Digital Change Communities at the heart of service delivery

1. Digital ChangeCommunities at the heart of service delivery David Potts Project Manager – Libraries The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council

2. Agenda • Action Plan for Libraries • The MLA Library Loans Online Feasibility Study • Next steps

3. MLA’s Action Plan for Public Libraries • Five year plan • Four key challenges • Research and Evidence • Best Practice • Innovation • Digital Change • Three themes • Excellence • Communities • Learning

4. Digital Change • Increased bandwidth • JANET • Manage digital data environments • PNDS • Web 2.0 • National membership • One card? • Libraries Online • People’s Network Service • Reference Online • Library Loans Online?

5. Web scale library-like services • How many librarians were involved? • Where are libraries and librarians having web scale impact? • Could a public libraries killer app help?

6. Library Loans Online

7. Accessing books in your local library • Searching conducted in library by user or staff • Search can be conducted at home • Search across all libraries in the local authority • Physical visit required

8. Accessing books from other library authorities • Search conducted by library staff • Search can be conducted from home • Charged for service • Physical visit still required

9. 149 Catalogues Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Cat. Divide by 149 The public libraries ‘connection’ Union Catalogue LMS ILL Public Libraries

10. Good Points It works! Established mechanism Staff familiarity Clear audit trail Established agreement between all library authorities Less Good Can take many weeks to fulfil requests Back office staff intensive Underused Requires dedicated transport system Charging discrepancies The current system

11. The changing nature of service delivery • Quintessential resource • Everyone loans books • Public association • Core business, but with new competitors • Out of Print books no longer a USP • ‘Book Rental’ • Is it accessible enough? • Can libraries afford rigid control of core assets? • What if you could only use the shops/banks/cash machines in your area? • Could search be controlled by users? • Consumer can bank, shop, book a holiday, buy travel tickets, rent a DVD from the desktop

12. What if…? Public library stock of England (purchased by the People of England) Public Libraries People of England

13. The Creative Archive License Group (1) • BBC, CH4, OU, BFI opening up access to their archive material for personal use • History of controlling assets: • Newspapers/TV listings • Cinemas/Video shops • CALG as another business model for distributing material

14. The Creative Archive License Group (2) “..if we really are going to seize the potential of the digital world then we need to develop entirely new business models for delivering images, information and stories to audiences” “This time it’s not just ‘revenues’ that are at stake, but a far bigger prize; the whole realm of “public interest” and a chance to radically enhance and enrich the lives of citizens across the UK …That being the case we simply cannot allow the lazy dogma of the past to blind us to the possibilities now on offer to literally transform our collective future.” “..we need to come up with solutions which are “fit for purpose” in a longer timeframe, not just a series of “quick-fixes” which will inevitably amount to little more than a series of messy compromises” “..when public resources have been used to create content, then the overwhelming objective should be to maximise the benefit of that content to the people who helped pay for its creation in the first place”

15. How might this work? • One interface to national holdings. • One simple search • ‘Borrow now’ • Payment • Standard service • Premium service • Post Office/other delivers • Nearest library • Home / prepaid envelope • A service that is shaped around the lives of individuals • Multitude of delivery channels

16. Potential benefits • A nationally marketable service for all public libraries • A service that is tailored to the user and modern lifestyles • A 21st Century style delivery • New ways for library stock to work • Book prizes • National campaigns • OP republishing? • Windows to stock categories (e.g. large print)

17. The Library Loans Online Feasibility Study • Two broad sections • Professional issues • Implementation models • Stakeholder interviews • Six month study • Publishing?

18. Key Findings (1) Can it happen? • YES! • Pieces are in place: • Stock/union catalogues etc. • New ways of accessing live catalogues • Transaction technologies • Library staff • Delivery (PO or other) • Access to internet (People’s Network or home/work)

19. Key findings (2) • Total support for a national Library Loans Online system • LLO to be a ‘charged for’ service • Current ILL costs £15 per item • Membership divide • Need for user research • Need for sub-national pilot • Need for one organisation to lead

20. Library Loans Online Book 1 Book 2 Book 3… Borrow Now

21. Library Loans Online Book 1 Book 2 Book 3… Borrow Now

22. Library Loans Online Book 1 Book 2 Book 3… Borrow Now

23. Library Loans Online Book 1 Book 2 Book 3… Borrow Now

24. Next steps • Construct Business Case • User research • Not focus exclusively on library users • Office blocks etc • Assess appetite for Library Loans Online • Willingness to pay • How much?

25. Who might use Library Loans Online? Will never use libraries Non-library users Occasional library users Core library users

26. Finally.. • The road ahead • How can we work backwards and redesign library process around the ‘user in control’ principle? • ‘Communities at the heart of service delivery’ Contact/Feedback:david.potts@mla.gov.uk