Options appraisal for the future of the library service London Borough of Croydon Report from RedQuadrant September 2018 ©RedQuadrant 2018 Sue Mckenzie 1 Contents 1. Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 6 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 20 3. Strategic context ............................................................................................................. 22 3.1 The Croydon context ...................................................................................................... 22 3.2 National and regional influences ................................................................................... 23 3.3 The legal context ............................................................................................................ 24 4. Current performance and assessment of needs ............................................................ 27 5. Outcomes of customer/stakeholder engagement ......................................................... 35 6. Governance options ....................................................................................................... 37 6.1 Outsourcing .................................................................................................................... 38 6.2 Mutuals .......................................................................................................................... 38 6.3 Joint management ......................................................................................................... 39 6.4 Commissioning of others ............................................................................................... 40 6.5 Divesting ......................................................................................................................... 41 6.6 Consortium working ....................................................................................................... 47 7. Review of existing assets ................................................................................................ 50 7.1 Relocation ...................................................................................................................... 54 7.2 Better use of space ........................................................................................................ 55 8. What works elsewhere ................................................................................................... 56 8.1 Libraries at the centre of culture ................................................................................... 56 8.2 Libraries as community/council hubs ............................................................................ 57 8.3 Libraries delivering on health ........................................................................................ 57 8.4 Libraries combatting social isolation ............................................................................. 57 8.5 Libraries and digital inclusion ........................................................................................ 58 8.6 Libraries as learning centres .......................................................................................... 58 2 9. Overall strategy: what to do and how to get there ........................................................ 59 9.1 Library services based on community need .................................................................. 60 9.2 Libraries at the heart of culture in Croydon .................................................................. 60 9.3 Sustainable and relevant through partnership working ................................................ 61 10. Options for library provision........................................................................................... 63 10.1 Serving the needs of the community ........................................................................... 63 10.2 The Localisation agenda ............................................................................................... 63 10.3 Future savings .............................................................................................................. 64 10.4 The hub and spoke model of delivery ......................................................................... 64 10.5 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 65 10.6 Options ......................................................................................................................... 69 10.7 Making decisions .......................................................................................................... 82 Appendix 1: Analysis of library usage and need .................................................................... 83 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 87 2. Background ........................................................................................................................ 87 3. Croydon: library service strategic aims .............................................................................. 92 4. Croydon: needs assessment .............................................................................................. 93 5. Comparison of library branches within Croydon ............................................................. 105 6. Analysis of library membership by branch catchment area ............................................ 115 7. Analysis of library users by ward ..................................................................................... 128 8. Summary and conclusions ............................................................................................... 133 Appendix 2 ........................................................................................................................... 136 Introduction: how we engaged ............................................................................................ 136 The results: what people said .............................................................................................. 137 3.1 The survey .................................................................................................................... 137 3.2 Community groups ....................................................................................................... 145 3 3.3 Staff workshops ........................................................................................................... 148 3.4 Stakeholder conversations........................................................................................... 154 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 158 Appendix 3: Trends and developments in other library services ........................................ 160 Defining a modern library service ...................................................................................... 160 The library’s role ................................................................................................................ 162 The efficiency of libraries: trends from elsewhere ............................................................ 167 Appendix 4: Croydon libraries asset review ........................................................................ 176 Introduction and context ..................................................................................................... 176 1.1 The brief ....................................................................................................................... 176 1.2 Croydon’s libraries ....................................................................................................... 176 1.3 Strategic context .......................................................................................................... 178 1.4 Working with community partners .............................................................................. 179 1.5 Localisation .................................................................................................................. 179 1.6 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 180 The libraries ......................................................................................................................... 181 2.1 Ashburton library ......................................................................................................... 181 2.2 Bradmore Green library ............................................................................................... 183 2.3 Broad Green library ...................................................................................................... 185 2.4 Coulsdon library ........................................................................................................... 188 2.5 Croydon Central library ................................................................................................ 190 2.6 New Addington library ................................................................................................. 192 2.7 Norbury library ............................................................................................................