Report of Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

The purpose of the report is to provide the Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee with an update on the library strategy and to present a draft vision for libraries.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an update on the library strategy and presented a draft vision for libraries.

Key points and themes in the report included:

• Delivering the Library Strategy in 2022 and beyond;
• Central, neighbourhood, community and other libraries;
• Warm spaces and the cost-of-living crisis;
• Digital inclusion;
• Children and young people;
• Age-friendly libraries;
• Equalities, diversity, and inclusion;
• Culture and creativity;
• Archives; and
• Manchester City of Literature.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

• Recognising the important role of libraries and that the national government should provide more money so that they could do even more;
• Praise for the work of the Library Service and the vision for the future of the service;
• Concern that people were reliant on the designated warm spaces offer in libraries, commenting that people should be able to afford to heat their own homes, with help from the state if necessary; and
• Sixth form students using university libraries and whether more could be done to engage with sixth forms and colleges to make students aware of Central Library and other Council libraries they could use.

The Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure reported that, other than minor changes such as providing warm drinks, the warm spaces offer was no different from what libraries normally offered so it was promoting that libraries were warm, welcoming places. 

The Head of Libraries, Galleries, Culture and Youth Services reported that people were spending longer in libraries.  In response to a Member’s question about school holidays, he reported that the activity offer during this period was currently being reviewed and that he would be happy to discuss this with Ward Councillors.  He informed Members that the service would be working with the university libraries to develop a more joined-up approach, including looking at engagement with sixth forms.  He reported that a large number of sixth form students did already use Central Library around examination time.  The Deputy Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure reported that students could also be signposted to local libraries and that consideration could be given to providing library maps.

The Chair praised the libraries and library staff in her ward, including the recent visit by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and thanked all library staff for their work.

Decision

To note the report.

[Councillor H Priest declared a disclosable pecuniary interest due to undertaking freelance work as part of the Festival of Libraries, run by the City of Literature, and left the room for the items on Culture Annual Report and the Manchester Libraries Strategy Update.]