UNIVERSAL READING OFFER FAQs at March 2012 We will be developing this FAQ throughout the pilot period, so please

send any further questions to Miranda McKearney via email at Miranda.mckearney@readingagency.org.uk. 1. How will libraries sign up to the universal reading offer? What are they signing up to? There will be a three year sign up by the local authority to the national offer project in a strategic partnership with SCL and TRA. This will endorse the principles of a universal library reading offer and supporting prioritised programmes and partnerships and acknowledge its contribution to key local authority outcomes It will embed this in a local authority improvement agenda by linking to LGAs Logic Model. And it will sign libraries up to the benefits of partnerships with the BBC, publishers and others. Sign up to the reading offer framework is not legally binding, rather it expresses a commitment to support core shared principles and to use the reading offer as a tool in planning and delivering the local reading service. The approach will be piloted in 2012/13 and embedded from 2013/14 to 14/-15 with a review in 2013/14. We will also be piloting cross authority sign up as part of the pilot phase in 2012 Each summer/autumn the library service will draw on a toolbox to plan the year ahead and sign up to an in principle commitment to core programmes, partnerships and reading spikes. Actual sign up to individual programmes would continue to be flexible, as details of the offers become available Sign up and planning will be for the period of the corporate/financial year April to March Included in the toolbox will be development and innovation work including health, youth work, volunteering, digital so that authorities can benefit from learning and resources from these strands. 2. What happens if authorities have to drop out? This is not legally binding, so there are no sanctions! It is hoped that all authorities will use the reading offer framework as a tool to support the delivery of a core reading service as far as possible If we fail to keep a large number of authorities working together, the economies of scale will decay. Partners will be put off investing because they are no longer able to work with libraries in a streamlined way on a large scale. 3. How do we keep this local/avoid a national straitjacket? The last thing we want it to be is a national straitjacket. But some things can only be done nationally so this is intended to combine the benefits of national, regional and local work more effectively to benefit local people. This initiative is intended to enhance local services and can be used totally flexibly (think of the Summer Reading Challenge). The offer can be fully customised to reflect local priorities and activities, and we expect a range of local initiatives to complement the enhanced offer to the public 4. How will this approach add value? We see this approach as adding value in five main areas: partnership investment; fundraising; library marketing and advocacy; savings through economies of scale; best practice and innovation 5. Partnership investment The last few years have seen the development of important new national partnerships which SCL is determined not to lose. Partners are worried about the threats to new ways of working, and sign-up to a national reading offer will enable us to present an integrated national library network to our partners, convincing them to invest in libraries. The 40 Reading Partners publishers will continue their free support if they can work in a coordinated way through the regional library reps and a critical mass of libraries. This allows

The Reading Agency to lever in free author events, reading promotions, support for reading group activity (www.readinggroups.org.uk); publisher roadshows to develop staff contacts and book knowledge. Other partners are planning to pledge support e.g. BBC learning materials linked to key library moments; ;World Book Day to make all POS free

6. Fundraising By maintaining the scale of big programmes we can create the best possible chance of developing national and regional fundraising support e.g. Tesco Banks sponsorship of the Summer Reading Challenge in Scotland proved free materials for an extra 7,000 children By taking a national approach to innovation we can lever in new funding e.g. Big Lottery funding for the young peoples MyVoice programme being piloted in 18 authorities; City Bridge investment in Six Book Challenge in prisons 7. National marketing and advocacy Libraries big scale involvement in programmes creates a platform for national advocacy such as the Summer Reading Challenge event in the House of Commons Reading Partners publishers will encourage authors to launch new books in libraries, and to open new and refurbished libraries: World Book Day will include a library membership form in the schools pack sent to every primary school World Book Night will support a volunteering drive, and promote library membership in backs of books 8. Savings through economies of scale National programmes have built in economies of scale. The value of these varies with the size and level of engagement by each local authority, but all benefit from the fixed costs elements of the programmes being shared out nationally (e.g. management, design, web development) and the ability of TRA to negotiate bulk savings on printed materials and other programme items. Based on current spending levels, this means that e.g. the Summer Reading Challenge print materials are six times cheaper than if created and produced locally. Taking into account research, website, staffing and other costs, it is up to a hundred times cheaper. 9. Best practice and innovation Communities of practice will be created, ensuring that case studies and examples of innovative work can be showcased and used to support other services. The national reading offer will dovetail with other aspects of SCLs work including the development of a health, Information offer and Digital offer. Delivery of the reading offer will be supported by new co-production, health and digital marketing and training offers developed through successful ACE LDI initiatives

10. Will it cost more money than we currently spend? No, we see the National Reading Offer as an opportunity to deliver savings on current levels of expenditure by offering more activities for free; increased economies of scale on national programmes; developing fundraising support; building capacity through new delivery models and lighter touch applications; longer term planning to support local partnership development, better positioning, advocacy and messaging for libraries

11. What exactly will be in the core offer? Will this approach water down our service? We hope it will do the opposite and that it will stop services being watered down. The core offer will consist of the key generic elements of a contemporary reading service as set out on the

LGA logic model, delivered through a prioritised key shared programmes, calendar spikes and partnerships. Workshops held in autumn 2011 highlighted the difficulty of reaching a consensus on the key shared programmes and calendar spikes. However there was strong support for the key components of the core offer to include the Summer Reading Challenge, World Book Day and World Book Night and for the offer to feature learning and health programmes. These will be supported by ongoing programme and partnership activity Feedback shows that authorities are in very different positions. Some have the backing and resources to continue to deliver a rich reading service, and we would hope that the core offer would simply sit within this. But others are struggling to deliver any kind of reader development activities, and we hope that the core offer approach will allow them to at least deliver a baseline service to the public We recognise that there are many other activities and initiatives in the year which libraries currently celebrate through their work with readers and these are featured in the enhanced offer. These include key promotions such as National Poetry Day, Adult Learners Week, National Libraries Day and Childrens Book Week. Additional local activities can be built in as appropriate we know that many library services have long established programmes of author events, readers days, literature festivals, book talks, events for readers groups and workshops and that they would wish to continue to deliver these. We recognise the importance of leading or contributing to local initiatives and community events and that there may be times when these take precedence over national events. 12.How will this build the capacity of the sector, and staff expertise? With so many staff leaving, there is a danger of reader development expertise being lost. This approach helps retain and share skills and knowledge through shared resources and training. It provides a framework of SCL agreed priorities to help authorities focus remaining capacity in a strategic way. It also provides a structure within which the contribution of volunteers can be effectively channelled. 13. Whats the governance process? SCL has a strategic partnership agreement and shared workplan with The Reading Agency, its lead partner in the area of library development work on the reading service. We are in discussion with the Arts Council about how the work will be aligned with its new responsibility for libraries TRA is setting up a new partnership board to steer its partnership work Existing contracts/sign ups such as local authoritys sign up to BookStart remain exactly the same 14. Who are the delivery agents? SCL and TRA will maintain and support the national overview. Many delivery partners are likely to be involved, including RNIB, BookTrust, regional literature development agencies and the National Literacy Trust Programmes/activities will be delivered locally by library staff/volunteers with light touch options for authorities with limited capacity. Shared service delivery may be an option in some areas and were keen to explore the concept of reader hit squads . We hope volunteers in community run libraries can use the resources in the offer to continue to offer reader development activities 15. How is this different to what we do already? It creates a new drive to maintain momentum of the new look library service in the face of cuts, helping libraries do fewer, bigger things together and strip out the costs of duplicated action It links libraries work explicitly to LGA improvement frameworks

It provide a new focus for partnership support and pledges It provides new tools to help make libraries case and an opportunity to involve the local authority in focusing attention on library impact and development

16. How is outreach factored in? Outreach is a vital part of the contemporary reading service. This offer will provide flexible tools to target local need e.g. as in the Summer Reading Challenge. Outreach through digital channels is factored into shared programmes such as Reading Groups for Everyone. 17. What about book stock? The expectation is that every library service would support the prioritised programmes and partnerships in the universal offer with the appropriate collections 18. How could this work if we are sharing staff across boundaries? We want to test new approaches. One possibility is that a reader hit squad idea could save money by sharing a specialist team across several authorities. We also want to test shared reading services projects. The potential for staff skills swaps across authorities could also be considered. For example a colleague with expertise in running Book Doctor sessions could provide one for a neighbouring authority in exchange for a themed book talk or other event. Gradually a skills bank could be built up and drawn on as appropriate.