Sharing Serviceslibraries – archives – museums

learning together

Neil MacInnes

Greater Manchester

• 10 local authorities – 2.6 million population – providing:– The statutory ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service– Museum and heritage services– Archives and local studies

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority and LEP• A coherent city region

Library and information services

Track record of partnership work

• Decades of library co-operation – ILL• Stock purchasing consortium (NW and Y&H)• Ask About Business• Time to Read• Stock management• E-books and e-resources• Try Reading (NW and Y&H)

We set ourselves a challenge

• Can the library services of Greater Manchester work together even more than they do now to achieve service transformation that will deliver significant cost savings and ensure a sustainable quality customer service offer for the future?

Our journey

• Looked at three main options– More collaboration– Merge management/some services– Single service

• Future Libraries Programme focused on the single service option

• Looked attractive but fraught with difficulties

Key lessons

• Not necessarily big bang• Localism & sovereignty • Timing• Not just about the money - questions around

the level of real savings – and who gets them!• More about sustainability

The changing landscape• At the point of considering the findings of the

FLP study many services required to produce their own strategy and budget (savings) plans

• The baseline for the FLP calculations no longer valid

• Nationally – a time of unprecedented change and examination of statutory basis and definition of the future library service

GM Museums & Archives

• Learned from the library experiences• Did not rule out the single service option but

focused on achievable, tangible benefits for users rather than major organisational change

Museums• Refreshed the partnership• Began with three focused areas for

collaboration– Touring exhibitions– Education (schools offer)– Retail

• Collective identity and brand

GM Museums• New identity helped to attract external

funding• Using this to consolidate the partnership

– 3 year development plan– Open source talent – maximising staff knowledge,

experience & skills– Digital portal to showcase the best of the

collections and promote the Connected History

Archives & Local Studies• Very strong local identity• Demonstrating how they contribute to council

priorities• Future focused – doing things together from

now on rather than struggle with long and complicated history

• Focus on customer benefits & sustainability• Return on investment – not just savings

GM Archives & Local Studies• A new Partnership – focused on development

for the future• Quick wins to demonstrate value• Light touch on governance• Focus on things that have benefits for

everyone• Involves the practitioners – maximise the key

assets (staff talent)

GM Archives & Local Studies• Volunteering • World War 1 • GM Histories – on-line portal – one catalogue• Digital and content • One set of fees for customers • Income generation• Cataloguing of Business Records

Library & information services

• Putting too much focus on the single service solution distracted us from more easily achievable things that are possible

• And that have greater benefits for customers• We’re now focusing on a few specific areas

– LMS– Making national offers work locally– Specific local collaboration

Shared Systems • Library Management System • Procurement - Framework contract • 6 library authorities live 2013/14• In time:

– One catalogue– One Library card– One streamlined customer journey

Library & Information Services • Cross boundary alignment – opening hours • Signposting • Procurement – Library App • Community language collections • Information Services

Partnerships

• The British Library Business and IP Centres• National offers and initiatives• Funding applications incl Arts Council • Cross sector working – Manchester Histories• Manchester Library Strategy • Central Libraries • Core Cities – Benchmarking

Sharing dividend• Working together when there are tangible and

mutual benefits• Enables new development even in a time of

austerity• Retains local identity but also economies of

scale• Doesn’t redesign the past but focuses on the

future

Ask About BusinessEngagement Objectives

To offer a sub-regional business information service that supports:

• Start up & microbusinesses• Jobseekers• Consumers• Business students • Inventors• Social enterprises• Existing businesses

Ask About Business Benefits to Customers

• A reliable and comprehensive business service available at a local level

• Better access to information to empower and support personal aspirations including jobseeking, business start up and consumer issues

• Additional resources delivered online• Meets expectations of a modern information

service, including professional branding and marketing

Ask About Business Benefits to partner authorities • High quality service with better access to a wider range of resources• Improved value for money by joint marketing & purchasing of resources• Increased staff knowledge, leading to better customer service• Increased visibility with other agencies and a higher profile within the

authority and region• Demonstrates contribution to economic viability at a local level• Access to a wide range of resources for those authorities currently

unable to offer such provision• Budget savings on resources

Ask About Business Why libraries?

• Enhances our role in a larger business support network• Unique in the sub-region given the number of libraries, opening hours,

& size of membership.• Instant network across the sub-region: over 150 libraries • Community libraries are shop fronts of the service• Allows delivery at local level • Encourages take up by new business customers

Ask About Business Service Delivery Model

Hub and spoke approachManchester Central Library is the hub co-ordinating and delivering:

– Business enquiry support – IP support– Dedicated website (www.askaboutbusiness.org)– Online resources, such as COBRA– Training – Marketing and branding

• By phone & email• Dedicated business team in Central Library• Some access to industry-standard info resources

e.g. market research, company info, etc.• Delivers specialist information at local level

e.g. intellectual property • Local staff & customers can confidently expect quality response

Ask About Business

Business enquiry support

askaboutbusiness.org

• Links to COBRA & other business resources inc free business plan• Authorities can include local content on their own pages• Events listings for members

The Hub: Manchester Central Library

• A Transformed Venue• £50 million refurbishment• Commitment to the city’s business & enterprise sectors

• Commercial Library since 1919• A Patlib (patent library)• One of the largest collections of business & IP information available to the public in the UK

• Now featuring a Business & IP Centre

Central Library Demonstrator

• Exciting addition to business services• Demonstrating the benefits of superfast broadband to SMEs & start ups • Funded by BDUK• High profile project for MCC: recognition of libraries role in reaching and supporting SMEs across the city

Central Library Demonstrator

Advice sessions and workshops including:• Cloud computing• Social media for business• Using online tools to improve efficiency & communication

Also offers the chance to get hands on with the latest communications technology including:

• State of the art videoconferencing• 4K video camera and TVs• Google Glass• 3D printing

AAB & Start Up Engines

• One of ten national Enterprising Libraries awards funded by DCLG & Arts Council England• Greater Manchester based, but all members of AAB benefit• Taps into the established Ask About Business network and builds on existing relationships

3 elements:• Access to information - “Flatpack”• Access to experts - Events• Access to peer-to-peer support - Online communities

Sharing dividend• Working together when there are tangible and

mutual benefits• Enables new development even in a time of

austerity• Retains local identity but also economies of

scale• Doesn’t redesign the past but focuses on the

future

Journey’s end?• Maybe the end of the beginning!• Partnership/sharing is not a moment it’s a

process – a long process• It doesn’t progress step by step – it loops back

on itself• Sometimes big ideas have to be parked to

achieve some concrete progress

Thank you

Neil MacInnesn.macinnes@manchester.gov.uk

Manchester Library and Information Servicehttp://www.manchester.gov.uk/libraries/