Survey to Change Sheffield City Libraries

Sheffield City Council are looking to make changes to the city’s libraries in a way that will reduce costs but maintain quality library services, and develop and centralise other services.

To start this off, the Council are asking Sheffield residents to complete a survey for thoughts and preferences on news ways to provide a library service, and will work these around a budget.

Once they have received surveys, they will look at short term and long term proposals before any final decisions are made.

These changes will affect all libraries including local libraries Burngreave and Firth Park.

Possible changes to be made

Opening hours and fee changes

Building costs vary for the time of day, so they are asking what times are most suitable and fit in with the budget available and look at different building costs. In terms of fees, the Council will look into increasing existing fees and introducing new ones. They will not introduce a charge for becoming a library member.

Community Hubs

Community Hubs is an idea part of a wider model in the Council. They are convenient locations in the community that provide places where people can get advice, information, books and resources, and where community and creative events and activities can be held. Libraries could be used for a wider range of services such as health facilities, housing advice, benefits service, children’s centre services and community learning.

Expanding the Home Library service and Partnering with Commercial and Local Organisations

The Home Library Service is provided for people that are unable to access their local library perhaps for health or cultural reasons. Expanding this service could work through becoming in partnership with relevant organisations such as Adult Social Care Services and the Voluntary (Third) Sector and gathering volunteers to bring library services to people’s home. This idea of joining other organisations also branches out to joining franchises such as small shops and cafes, and other community organisations that could make services more easily accessible to a wider range of people.

Raise awareness of mobile libraries

The Council is looking to develop the Mobile library service to make it more accessible to everyone, and to do this they want to know where these libraries will be most popular e.g. local supermarkets, they will improve the road signage of mobile libraries, producing localised, simpler timetables and flexible use of the mobile vans.

Develop use of volunteers

Having more volunteers means that more resources and skills will be available at no extra cost. The Council make a point of saying that volunteers will not replace paid staff, but will continue to be a support to library services.

Introducing new technologies

As more and more services are being made available on the internet, the Council is looking to provide more library services online. This will improve accessibility of library services but at the same time will be cheaper to maintain.

To have your say on what the council should do with Sheffield Libraries, fill in the survey that’s on the following link below:

http://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=134521701849

For more information on the changes to Sheffield Libraries go to:

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/find/Library-Review.html