has manifested in targeted programmes and activities that draw on their teams’ local knowledge and skills at a hyperlocal level to deliver on their strate- gies or the wider council’s priorities. This can often be shaped by where a library ser- vice sits within its local authority whether that is with Public Health, wider cultural services or customer service teams. There are also public library services that use different delivery models and some which we directly fund through our national portfolio. This wonderful variety across services ensures that libraries deliver for the communities they serve but also make it an interesting challenge to build strategies and plans nationally as a sector support organisation. Again, the common thread of supporting communities as safe and accessible places mean that we can shape sector wide guidance that can be moulded at a local level.
IP: Where does the English Public Libraries Stakeholder Working Group (EPL) fit into forming a sector view? LB: The Arts Council doesn’t work alone to support the library sector. There are a number of organisations, as well as central government, who play key roles in supporting the sector. To co-ordinate the work of the sector support organisations, the English Public Libraries Stakeholder Working Group (EPL) was formed from what was the Libraries Taskforce. The EPL seeks to provide sectoral guidance and enable change in the public library sector. Its members work together towards a thriving, sustainable sector, long-term financial resilience, national rec- ognition of what libraries deliver within the sector and in support of external agendas. The input from national organisations and Heads of Service helps build a sector wide
28 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
picture and allows members to collaborate on joint projects and research. It ensures for efficient use of resources, pools our expertise and helps focus our work.
IP: What is the Theory of Change and what strategy is it being used for? LB: Focusing the activities of the EPL has been further refined through the devel- opment of a Theory of Change to deliver against collective and individual priorities and projects. While all member organisa- tions have their own strategies, priorities and plans, the Theory of Change allows the group to work across the sector to ensure richer lives, stronger communities and a
more connected country. By being clear on inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impacts members can understand common themes across areas of delivery and what they can deliver for the public library sector. While developing this Theory of Change it was felt that it needed to address the ‘so what?’ question in terms of what could be delivered. It was decided that there was a need to be clearer within the library sector about what the EPL does and what its work plan would deliver. We have agreed to collaborate on plans to publicise the work of the group through a webinar and how the Theory of Change will support sector development.
IP: Can you give an insight into your aims for the sector’s data? LB: While national organisations work on a range of individual projects and address their own priorities, there are some projects that reach across the sector and need the input of all group members. For example, a key piece of work for the group, in conjunction with the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), is in developing a public libraries data platform for English libraries. We all support the collection and use of data about public libraries and are therefore working together to
Libraries Unlimited – Unlocking The Cage, a project supported by the Arts Council. Photo © Jim Wileman
September 2023
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