www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Equality Impact Assessment - Children's Library Services
1. What is the name of the policy that is being assessed?
Children’s Resources in Wiltshire’s Public Libraries
2. What are the aims of the policy? Whose needs is it designed to meet? What are the current priorities?
To give an overview of the provision of library resources and services for children and younger teenagers (0-15 year olds) throughout the county, including the breadth and depth of resources and services in specific areas (e.g. books, information, spaces) and how they are delivered.
Current priorities are to ensure the policy meets local and national priorities – to comply with corporate objectives as well as national drivers i.e. the government’s Every Child Matters: Change for Children outcomes. One such outcome – to support children to enjoy and achieve - we engage with through the provision of national initiatives which aim to develop a love of reading and learning such as Bookstart (books for babies) and the Summer Reading Challenge. Partnership working is also a key priority.
3. In what ways might this policy or service affect some groups of people differently? Might some groups find it harder to access the service? Do some groups have particular needs that are not well met by the current policy or service?
Racial/Ethnic Groups
Language barriers may make it harder to understand about services available and how to access them. Younger children rely on parents/carers to bring them to the library, so their parents/carers also need to be well informed about services and supported, if necessary, in using them.
Gender
There is a known decline in use (membership and borrowing of resources) by boys once they reach a certain age – pre/young teenage. It is necessary to work harder to attract boys to use library resources once they feel it is no longer relevant to them. This is not necessarily a result of the policy, more a social issue.
Disability
All libraries comply with DDA regulations and we aim to work with children and families to support their needs within the resources available. We provide resources for visually impaired children - audio books – which are free to hire. We also have a special category of membership Junior Assisted reader - which avoids certain penalties for children who are unable to access library resources on their own. Libraries are not, however, equipped to provide resources and services for every disability a child/young person may have.
Sexual Orientation
Libraries stock books in our teenage sections, both fiction and non-fiction, covering this issue. Although it is recognised that some younger teens may use libraries to explore their thoughts and feelings about sexual orientation through these books, it is unlikely this is a major issue because of the ages involved.
Religion/Belief
Books are stocked to support the learning of all children about different faiths and religion; these are not generally promoted to any specific community, although there may displays of such items during festivals to promote general cultural awareness, e.g. Ramadan.
Age
Library usage figures shown decline in usage at 11/12 years old – this is a national trend and due to a number of factors. Similar social issues to gender above.
4. What evidence do you have for your judgement? Is there evidence of public concern (e.g. complaints)? Have staff raised concerns? Is there local or national research to suggest that there could be a problem?
Staff have not raised concerns - although they have not been asked this specifically. It would be expected that any such concerns are passed to their Community Librarian who would then pass onto a Senior Manager as appropriate.
Racial/Ethnic Groups
Recent partnership work with Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) has highlighted the lack of knowledge and cultural factors that might deter families from using libraries. The Library Service is planning to work more closely with EMAS to devise methods to promote library services to these communities, to help break down any such barriers.
Gender
Population and Library membership/borrowing/usage statistics
Disability
I am not aware that the Service has been asked to provide any resources specifically for children with disabilities, apart from braille books for visually impaired children. We need to explore whether there is an unfulfilled need or whether needs are better served by specialist services, which can be signposted by the Library Service.
Sexual Orientation
Unlikely to be great demand from this age group for resources from the library
Religion/Belief
Unlikely to be great demand from this age group for resources from the library
Age
Various reports/evidence available, including “Fulfilling Their Potential” which is a National Development Programme for Young People’s Library Services and provides a basis for a new 10 year vision and strategy to redefine libraries’ relationship with young people. The Improvement Model has been developed in partnership by The Reading Agency, Association of Senior Children’s & Education Librarians and the National Youth Agency.
5. Who have you consulted with as part of your assessment? What were the results? Have you published the results of that consultation? If so, where?
The assessment is based on known facts, previous consultation (e.g. with EMAS partners) and professional knowledge; however, it is our intention to undertake a series of consultations as part of the various actions in section 9.
6. If you have found that the policy or service might have an adverse impact on a particular group of people, can you justify this?
N/A
7. If the impact cannot be justified, what do you intend to do about this? Are there changes that you could introduce which would make the policy or service work better for this group of people? Is further research or consultation required?
Further research and consultation is required in four areas.
Racial/Ethnic Groups
The Library Service is planning to work more closely with EMAS to devise methods to promote library services to these communities, to help break down any such barriers.
See action – section 9
Gender
We need to explore how to market our resources and service to appeal more to boys and to develop new promotions/initiatives to encourage use
Disability
We need to explore what needs there are and if we are the most appropriate service to meet these needs
Age
We have recently developed a plan to improve services and outcomes for teenagers
8. How will you monitor the take-up or impact of the policy or service in future?
- Data from Library Management system, e.g. membership, issues.
- Attendance at library activities/promotions and feedback from attendees.
- Feedback from partners such as EMAS
- Statistics and comments from Children’s CIPFA Public Library User Survey autumn 2007
- Other consultations e.g. focus groups
9. What actions do you plan to take as a result of this equality impact assessment? Please state any resource implications.
Actions:
General
To explore if there are staff concerns about the adverse effect of this policy on any of the 6 groups.
Racial/Ethnic Groups
CLS Equality Priority 5 – Libraries will work closely with Ethnic Minority Achievement Service to ensure that children and young people from minority groups are supported in reading and other activities, targets:
- Creating SMART Action Plan with EMAS partners to be reviewed monthly – done (includes overview of targets below).
- To find out the current level of activity and links across the county’s libraries with ethnic minority families and groups by Jan 07
- To promote Library Services to ethnic minority families and groups, new publicity Mar 07
- To promote the current County Dual language book collections to ethnic minority families and groups, new publicity by Mar 07
- To promote the Bookstart initiative to ethnic minority families and groups, especially the availability of non-English language books, to review impact. Ongoing targets – see action plan.
- To explore the possibility of holding a special event for ethnic minority families and groups in Trowbridge or another appropriate Library during 07/08 by Jan 07,
- To promote the Summer Reading Challenge 07 to ethnic minority families and groups, and gather data on impact by Nov 07
Other/long term
- Gather usage data on membership/borrowing by children and young people from racial/ethnic groups (only recently able to collect – so 3-5 years before such data robust)
Gender
To look at how we can engage boys to use libraries more within resources available, this will be a Children’s Team Agenda item for 2007/08, from which targets will be set.
Disability
To explore if this is an issue which we need to resolve or whether certain groups needs are better served by specialists, this will be a Children’s Team Agenda item for 2007/08, from which targets will be set.
Age
We have recently produced a Teenage Action Plan based on Fulfilling Their Potential Improvement Model – which outlines our plans to engage with teenagers, with outcomes:
- Young people feel the library is accessible, welcoming and value it as a space in the community for them.
- Young people enjoy reading widely and feel inspired to share their reading with others.
- Young people feel confident and able to make informed choices about their lives.
- Young people participate in their community and in wider democratic activity.
- Young people develop their skills and become confident and motivated learners.
Resource Implications
Staff time/capacity to achieve these targets
Budget to buy new resources as appropriate, to create publicity/marketing and to organise events
10. There is a legal requirement to publish the outcomes of Equality Impact Assessments. Please outline how / where this will happen.
WCC Website
11. Name of person completing form
County Children's Librarian
Date assessment completed
6/10/06
12. Senior manager approval
Assistant Director Libraries & Heritage
Date
10/10/06
Contact Details
By Post
Equality & Diversity Team
Development Services
Wiltshire County Council
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN
By Email
By Telephone
01225 713510
By Hand
County Hall, Trowbridge
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
