Where now for the UK public library service?
| Date | 01 September 2001 |
| Pages | 266-271 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120110394835 |
| Published date | 01 September 2001 |
| Author | Lindsey Muir,Alex Douglas |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Where now for the UK
public library service?
Lindsey Muir and
Alex Douglas
Introduction
Shanghai Library is that city's leading public
library as well as being a cultural landmark.
As such the quality of the service it provides is
perceived as directly affecting the whole
image of the city. Therefore, the aim is to
provide a library service that reflects this
important position in Shanghai society (Wang
et al., 2000). Compare the status of such a
library with those in the UK where the public
library service has been much in the news in
the last few months, but for all the wrong
reasons. A recent survey in the Independent on
Sunday reported that the UK public library
service was in serious decline (Lashmar and
Oliver, 2000). Over 450 libraries had closed
in the last ten years, opening hours were
shorter and the amount of money spent on
books was found to be less than half of what it
was 20 years ago. The main cause of this
deterioration is believed to be Local Authority
budget cuts. Libraries are viewed as a ``soft''
target with many branch libraries being closed
and resources concentrated in central
libraries. The Government plans to introduce
standards for library services, including longer
opening hours, improved services to
borrowers and extensions of lending periods.
These standards have to be delivered by 2004.
Something needs to be done soon or the
future of the UK public library service will be
bleak indeed. The first part of this paper
traces the decline of the library service and its
effect on customer services. The second part
suggests ways in which the quality of the
service might be improved.
The decline of public library services
In the five years from 1990 to 1995 spending
on books by public libraries rose from £103
million to £113 million. However, this 10
percent rise in spending masked a significant
decline in the numbers of books purchased
because over the same period the average
book price rose by 25 percent (Fishwick et al.,
1997).
Then, in 1997, the Restrictive Practices
Court prohibited price maintenance on books
and so ended the Net Book Agreement
(NBA). The NBA was an agreement among
publishers that prevented retailers from
selling books at prices below those fixed by
the publisher. In other words, book retailers
The authors
Lindsey Muir is a Senior Lecturer in Business Strategy
(e-mail: BUSLMUIR@livjm.ac.uk) and Alex Douglas is a
Senior Lecturer in Operations Management (e-mail:
a.douglas@livjm.ac.uk), both at John Moores University,
Liverpool, UK.
Keywords
Public libraries, Libary users, Performance indicators,
Quality management
Abstract
The UK Public Library Service has been in the news lately,
but for all the wrong reasons. The service offered to
customers/usershas been steadily declining in recent years
as local politicians view libraries as a "soft" option as
regards budget cuts. This decline in funding is seen as
being responsiblefor poor service levels and declining book
stocks. Central Government aims to halt this decline by
introducing another set of performance indicators against
which libraries will be judged. However, their success will
depend on what is happening at local level. This paper
examines the decline in library services and its impact on
users. It looks at the role of libraries in the community and
offers ways for libraries to improve their product-service
bundle. It further highlights the need for library services to
be fairly and properlyfunded if their role in the community
is to be maintained and service levels improved.
Electronic access
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266
Library Management
Volume 22 .Number 6/7 .2001 .pp. 266±271
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0143-5124
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