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

1. Developing cross-sectoral library and learning services:a college/local authority model Craig Green Information and Learning Services ManagerJohn Wheatley College craig@jwheatley.ac.uk Fiona McLelland Customer Services SupervisorCulture and Sport Glasgow fmclelland@jwheatley.ac.uk

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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 City’s Galaxy system) • Opened July 2006 based on operational decisions made from June 2006

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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%

12. 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%

13. 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

14. 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)

15. 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

16. 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 (College’s 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

17. 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?