Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Education and the Service Manager Young People & Partnerships which was presented to consider the report submitted to the Museums, Archives and Libraries Division (MALD) of Welsh Government with respect to the fourth year of the Sixth Assessment Framework for the Welsh Public Library Standards (WPLS) return 2020/21.

The Service Manager Young People & Partnership presented the report and highlighted the main points contained therein.

A Member referred to paragraph 5.1 of the report and welcomed the increased spend on books but felt further increases were needed.  The Service Manager Young People & Partnerships explained that a new five-year agreement had been put in place in 2020, which did not measure library services specifically around spend on books.  Currently, the Council and Leisure Trust were looking at and scrutinising the whole standards in library services to ensure that the whole library service was developing well and operating at a good level. This involves the potential for further increases in resources for books and other reading material.

With regard to book donations from the public, the Partnership, Funding & Contracts Manager ALT said they received substantial donations from the public, however, there was no measure within the standards regarding public donations and as such they were not included in the figures for the number of items required.

A Member enquired if libraries were adequately staffed moving forward as they were now also community hubs.  The Partnership, Funding & Contracts Manager ALT said libraries were currently adequately staffed as visitor numbers had not yet returned to pre pandemic levels.  As the community hubs expand and libraries take on more services then a review of staffing structures may be needed.

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