Annex 1 KINGSTON LIBRARY AND HERITAGE SERVICE STRATEGY 2017-2020 0 Annex 1 KINGSTON LIBRARY AND HERITAGE SERVICE STRATEGY 2017-2020 Introduction It is a time of unprecedented change for public services with the challenges of dealing with a growing population and doing so with less money. The Leader of the Council, Cllr Kevin Davis, reflected on this in his introduction to Destination Kingston 2016-20, outlining ​ ​ ‘...three main strategic challenges facing the Council: engagement, population growth and ​ ​ ​ ​ the budget.’ ​ ​ The Council, and the way we work, needs to become ‘more human’, where it matches the needs of all residents to the services that can be provided by a greater range of private, public and voluntary sector organisations. This vision is of a Council where services are publicly organised but not necessarily publicly delivered. This programme is also indicative of the type of new ‘Kingston family of services’ where Kingston based public services start to come closer together as a single point of contact, work together and even work out of the same buildings. The Library and Heritage Service is at the heart of the new way of working. Public libraries are community spaces where residents can access a wide range of activities and information and knowledgeable staff signpost to other community networks and services. Safe, welcoming spaces which are open evenings and weekends, libraries are the physical social spaces that bring people together and connect communities with the appropriate support and services they need. The Heritage service reaches out across communities, not only providing information on the rich history of the borough but also linking into areas of growth to provide residents with a sense of place. The Heritage Service helps us to understand and interpret our surroundings whilst enabling residents to add their stories to our long history and create a shared identity. This overarching document sets out the ambition for the Library and Heritage Service 2017-2020, outlining the activity of the service for the next 3 years and demonstrating how it delivers on the 3 areas of Our Kingston - Better Lives, A Great Place enabling Growth and ​ ​ Prosperity and Promoting Independence. Beneath it sit several documents which contain the detailed plans for each service area. Library and Heritage Service Strategy 2017-2020 Library Service Plan (yearly Heritage Forward Plan (up Heritage Storage Options 1 Annex 1 up to 2020) to 2020) Plan Services Background Kingston Library Service Kingston Library Service consists of 7 public libraries, the Community Library Service and an Acquisitions team. The 7 library buildings are spread geographically across the borough and are a mix of older, listed buildings and more modern buildings. Kingston Library Kingston Library is a Grade II listed building and opened on 11th May 1903. It was designed by Alfred Cox, who had won the competition against 65 other architecture firms, and was built by Messrs Gaze of Kingston. The total cost was £8,409, funded by Scottish-American philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. The money the Council had intended to be spent on the ​ library was subsequently spent on the museum. New Malden Library New Malden Library opened on 2nd January 1941. It was cleverly designed with a strong central core, where people could shelter in an air raid. In the shape of a book if viewed from above, the library is Grade II listed. Surbiton Library Surbiton Library was built next to the Civic Offices and Fire Station, on Ewell Road, and opened on 6th April 1932. The library is a building of landscape merit. Hook and Chessington Library Based in the south of the borough, the Hook and Chessington Library is co-located with Kingston Music Service, community spaces and a cafe in the Hook Community Centre. Opened in 2007, it won a national ‘Heart of the Community’ award in 2008. Old Malden Library In a purpose built, low level building, Old Malden library is in a residential area serving the Old Malden area. Tolworth Library Housed in a shop front on Tolworth Broadway, Tolworth Library first opened in c1960. Tudor Drive Library In a purpose built, low level building first opened in 1951, Tudor Drive library is in a residential area serving the immediate community in the north of the borough. Community Library Service Based in an annex to Surbiton Library, the Community Library Service provide a delivery service to homebound residents. Providing a range of large print books, spoken word books 2 Annex 1 and activities such as jigsaws, the service regularly delivers materials to individuals and care homes. Acquisitions Also based in the annex at Surbiton Library, the Acquisitions team support the library service to acquire stock through a range of suppliers, other boroughs and the British Library. Opening Hours All 7 libraries are open 5 days a week including a Saturday. Two libraries close on a Monday (Hook and Chessington and Tolworth) and the rest close on a Wednesday. Every library has two late nights a week till 7pm with Hook and Chessington Library open until 8pm twice a week. Staffing Sitting within the Library and Heritage Service, the Library Service is split into two distinct areas, frontline staff and strategic staff. The frontline staff work in the libraries and deliver the core library service to the public. Currently this has a staffing complement of 31 FTE, split over 7 libraries. The strategic staff includes the management team, librarians, Community Library Service, Acquisitions team and support staff. It has a staff complement of 19.3 FTE working across 7 libraries. Kingston Heritage Service Kingston Heritage Service comprises of Kingston Museum and Kingston History Centre, which together are responsible for the acquisition, care, interpretation, access, and engagement of items relating to the heritage of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (RBK), which have been created by, and entrusted to the care of the local authority. Kingston Museum is housed in a Grade II listed purpose-built Museum and Art Gallery, which adjoins Kingston Library and has been in this Carnegie enabled building since it was founded in 1904. Kingston History Centre is based in the Grade II listed former Magistrates Court in Kingston Guildhall, which is the main administrative building for RBK. This part of the Service opened as Kingston History Centre in October 2015 following major investment in refurbishing the building. Formerly the Local History Room based at the North Kingston Centre, the Service moved out of that building which became a school. With the closure of the North Kingston Centre, a temporary storage situation was sought and most of the collection moved to commercial storage in Oxfordshire in conjunction with the National Conservation Service. The Public Records which sit within the Archives Collection are in temporary storage with Surrey History Centre, which is an approved Place of Deposit. Opening Hours Kingston Museum’s opening hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday, Friday and Saturday with a late opening (10am-7pm) on Thursday and a lively programme of evening events extending these hours further. The Kingston History Centre is open 10am-5pm Wednesday to Saturday, with a late night opening until 7pm on Thursdays. 3 Annex 1 Both sites have special arrangements in place for school and community groups, talks, workshops and private views for the museum temporary exhibition programme. Staffing Sitting within the Library and Heritage Service, the Heritage Service has the equivalent of 6.7 FTE staff working over two sites and receives administrative support from Kingston Library Service. This works out to 2.3 FTE based at Kingston Museum, and 2.4 FTE based at the History Centre. There is a 1.0 Learning and Engagement Officer for the whole service, though the post is based at the Museum. The Heritage Team Leader and Borough Archivist is a 1.0 FTE post for the whole service, and is based at Kingston History Centre. Over both sites there are 23 dedicated regular volunteers that contribute over 3000 hours per year. In addition to this the Service runs student placement programmes and tailored volunteering programmes for Young People. The Friends of Kingston Museum and Heritage Service currently has approximately 200 members and is a registered charity. The Friends provide financial support as well as acting as advocates for the service. Library and Heritage Service Performance The Library and Heritage Service is well used and valued by the community and with potential to grow and improve. Libraries in particular in Kingston are bucking the national ​ trend with an increase in visitor numbers. Residents continue to be avid book readers and borrowers and Kingston Library service is one of the few in London where loans of library material are still higher than visits. The performance data for 2015-16 shows both elements ​ ​ of the service performing well against their Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets: Culture and Lifelong Actuals 15-16 Targets 15-16 Difference 15-16 Learning Description of Performance Measure Annual visits to Kingston 71,480 42,320 29,160 Museum, Archives and Local History Service and total usage Total visits to Libraries 660,732 650,000 10,732 Loans of library materials 747,426 730,000 17,426 Snapshot total of active 32,001 31,000 1,001 library users 4 Annex 1 Usage of self-service in 5 libraries Total Self 2015-2016 2014-2015 Difference Transaction Service % % s Members Members Usage Usage Hook & 128,417 50,489 39% 33% 6% Chessington Kingston 67,859