Survey launched to help ensure libraries continue to meet local needs and priorities
The Council is committed to reopening the libraries closed during the pandemic, but recognises that people’s lifestyles and ways of working have changed - and that our libraries need to adapt to such changes.
Library buildings were closed in March 2020. Our Home Delivery Service continued during the lockdowns, and Click and Collect services and short opening sessions have been introduced at some libraries when restrictions have allowed. Meanwhile, many library staff have been supporting essential COVID-response work, such as ‘Test and Trace’. But, as most of our lives gradually return to normal, libraries are gradually resuming their usual operations.
In this transitional phase, the Council is balancing a large number of competing demands, with library staff continuing to work across their core duties and the COVID response.
A further challenge is the intense and well-documented financial pressure on local government. For Lewisham Council, this means finding savings of £40 million over the next three years.
To contribute to these savings, while maintaining existing opening hours, the library service may need to change the way it works. It can do that by better understanding how people’s lives have changed in the past year, what issues will be critical to their lives in the next few years, and what is most important to them when using the libraries. For example, this may mean changing the way our staff work across different areas of the service.
Cllr Jonathan Slater, Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Libraries Service, said: “Lewisham has some of the best-used libraries in the country. They offer our residents free access to a wide range of information, learning and creative activities. We have retained all our libraries despite the years of austerity. We know they are valued by our local communities and we are committed to reopening them all, but to do so we need to make some changes to how they work.
“We recognise that the pandemic has impacted people’s needs and priorities, and we are keen to understand how these have changed so that we can ensure our library services are as relevant as possible going forward. I would encourage everyone who uses our libraries to take part in this survey.”
The deadline for survey responses is 5pm on Wednesday 21 July 2021. More information and the link to the survey is available here. We would prefer people to complete the survey online if possible, but different formats (e.g. paper versions) can be requested by emailing libraries@lewisham.gov.uk.