The Future of Gobowen Library Services

[Simple Simon 36]

The future of library services in Gobowen will be discussed at a special meeting on Tuesday 19th May at 7pm at All Saints Church Hall, Gobowen.

 

For further information please contact Corrie Davies, Shropshire Council Community Enablement Officer on 01691 677306 or via email at corrie.davies@shropshire.gov.uk

 

 

[Maggie 65]

Article in the Shrops Star about the meeting.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2015/05/21/redesign-of-library-near-oswestry-may-help-its-usage/

 

Is anyone else as cynical as me when I wonder if the fact that Gobowen Library is in the Big Local area has influenced the council in decisions about which libraries in the county can be palmed off to 'the community' to run?

[Simple Simon 36]

A draft version of the results of the meeting:

 

Gobowen Library Meeting Tuesday 19th of May 2015   
Round Table Discussion

 

Tables were asked to discuss the following outline guiding questions and pointers:

Question 1: Business Planning – How could the library change to meet the demands of library users?
Question 2: Role of volunteers – What role could volunteers play in supporting the future provision of Gobowen Library?
Question 3: Role of partner organisations- What role could partner organisations and stakeholders play in supporting the future of Gobowen Library

**There were 6 tables and between 45-50 people in attendance

**The crude responses are included below
 

TABLE 1

Q 1

• Already lots going on in the library
• Language courses (college)
• Reading Groups
• Post Office
• Tourist Information
• Police Surgery
• Local history/sessions/info
• Parish Council Surgery
• CAB
• Outings and friendship groups
• Knitting/Craft Exhibitions/ church groups/school projects/scouts/youth group

Q 2

• Refreshments
• Local Knowledge  -what’s on diary
• CAB/post office
• Speakers

Q 3

• Info Drop In
• Credit Union
• Increase the space/increase the range of possibilities
   

TABLE 2

Q 1

• Meeting space and use of kitchen
• Evening services- time to listen, community group usage
• Book clubs – children’s, teenagers and support curriculum
• Local exhibitions – arts/crafts/school
• Information about what is going on
• Dedicated ‘quiet’ times
• Expand sessions for under 5’s to weekly mornings and afternoons
• Reach out to outlying schools
• Re- organise layout for more flexibility
• Self- help group meetings
• Occasional stalls/sales for food/ crafts people/ volunteer/community groups
• Local interest stalls
• Educational advice to parents
• Supporting school curriculum

Q2

• Residents should be key players in management committee ( possibly elected by users)
• Residents should be key players in the set up process not just involved after
• Volunteers facilitating book clubs
• Volunteers facilitation time to listen
• Volunteers facilitating under 5 sessions
• Volunteers to support longer opening hours- even if only for a few hours e.g. until 6pm

Q3

• Concerns over confidentiality issues for health and well-being
• Derwen –possibility of volunteers

TABLE 3
Q 1

• Credit Union
• Housing Information
• Local History
• Health information e.g. dementia
• Ordering Books
• Councillor surgery
• Police surgery
• IT Training and support
• Children’s clinics/ health visitors
• Post office/post office
• Parish clerk
• Wi-Fi
• Small local business support
• CAB
• Age Concern
• WEA or WNSC
• Food Bank
• Events better supported if advertised in the parish council and roundabout magazine

Q 2

• Home library service
• IT support

Q3

• Health
• Face to face job centres
• Inoculations and baby weighing
• Coffee /tea
• Workers education association

TABLE 4

Q 1

• Library should be alongside the shop or leisure facilities to open up further use
• People unable to use IT and are afraid- support
• Limited space- poses a huge problem
• Use big local money etc. to build a larger and more permanent building on that site
• Move post office into the library building and combine
• Station building as new location? ( will soon be more central due to new building on edge of village) Access- problematic /lift needed
• Coffee shop
• Toilet facilities
• Library very important now bus is less request and stops at 6pm
• Police- weekly surgery
• Library in gobowen essential – access to Oswestry impossible for elderly people
• Clubs- more space- space could be made more flexible with shelves on wheels to make it viable for other groups
• Exterior of current building- could it be expanded- long term plan.
• Library plays an important role for people who don’t have internet access

Q 2

• Working age people are almost all too busy in this area
• Where will volunteers come from?
• Concerns that gobowen library only has a future if it is run by volunteers
• Skilled work- training wold be required- what would the cost be?
• Not everyone sees themselves as a volunteer – they just do things for their community
• Some lack confidence and skills that might inhibit this

Q 3

• Concerns over another organisation running the library- if they leave there will no longer be any funding for the service
• Every time contract is renewed lots of upheaval
• No funding for new books
• E-books not useful to everyone
• Fears that the library will not remain free service- not everyone can afford to pay and those who need it most can’t afford to pay
• Importance of opportunities to develop skills in a designated place
• Writing class
• Book club- especially for children – follow Booka’s example
• Half term event to show it is a place for young people - space dependent – puppet shows
• Practical advice on aids and adaptions
• Drop off point for equipment which needs to be returned e.g. crutches, Zimmer frames
• Other organisations in Gobowen are very distinct but community diary at library would be very useful
• Health service plans for community hubs to offer advice- should be more of them but not enough health professionals – the community can only do so much
• Library foyer – space could be better utilised
• Flu clinics- social care advice- fewer home visits
• Citizen’s advice bureau – Oswestry is too far for some people.

TABLE 5
Q 1

• Welfare benefit advice
• Housing advice
• UC claims
• Job searches
• Increase in revenue- room hire/charges
• Carers group/archive corner/memory lane/mornings and meetings
• Homework club- numeracy/literacy support
• Craft activities
• Skills swop
• Book club/writers club
• WI
• Police Surgeries
• Increase opening hours- evenings

Q 2

• Draw on their skills
• Work experience
• Social skills/ meeting people
• NEET volunteering
• Job centre college
• Event organiser- fayres/fetes
• Volunteers- take library service to new users e.g. Vicarage and Meadowbrook
• Admin/ fundraising

Q 3

• Services brought by partner agencies
• management committee- made up of partners
• share staff resources of partners to facilitate longer opening hours
• financial support to

TABLE 6

Q 1

• Sharing with other community groups (cubs) to support each other’s long term sustainability by coming together more. Also brings different user groups and age ranges
• More organisation’s involved the more viable long term
• Derwen- very organised – they should definitely be involved
• The library is important to keep the community together ( big society)
• Long term – should the library move – the pavilion, the Trumpet, the station, the warn out building near the roundabout – central locations
• Training and increased learning
• Use of computers more – particularly useful when yours is not working!
• Local functions
• Coffee machine- bring in revenue
• Exhibition area/local artists/ bring a different audience in
• Time to listen
• Social events
• More marketing and signage
• CAB
• Joint diary so everyone working together much more and supporting one another
• TIC point with station and attractions so near- by- another reason for central location

Q 3

• Health sessions and partners- could bring in additional funding
• Businesses – again could bring in finance from rental space
• Help the aged- coffee mornings
• Post office- need to bring this in as part of a community hub/joint partnership
• New housing developments – direction of the village changing – new housing partners and potential for CIL to be invested into a community hub centrally
• Internet café/silo model
• Drop in sessions/police surgeries
• Share schemes ( shared services and access)

Q 2

• Still need to have a specialist to support volunteers otherwise it becomes self- defeating
• Duke of Edinburgh sessions/volunteering
• Could it become an accredited centre- rather than informal volunteering set up
• Fundraising –join with other groups to fundraise- a bit of a gobowen together group
• Ownership by volunteers difficult
• Coffee shop could be ran by volunteers to bring income in
• Improving health through volunteering
• Local people will fundraise so long as the money is being given to something local.
• Invite coop to support.
•  

COMMENT /SUGGESTIONS/QUESTIONS CARDS

• Keep /expand computer provision
• Council meetings
• If it isn’t broke don’t change it
• Could you please send me a copy of the PPT – the Oswestry Equality Group sees  itself as the watchdog for the Oswestry District
• How much is the consultation costing? Where has that money come from?
• Coffee shop
• Subject of available space needs to be addressed before taking on more clubs/meetings etc.
• Volunteers possible for helping – will need support training
• Absolute clarity on long term contract- so that the building remains a library and not taken over completely.
•  Is it possible to change the time of the mobile library please (alternate Tuesdays) from 10:30 to 3:30 when children come out of Selattyn School – so that children get to use the library plus the mums.
• We are very fortunate to have a very good librarian in Olwen. We do not want to lose her and hope she will continue to steer the library through its changes.