Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Part 1 The public library: history and modern context
- Part 2 Service themes of the modern public library
- Part 3 Issues in management and service development
- 7 The impact of information and communications technology
- 8 Management, governance and budgeting issues
- 9 Performance measurement and evaluation
- 10 Professional and staffing issues
- 11 Marketing, branding and buildings
- 12 Conclusion: the public library of tomorrow
- Selected reading
- Index
- The Public Library Training Handbook
8 - Management, governance and budgeting issues
from Part 3 - Issues in management and service development
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2018
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Part 1 The public library: history and modern context
- Part 2 Service themes of the modern public library
- Part 3 Issues in management and service development
- 7 The impact of information and communications technology
- 8 Management, governance and budgeting issues
- 9 Performance measurement and evaluation
- 10 Professional and staffing issues
- 11 Marketing, branding and buildings
- 12 Conclusion: the public library of tomorrow
- Selected reading
- Index
- The Public Library Training Handbook
Summary
Introduction
Like all organizations public libraries need an appropriate management structure in place to ensure services are delivered and developed and in order for the resources provided by the community to be properly accounted for. In addition public libraries in the UK are operated under the banner of local authorities and as a result do not deliver their services in a vacuum; thus libraries must support the strategic objectives of an umbrella organization that has a wide range of statutory responsibilities and only a finite budget to respond to them.
This chapter will discuss some of the key governance issues facing public libraries in the modern era, such as:
■ local authority structures and reorganization
■ the place of the public library in the local authority structure
■ management and budgeting
■ income generation
■ partnership working
■ recent management trends.
Local authorities
In the UK public library services are delivered by local authorities. It is a statutory requirement for local authorities in England and Wales to provide a library service under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. In Scotland the Act relating to public libraries is the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Although the local authority structure ensures that public libraries are delivered for local needs, under the provisions of the 1964 Act the Secretary of State for Culture has ultimate responsibility for public libraries and all local authorities have to ensure that the libraries they administer meet the standards specified by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Similarly in Scotland as public libraries are under the devolved administration's remit the ultimate responsibility for them is in the hands of the local government minister, who is responsible to the Scottish Parliament.
Local authority governance
A local authority is a statutory body charged with administering local services for a specific geographic community. Normally called councils, they consist of:
■ Councillors: elected through ballots in local areas defined as wards. One councillor is normally elected by the body of councillors to become mayor, or in Scotland Lord Provost.
■ Committees: made up of a subset of councillors, related to a specific service theme, e.g. licensing, culture, education. Committees are normally charged with budgeting and decision making on these areas, which then have to be rubber stamped by the full council. Senior officials of the departments advise the committees.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Public Library , pp. 125 - 144Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2008