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Report on three seminars on the contribution of libraries to the Skills
for Life strategy
March 2004 - London, Birmingham and York
One of the aims of the Vital Link*, an ambitious programme bringing together
the library and adult basic skills sectors, is to promote an understanding
of the contribution that libraries can make to the Government's Skills for
Life agenda. Early in 2004, the national Learning and Skills Council endorsed
this aim by granting funding to the Vital Link programme to support three
national seminars in London, Birmingham and York.
The objectives of the seminars were:
- to raise awareness among local Learning and Skills Councils of the
contribution that libraries can make to the Skills for Life agenda
- to initiate development work involving libraries and LSCs at regional
and local levels
- to provide a national context for regional and local involvement in
this work
The National Literacy Trust provided the administrative support for these
events and invitations were mailed to all local LSCs and the
majority of heads of library service in England. This was
followed up with emails to invitees, asking them to forward
the invitation on to regional and local networks in order
to alert basic skills providers and funders to the events.
Efforts were made to achieve a broad representation from across
the country with matched library services and basic skills
providers or LSCs wherever possible.
The programme for each event included an introduction to the Vital Link
programme and the national context in terms of adult basic skills policy
(from the LSC) and library policy (from MLA). This was followed at each
event by three case studies from within the relevant regions demonstrating
how libraries have been working with local basic skills providers in support
of learners. These were as follows:
London
- the boost centre run by Kensington & Chelsea Libraries
- the Get On project run by Croydon Libraries
- the Quick Reads project run by Essex Libraries
Birmingham
- development work around partnership building and stock promotion in Leicester
City and Leicestershire Libraries
- stock development in Shropshire Libraries working with local learners
and tutors
- partnership working between Derbyshire Libraries and the countywide literacy
initiative Read On - Write Away! to ensure quality provision in libraries
in support of adult basic skills learners
York
- basic skills development work achieved by the North East Museums, Libraries
and Archives Council
- reader development work by North Yorkshire Libraries in partnership with
organisations such as the Harrogate Homeless Project
- basic skills development work being coordinated by the Time to Read North
West Libraries Reader Development Partnership and the North West Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council
In the afternoon, delegates were split into regional groups and asked
to focus on two main topics: i) how libraries and basic skills providers
can work together to a set of shared objectives; ii) partnership building
with other agencies in order to support and reach out to learners with
basic skills needs.
Despite being held at a busy time (the funding had to be spent before the
end of the financial year in March 2004), each event attracted over 40 delegates
and there were many more who would have liked to have attended but for commitments
elsewhere. The majority of delegates were library staff ranging from heads
of service to people fairly new in post with a brief for lifelong learning.
There was also attendance from LSCs, Adult & Community Learning, FE
colleges and other training providers as well as representation from regional
agencies for museums, libraries and archives, government offices in the
regions, the Basic Skills Agency and Learning Partnerships.
The seminars met their aims in terms of awareness raising about the Vital
Link programme. LSC representatives came wanting to know more about libraries'
potential and were impressed by what they heard. Similarly libraries now
have a clearer understanding of the LSC's strategic priorities and funding
capacity. Useful contacts were made at regional and local level and delegates
welcomed the chance to discuss issues with colleagues with whom they could
work in future. The feedback from delegates was very positive with appreciation
varying according to their previous knowledge and individual objectives,
eg representatives from the basic skills sector valued input about national
library policy and vice versa.
76 evaluation forms were returned in total and from these 96% felt that
the event met their purpose in attending very well or well. As expected,
the case studies were particularly appreciated with 100% finding them
very useful or useful (100% found them very useful in London). 98% found
the discussion groups very useful or useful. 98% felt that the overall
quality of the events had been very good or good.
Comments:
'Worth attending' - Maria Bonnici, Windsor & Maidenhead Libraries
' Valuable and informative day' - Kieren Phelan, Arts Council South East
'Have actually learned something and feel have definite objectives as
a result of this' - Birmingham event
'Helped to refocus on the basic skills agenda' - Priscilla Baily, Derbyshire
Libraries
'Well run and organised' - Alison Fender, Yorkshire Forward (regional
development agency)
'Excellent regional case study from North Yorkshire' - Jon Gamble, LSC
'A unique opportunity to meet people with whom I would not normally have
contact' - Sarah Unwin, Harrogate Homeless Project
'Thanks for the opportunity to listen and contribute' - Jamie Spence,
Sunderland Libraries
i) Shared objectives
Delegates were asked to discuss some suggested shared objectives for libraries
working with basic skills providers, to amend them or add more, and to prioritise
them. The main aim was to encourage delegates to debate the issues and to
explore each other's perspectives. Several groups decided that the suggested
objectives were more like the ingredients needed in order to achieve a virtuous
circle of support for learners. Government targets were seen as both a driver
and a desired outcome which would be reached if all the other elements were
in place. Other objectives that might be added included: consultation with
learners and service providers, consistent partnership working, outreach,
specific targeting, reading for its own sake, stock development, staff awareness,
marketing and advocacy, appropriate funding, retention and progression for
learners and, of course, sustainability.
ii) Working together
The aim was to get delegates thinking of other ways in which they could
be working with a range of partners, some of whom they already link with.
Possibilities included:
- national campaigns such as Adult Learners' Week, Family Learning Week,
local festivals (eg Harrogate Crime Writers' Week)
- links with family learning, Sure Start, WEA, nurseries, college
libraries (eg one college invited all students using the crèche
to bring their children into its library for an event)
- links with workplaces, employers and unions (key target audience for Skills
for Life strategy who might not be able to fit library visits around their
shifts)
- development of new materials for learners produced with learners and tutors
(possible links to local authors or writers in residence)
- dedicated library/basic skills provider liaison role within library service
or within basic skills service
- linking with learning partnerships and other agencies at regional and
sub-regional level (eg regional agencies for museums, libraries and archives)
to take a strategic approach, eg identify gaps in provision, maximise opportunities
for joint activities and provision, joint funding bids
- using free Internet access through People's Network as a hook
- taster sessions in libraries leading to national tests (through schemes
such as Move On)
- marketing the links once established through the web, leaflets and newsletters,
via national promotions such as The Big Read, use of celebrities (eg Reading
Champions), sports clubs and local TV and radio (BBC learning project officers)
- developing and standardising best practice regionally and nationally
- multi-agency flexible approaches to attracting learners by libraries,
learndirect, IAG and other providers (eg WEA) working together
- targeting through external agencies such as prisons, probation, Youth
Offending Teams, Connexions, drugs/drink abuse support groups, social services,
isolated and housebound, arts organisations, ethnic community groups,
- linking basic skills learning to hobbies, eg gardening, local history,
community involvement, and thus bringing in other funding possibilities,
eg Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities, Communities that Care,
etc
- drawing on local resources such as museums and archives, local events
- working with volunteer reading mentors (eg national Link Up scheme, Lending
Time volunteer pilot in libraries, buddy reading schemes - 2005 Year of
the Volunteer)
- cross-regional working to enable people to use other libraries in their
regions
- promoting Basic Skills Champions in a variety of settings, eg health,
education, workplace, schools, job centres
- mapping of local providers and agencies to enable libraries to initiate
partnerships more easily
- joint consultations with the target audience and other user and interest
groups to inform activity
- library staff facilitating and supporting rather than teaching
- library staff training to be integrated with other continuous professional
development (CPD), with possibility of accreditation
- establishing a minimum level of provision and practical steps to reach
it
- learning in different settings more appropriate for the target audience
- delivery of learning to meet required standards (eg OFSTED, ALI) so that
it can attract LSC funding that isn't discretionary
- mapping of Inspiring Learning for All Generic Learning Outcomes to libraries'
work with basic skills
It was felt crucial that all such approaches needed to be backed up with
networking and dissemination so that energy and effort were not wasted
when good ideas could easily be replicated in different settings.
Recommendations for follow-up to the seminars
i) Awareness raising
- follow-up for those LSCs who could not attend through a bulletin to
be sent out from the Learning and Skills Council National Office to regional
and local LSCs and possibly on to other basic skills networks
- advocacy support for libraries wanting to build partnerships with providers
and potential funders
ii) Development work at regional and local level
- encouragement of stronger links between regional LSC offices and regional
agencies for museums, libraries and archives, especially if capacity building
funding will in future be allocated on a regional basis. This might provide
support for regional approaches to building partnerships between libraries
and providers in support of learners
- regional or local LSC input into a national programme of partnership
development for all library authorities, delivered regionally, which would
engage library staff together with basic skills provider partners. This
would include guidance on shared objectives, partnership building, library
accessibility, stock promotion and reader development. It would complement
basic skills awareness programmes already being undertaken by library
staff and provide a real kickstart to libraries and basic skills providers
working more closely together - something that is still very patchy around
the country.
iii) National context
- a continuing dialogue with the LSC at national level through the Vital
Link advisory group, the Framework for the Future Adult Learning Steering
Group and additional meetings as appropriate
- possible project funding to pilot library-based initiatives designed
to widen participation and attract and sustain new learners
16 April 2004
*The Vital Link, led by a partnership between the Reading Agency, the
National Literacy Trust and the National Reading Campaign, promotes reading
for pleasure as a way of motivating and sustaining existing students and
recruiting new learners through libraries. It is funded by the Museums,
Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) which is implementing the Government's
Framework for the Future strategy for the public library service.
1. Shared objectives
Here are some of the objectives that libraries, basic skills providers
and funders of post-16 learning might have. Identify those that all sectors
share and try to place them in order of priority. Feel free to change
these and add more.
Offering appropriate provision for learners
Demonstrating the power of reading to open up new opportunities
Providing a key local resource for basic skills providers
Achieving Government targets for learner achievements
Building learners' self-confidence and self-direction
Improving the quality of basic skills provision
Reaching potential new learners
Offering support, motivation and stimulation to adults who want to improve
their skills
2. Working together
Once you have established some shared objectives, how can you take the
work forward? What have the different partners got to offer? Here are
some suggestions. Please add more.
Activity Possible partners
Making link between existing students and the library for reciprocal visits,
reading activities in classes, reading groups in the library Basic skills
provider and tutors
Reader development and/or social inclusion librarian
Partnership training for library staff and basic skills providers Basic
skills provider and tutors
Library manager and staff
Regional Museums, Libraries & Archives Council
Developing links with local agencies to recruit adults with low literacy
levels to attend reading activities in the library Basic skills provider
Local agencies (eg voluntary, housing, health)
Reader development and/or social inclusion librarian
LSC/Learning Partnership support
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