Developing cross-sectoral library and learning services: a college/local authority model

1
Developing cross-sectoral library and learning
servicesa college/local authority model

• Craig Green
• Information and Learning Services ManagerJohn
  Wheatley College
• craig_at_jwheatley.ac.uk

Fiona McLelland Customer Services
SupervisorCulture and Sport Glasgow fmclelland_at_
jwheatley.ac.uk
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Shared Services at the Bridge

• Leisure and Learning Complex
• Pool, Auditorium, Recording Studios, Café
• Culture and Sport Glasgow, Greater Easterhouse
  Arts Company, Greater Easterhouse Regeneration
  Agency, John Wheatley College
• Real Library and Learning Centre
• John Wheatley College, Culture and Sport Glasgow
• Fully integrated joint use library service model
• Report commissioned by Scottish Library and
  Information Council through Innovation and
  Development Fund

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Lifelong Learning at the Bridge

• Fiction, CDs, DVDs, Magazines, newspapers,
  College class sets and course-based books and
  general non-fiction stock
• Bounce and Rhyme
• School visits
• Homework clubs
• Craft club
• North by North East
• Youth Access to Multimedia
• Literacy support services
• Writers Group
• PC taster sessions supported by library service
  staff
• Informal and formal flexible learning programmes
  supported by College tutors
• Part of the Greater Easterhouse Learning Network
• Bridge library and learning centre at heart of
  network of 12 other independently managed
  community learning centres connected directly to
  College network
• IT services portable across network

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Why partnership?

• Common aims supporting learning and citizenship
  in area of significant deprivation
• Efficient Government objectives
• Need for new estate
• 2001 new John Wheatley College Easterhouse Campus
  designed for extension as Cultural Campus
• Existing partnerships for lifelong learning
  support
• Greater Easterhouse Learning Network
• Lifelong Learning group (Social Inclusion
  Partnership, now Glasgow Community Planning
  Partnership)
• Youth Services
• Local Collaborative Programme

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Partnership arrangements

• Enabling rather than prescriptive Service Level
  Agreement
• Transfer of staff from John Wheatley College to
  Glasgow City Council Cultural and Leisure
  Services (now Culture and Sport Glasgow)
• Transfer of stock from College to Council
• Agreed main roles
• (Transfer of records from College Horizon system
  to Citys Galaxy system)
• Opened July 2006 based on operational decisions
  made from June 2006

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Partnership roles

• Culture and Sport Glasgow delivers library
  services to both general public and college
  students
• John Wheatley College delivers learning support
  for classroom-based students, flexible learning
  students and local public
• Both partners contribute to overall Bridge
  service development

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Partnership challenges

• Stock merger and associated policies
• Some stock restricted to students
• ICT interoperability and access to online
  resources
• Licensing and subscriptions
• Changes in employment and work roles, and
  development of inter-team operations
• Staff training and development

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Partnership management

• Weekly informal meetings between flexible
  learning and library staff
• Monthly meetings of operational group
• College
• Information and Learning Services Manager (chair)
• Flexible Learning Course Tutor
• Learning Network Support Officer
• Culture and Sport Glasgow
• Area Coordinator
• Library staff including staff previously employed
  by College
• Senior Culture and Sport Glasgow representation
  on College Academic Board

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Partnership benefits

• Cool place to be - services attractive to young
  people
• Wide range of services (not just information and
  learning services)
• Wider range of digital services for students
• Greater expertise for College
• e.g. cataloguing
• Broader experience for staff
• Library and flexible learning staff
• Shared stock wider range and more copies
  available
• Central purchasing
• Accessibility support provided by College to
  wider range of people hardware, software and
  expertise
• New service development opportunities

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Partnership impact

• All previous services maintained and
• Extended opening hours esp for college students
• Evenings and weekends, holidays, public holidays
  64 hours per week
• Extended study space for local learners
• College, university and school students
• Extended learning support for public
• Taster sessions progressing to flexible learning
  programmes
• Youth Access to Multimedia (Youth Access project
  bringing in Culture and Sport Glasgow Youth
  Services partner)
• Safe environment for young people

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Partnership impact

• Issues Aug 05 July 0674,800
• Issues Aug 06 Jul 07102,100
• Up 36
• Adult non-fiction Aug 05 July 0613,882
• Adult non-fiction Aug 06 July 0720,790
• Up 50

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Partnership impact

• Junior fiction Aug 05 July 0611290
• Junior fiction Aug 06 July 0724619
• Up 118
• Junior non-fiction Aug 05 July 065627
• Junior non-fiction Aug 06 July 079363
• Up 66

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Partnership impact

• PC bookings 05 July 0618,957
• PC bookings 06 July 07 70,419
• up 271 (but figures not kept for college session
  2005/6)
• Over 50 PCs compared to 40
• PC taster sessions 05 July 06 71
• PC taster sessions 06 July 07109
• up 54, now leading to flexible learning
  enrolments

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Partnership impact

• Over 1500 learners enrolled in informal learning
• Over 100 learners enrolled for flexible learning
  support
• IT/ Communications/ Numeracy
• New learning programmes based on wider
  partnerships
• Youth Access to multimedia
• EastFest concerts
• North by North East concerts
• Hayfield group (deaf students)
• Riddrie group (students with learning
  disabilities)

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Evaluation

• Further Education perspective Resources and
  Services Supporting Learning A Service
  Development Quality Toolkit
• Element 1 Learning Resource Organisation Good
• Element 2 Staffing Very Good
• Element 3 ICT Integration Very Good
• Element 4 User Support Very Good
• Element 5 Accessibility Very Good
• Element 6 Inclusiveness Very Good
• Element 7 Quality Assurance and Improvement Very
  Good
• Approach and practice matches good practice
  guidelines for shared library services, confirmed
  by delegation to international Joint Use
  Libraries conference Manchester 2007
• Charter Mark awarded to Culture and Sport Glasgow
  partly based on visit to Bridge

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Success factors

• Commitment to partnership at all levels based on
  common goals supporting lifelong learning
• Enabling Service Level Agreement
• Single staffing arrangements
• Clear roles
• Single library management system (variation to
  SLA)
• Integrated staff development opportunities
• Single space for all users
• Common communications system (Colleges
  FirstClass email and conferencing, also used by
  local community)
• Change management through joint operational group
• Flexible staff attitudes to service development
  and delivery at operational level
• commitment to high quality single service
  approach for all users
• And of significant help
• Support from neutral 3rd party Scottish Library
  and Information Council
• New building - leisure services context with
  multiple points of access

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Next

• Successful partnership management arrangements
  continue
• Agreed targets for session 2007/8 including
• Service development for local history support
• Development of single evaluation mechanism
  suiting needs of both partners
• Broader range of advice surgeries
• Extension of service to community venue in
  Cranhill
• Report for Scottish Library and Information
  Services Council published November 2007
• Questions?