ANNEX TO ITEM 25 Milton Keynes Council Annual Library Plan for 2002/03 ANNEX TO ITEM 25 Contents Foreword Page Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Local authority characteristics 1 Chapter 2 Statement of objectives 12 2.1 Corporate and library service objectives and plans 12 Chapter 3 Service delivery policies and resources 15 3.1 Access 15 3.2 Buildings and mobile libraries 19 3.3 Services for adults, young people and children 22 3.4 Services for special groups 30 3.5 Wider community use 33 3.6 Staff 34 3.7 ICT systems and services 37 3.8 Finance 39 Chapter 4 Performance appraisal, assessment against 43 the standards in ‘Comprehensive, Efficient and Modern Public Libraries’, marketing and customer response 4.1 Public library standards and trend data 43 4.2 Commentary on approach to meeting the 48 standards and local targets 4.3 Public consultation and marketing 51 4.4 Quality assessment 53 Chapter 5 Review of preceding Plans and progress for 54 the previous financial year 5.1 Achievement of the Action Plan for 2001/02 55 Chapter 6 Rolling 3 year Medium-term Strategy 57 6.1 Analysis of strengths, areas for development, 57 opportunities and threats 6.2 Best Value reviews 65 6.3 Service improvements and variations 65 Chapter 7 Rolling Action Plans and targets 67 7.1 Action Plan for 2002/03 and 2003/04 67 7.2 Action Plan for 2004/05 73 7.3 Local Performance targets 73 Appendix 1 DCMS Public Libraries Planning Profile, May 76 2002: Milton Keynes Council Appendix 2 List of acronyms 77 ANNEX TO ITEM 25 Foreword The Borough of Milton Keynes is a fast growing and lively place, with a substantial and successful new town, as well as an attractive and diverse rural area. Milton Keynes Council is proud of its Library Service, which provides cultural, learning and information services that reach out to all its residents. Libraries also provide an accessible gateway to other Council and community services and so they have a huge impact in the community. The Service has made strides in addressing the Library Standards. However, there is a unique challenge in Milton Keynes because of the borough’s fast growth. This document shows how the Service intends to keep pace with those changes in the short and long term. This is the first Annual Library Plan since the Service joined the Learning and Skills Division to be managed jointly with Lifelong Learning Services. This structure provides a dynamic opportunity for developing ways of supporting other services and opening up libraries to ever more people. The Council looks forward to future developments in Milton Keynes, which will require new and innovative service delivery for the very popular central library in the medium to long term. Milton Keynes Council also has exciting plans for partnership arrangements and ICT developments to ensure the Service remains accessible to the whole population and reaches out to current non-users. The full Council has agreed this Plan, following discussion at the Cabinet, the Learning, Community and Economic Development Overview Committee and consultations with community partners. Councillor Pat Seymour Cabinet Member For Lifelong Learning Milton Keynes Council recognises that libraries: S are for everyone in the community that they live in, work in or visit S provide information, culture and entertainment as well as learning services S offer free or low cost opportunities that have a community focus S provide an important gateway to other services The Council’s mission for libraries is to ensure that there are accessible, high quality, community-based library services for the whole population of Milton Keynes ANNEX TO ITEM 25 1 Introduction 1.1 Local authority characteristics This section provides an assessment of key characteristics of the borough. Comparisons are made, where relevant, with national, regional and sub-regional data. Some comparisons are also made with the authorities designated by DCMS as “nearest neighbours”. For reference the DCMS data is provided as Appendix 1. Overall population size and potential growth The 1991 Census showed the Borough had a population of 176,371. The 2001 population is estimated by Milton Keynes Council to be 212,810 and is projected to increase to 244,130 by 2011. The estimated population for the designated new town area for 2001 is 175,270 (82% of the Borough). (2001 Milton Keynes Council Statistical Summary) The Borough experiences one of the fastest growth rates in the UK. From 1991 to 2000 the Borough population grew by 17% (whereas the population of England grew by 3.6%); it has grown 355% since 1967 (Registrar General’s Mid-year Estimates, 1999-2000). The Office of National Statistics’ figures and the Council’s population bulletin 2001/02 show the following pattern of growth for the Borough: year 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2011 estimate estimate population 60,000 69,300 96,300 132,300 161,500 180,900 200,700 219,370 244,130 Population of Milton Keynes Borough 1967 to 2002 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 population 50,000 0 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2011 estimate estimate year ANNEX TO ITEM 25 Age The population of Milton Keynes is relatively youthful with 22.5% being under 16 years in mid-2000 compared with the UK average of 21% (Milton Keynes Facts and Figures, 2002). Half the population is under 34 (compared with 38 nationally). The DCMS planning profile for 2002 also shows the Borough’s relatively youthful age profile against nearest neighbours. By 2011, the median age will have aged slightly to 37. It is mature adults, aged 35- 59 years, where the greatest growth is expected over the next 10 years. The following graph shows the age range of the population in 2001 and the expected profile in 2011. 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 2001 14,880 15,180 15,360 14,710 14,320 14,880 19,450 18,720 16,380 15,560 2011 15,520 16,080 15,860 16,050 16,860 17,090 16,950 16,800 20,370 19,560 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85 plus Total 2001 14,700 10,440 7,620 5,980 5,100 4,420 2,890 2,240 212,830 2011 16,670 15,230 14,140 9,650 6,590 4,570 3,250 2,890 244,130 22,000 20,000 2001 18,000 2011 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 Population 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85 plus Age ANNEX TO ITEM 25 Minority ethnic community population The percentage of residents from minority ethnic communities was 5.8% in the Borough at the time of the 1991 Census against a figure of 3.1% in the South East and 6.2% nationally. The 2002 DCMS planning profile shows Milton Keynes is in the highest quartile compared with nearest neighbours based on the 1991 Census figures. It is expected that the figures from the 2001 Census will show a marked increase in the numbers and percentages of ethnic minority populations. The statistics from the school population (aged 3 – 19 years) compiled by Milton Keynes Council show that 12.3% of pupils are from ethnic minorities and there are particular concentrations of some groups in certain geographical areas. The school statistics show there has been considerable growth of pupils from minority ethnic communities since 1991. In particular there are significant numbers of: S Bangladeshi families well established in Bletchley (in south Milton Keynes, in one of the older towns, where there is a branch library) S Families of Pakistani origin in Wolverton (in north Milton Keynes, in another older part of the town, also with a branch library) S Hong Kong Chinese families, including a number who came from Hong Kong in 1997/98, who are dispersed across the town, but there are some concentrations in the newest areas of the town, where there is currently only one small branch library on the West flank) S Refugees and asylum seekers from East Africa (Somalia and Tanzania) dispersed across the town, but with concentrations in the south and central part of the town. Most have arrived in the last five years or so. The details of the 1991 Census with 2002 school age population comparisons are shown here, and the relative growth of communities are illustrated by the chart that follows. Total % 1991 1991 % 2002 1991 Census School age school age Census population population White 166,102 94.23 92.05 87.7 Black Caribbean 1,672 0.95 0.95 0.76 African 499 0.28 0.28 1.77 Other 666 0.38 0.38 1.51 Asian Indian 2,831 1.61 1.61 1.99 Pakistani 821 0.47 0.47 1.44 Bangladeshi 691 0.39 0.39 1.04 Chinese 671 0.38 0.38 0.96 Other 927 0.53 1.32 2.05 Other 1,400 0.79 1.33 0.8 Total 176,280 100.00 100 100 Born in Ireland 3,637 2.06 N/A ANNEX TO ITEM 25 Pakistani Indian Chinese Black Other 1991 Black Caribbean 2002 Black African Bangladeshi Any Other Group 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 School age minority ethnic population 1991 and 2002 Disability It is difficult to provide an accurate figure for the number of people with disabilities in the population for many reasons.