In 2007 Dudley Council set out a modernisation programme to create a library service fit for the 21st Century. You can read about it below as well as information on extended opening hours.
With this investment the council aimed to:
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Improve access to services
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Provide full support to readers and informal learners
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Increase opening hours across the service by 75 hours a week
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Introduce Sunday opening in 5 libraries
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Provide advanced technology
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Provide better stock to meet local demand
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Ensure Dudley’s libraries meet national library standards
As part of the programme there would be a £2.6 million capital investment programme in the borough’s library service including a new library for Brierley Hill in partnership with Stourbridge College and a major refurbishment of Wordsley Library and Kingswinford Library.
In addition, new services called Library Links would be introduced in Woodside, Dudley Wood, Quarry Bank and Pensnett with Woodside. The library links are based in existing shared community facilities and provide more than 1500 books, computer access, a personal service from library staff and activities such as homework clubs, reading groups and other activities following consultation with the local communities.
Library Link users are able to browse online resources to reserve books from other libraries and have them delivered to the link the next day.
Background to the project
Despite achieving high satisfaction rates in recent surveys the number of active library users had declined in recent years. In 1998 there were 88,500 active users but by 2007 this had fallen to 63,496. In addition many of the council’s libraries are in need of refurbishment or were no longer fit for purpose.
Therefore five of the borough’s 18 libraries were identified as no longer fit for purpose as they were considerably under used. Together they contributed only six per cent of library issues and five per cent of library visits across the borough.
As this was an inefficient use of resources it was proposed that services provided through libraries in Dudley Wood, Woodside, Quarry Bank, Amblecote and Wall Heath libraries would be provided in different ways. Proposals were approved by cabinet and ratified by full council in December 2007.
In 2008, opening hours were extended at Dudley, Brierley Hill, and Stourbridge, Sedgley, Cradley, Coseley, Gornal, Long Lane, Lye and Kingswinford libraries.
The first Sunday opening were introduced at Dudley, Brierley Hill, Stourbridge and Sedgley libraries and with extended opening hours across the service, the council is now well on its way to to meeting its target to extend staffed opening hours by 75 hours each week. The introduction of new library links will also add more than 60 hours when library services will be available.
Cabinet Report
Cabinet Report 12th September 2007. Report of the Director of Adult, Community and Housing Services. Providing A Modern Library Library Service In Dudley MBC - modernisation programme.
