Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to the report of the Youth Services Manager which was presented for Members to consider the attached report (appendix 1) received from the Museums, Archives and Libraries Division (MALD) of Welsh Government with respect to the third year of the Sixth Assessment Framework for the Welsh Public Library Standards (WPLS) return 2019/20.

The Corporate Director of Education spoke to the report and highlighted the main points contained therein.

A Member referred to page 91, quality indicator 9 and commented that the Leisure Trust had failed to meet its measure regarding reading material and he felt that coming out of the pandemic it was important that a variety and quality of reading was available for all ages, and also for reading for pleasure and for study.  He hoped that the investment shown in the report would come forward and there would not be a lack of provision for reading material and other media ways of learning. 

The Corporate Director of Education responded that they would report back on progress against the spend element of the book fund and also recognising the different access to reading and materials such as electronic versions.  This report would be presented to the Education & Learning Scrutiny Committee on an annual basis.

In response to a Member’s question regarding mobile libraries, the Partnerships, Funding and Contracts Manager said that currently two mobile library services were operational but during the pandemic only operated 3 out of 5 days per week.  After Easter the mobile library service would be fully operational 5 out of 5 days per week.

A Member commented that he welcomed a further report year on year to ensure that the book fund was utilised in the correct way.

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report be accepted and endorse Option 1; namely that Members scrutinised the information detailed within the report and recommend to the Executive Committee that the report be accepted.