Corporate & Community Services Cabinet Member – Minutes – 19 March 2012

21  (21)  REVIEW OF LIBRARY OPENING HOURS – The Director of Corporate and Community Services submitted a report seeking approval for changes to be made to library opening hours at Central, Ashby and Barton libraries.

The report outlined that North Lincolnshire Council operated a network of one central library, 14 branch libraries and two mobile libraries.  These libraries were open to the public for a total of 387.5 hours per week, of which 336 were open hours across static libraries and 51.5 hours per week were for the mobile library.

It was explained that over the last six years the library service had modernised and rationalised its static library provision through a series of transformational developments, including introduction of self-service facilities in six libraries.  During this period there had also been a significant increase in 24/7 online library services.

Nationally the take up of traditional library services had declined over the last two decades, and this had been reflected in North Lincolnshire. Central, Brigg, and Barton libraries, and Ashby library and Local Link had been identified as the four busiest libraries in the network, and it was considered important to maintain sufficient access to these facilities.

Library staff looked at opening hours and patterns of use across these libraries and overall performance trends were considered, and temporal analysis of library transactions undertaken to identify periods of lower use.  From this analysis a set of potential changes to library opening hours was drawn up and outlined in appendix 2 to the report.

Resolved – (a)  That the revised library opening hours set out in Appendix 2 to the report be approved, and (b) that service staff be authorised to implement these changes from 1 April 2012. 

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