www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Equality Impact Assessment - Libraries: Adult Services and Activities
1. What is the name of the policy or service that is being assessed?
Libraries: Adult Services and Activities
2. What are the aims of the policy or service? Whose needs is it designed to meet? What are the current priorities?
The aim of the service is to provide a free neutral library service to all adults living, working or being educated in Wiltshire, providing books and other materials for information, education and recreation. The purpose of the service is
- To promote books reading and learning
- To promote digital citizenship
- To promote community and civic values
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 information provided about library services and may make it harder for people to make their needs understood. To help overcome this, the service provides leaflets on joining the library and how to use leaflet in a wide range of languages. Staff can also access the Language Line interpreter service. Libraries are uniquely placed within the communities to promote awareness of cultural diversity and to organise events and activities aimed at celebrating differing cultures. They also offer meeting space for differing cultural groups. More information is needed, however, on the library needs of new migrant communities and on how cultural differences impact on the accessibility of library services.
Disability - All libraries comply with DDA regulations and library staff are trained to meet the needs of customers who for physical or mental reasons need additional support to access library services. Libraries hold stock in a wide variety of formats and levels of interest.
Religion / belief - The service takes a neutral approach to religion and belief and holds books and materials on all major world religions and belief systems.
Gender - Libraries aim to meet the needs of male and female customers equally, current membership figures indicate that 60% are female and 40% are male. We do not have gender figures for library visitors.
Sexual orientation - Libraries stock books, both fiction and non fiction, covering this issue and provide information on legislation and social support groups.
Age - We aim to provide services to adults at all stages in life. Figures show that the age profile of library members broadly mirrors that of the population served. We offer a home library service have recently introduced a new special services mobile targeted at meeting the needs of the elderly.
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?
This assessment is based on professional knowledge of how the policy works in practice. Complaints are dealt with in accordance with WCC complaints procedure and there is no evidence of concerns raised about the service by particular interest groups. Apart from the language issue mentioned below, we have not had any concerns raised by staff about the service provided to people falling into these groups.
Racial/ Ethnic Groups - Staff have raised concerns about the need to respond to increasing numbers of people trying to access the service with poor or no English. We started to collect membership information on ethnic origin and first language in 2006.
Gender/ Age - Population and library membership statistics.
Disability - We do not have any method of recording the use of the service by people with disabilities. The percentage of people cared for at home who receive the homes library service is currently below the target proposed by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and the service has initiated an action plan to move us closer to target.
Religion /belief / Sexual orientation - We do not have any method of recording levels of library use by these interest groups
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 evidence from consultation with library users in general about the library service in which information about the age, gender and ethnic background of the respondents is recorded, e.g. CIPFA Plus and Peoples Voice surveys, as well as user / non user surveys. The results of Plus and Peoples Voice surveys are available in public libraries. We have also consulted with the Disabled Persons Forum on library premises and have involved them in staff training
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?
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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 as follows:
Racial/ethnic groups - We need to consult with representatives from ethnic groups in Wiltshire to identify how the service can best meet their needs and how we can reduce language cultural barriers to library use.
Disability - We need to explore how disability and learning difficulties impact on access to library services through working with individuals and groups.
8. How will you monitor the take-up or impact of the policy or service in future?
- Data from the library management system on membership and stock issues
- Attendance at library events / promotions and feedback from attendees
- Statistics and comments from the 2006 CIPFA Plus survey
- Consultation with targeted groups
9. What actions do you plan to take as a result of this equality impact assessment? Please state any resource implications.
CLS Equality Statement Priority 3 - Our libraries will continue to provide materials for all groups in society.
- To ensure that we endeavour to meet the diverse needs of all in society
- To drive improvement in this area of our work
Aims:
- To identify current level of uptake of library services by ethnic groups in Wiltshire,
- To identify the range of first languages used by individual library members
- To train staff in identifying and meeting the needs of all community members
- To ensure that services provided meet the needs of all groups in society
Objectives:
- Ethnic background and first language information to be collected as part membership records when Open Galaxy is rolled out
- Membership script and training package to ensure all staff are equipped to collect information on ethnic background and first language prepared
- Monitoring of statistical data to be carried out on a quarterly basis and information used to drive service development
- Training package to help staff identify and deal sensitively with the needs of diverse individuals to be rolled including dealing with people with limited or poor English skills
- Review of stock provision and requirements of diverse ethnic groups
- Review of information needs and requirements of diverse groups
CLS Equality statement Priority 4 - Libraries will be proactive in organising events and activities aimed at celebrating and promoting awareness of cultural diversity
- To work towards achieving the purpose of WCC ‘To improve the quality of life of everyone who lives and works in the County and to make Wiltshire a County fit for our children’
- To reflect the special features of our diverse County, helping communities to be better places to live
Aims:
- To improve local people’s access to and participation in cultural activities and opportunities
- To promote awareness and understanding of the diverse range of cultures within the County
Objectives
- Organise an exhibition of art from ethnic groups in the County at Salisbury Galleries with a smaller touring exhibition visiting one library in each District
- Each Area to organise one major event focusing on celebrating and promoting awareness of cultural diversity
- Selected Libraries to have stock displays focusing on materials from cultures represented in Wiltshire
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
Head of Customer Services
Date assessment completed:
12/10/06
12. Senior manager approval
Assistant Director Libraries & Heritage
Date
13/10/06
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
