Warwickshire Libraries take the bull by the horns
Warwickshire County Council has been showing its counterparts from authorities across the globe the way forward for libraries at an international conference in Madrid.
Warwickshire County Council has been showing its counterparts from authorities across the globe the way forward for libraries at an international conference in Madrid.
Ayub Khan, Warwickshire Libraries’ head of strategy, was invited to speak at the conference by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Mr Khan spoke about Warwickshire’s programme of reshaping the role of the library in the community.
Key to Mr Khan’s presentation was the changing face of the library. Warwickshire’s strategy has shifted with library staff now being repositioned not as ‘custodians of knowledge’ but as ‘knowledge navigators’.
Ayub Khan said: “It is our strategy to make the library an integral part of the community. As libraries were conceived in an era when many did not have access to education or books, we have had to adapt its role.
“Now we are looking to enhance the traditional role and make the library a centre of the community. It will be the centre of pre-school learning as much as a place where older community groups can meet and gain access to information and learning that will enhance their quality of life.
”And through partnerships with the community such as supermarkets or adult education providers, we can extend the library’s influence.”
Warwickshire County Council has seen its libraries’ role increase in recent years as more and more people are accessing the People’s Network of 200 PCs around the county. Hire of DVDs and music, as well as the traditional book, has seen the number of items borrowed annually from libraries rise to over 3 million.
With over 25,000 new members registering each year, the library service has had to make sure it keeps abreast of what the new customer needs and adds over 200,000 items of new stock to its 34 libraries and five mobile libraries.
Mr Khan added; “Clearly, Warwickshire has a reputation for innovation in its libraries that is attracting some very complimentary attention from our counterparts across the world.
“Research shows how much the residents of Warwickshire value their libraries and they are right to do so. I was delighted to be asked to attend the conference; this confirmed that we are not alone in thinking that we are doing the right thing to ensure our libraries’ continued growth and development.”
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Media contact: Richard Harkin 01926 414162
Picture shows Ayub Khan and Tracey Baker of Warwickshire Libraries