Warwickshire County Council
Libraries policies
- Library byelaws
- Volunteers policy
- Public use computers filtering policy
- Leaflet, poster and exhibition policy
- Stock policy
- Child photo consent
- Mobile Library Service - criteria for mobile library stops
Library byelaws
Library byelaws (pdf, 1.1Mb) - Warwickshire County Council's library byelaws made under Section 19 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.
Volunteers policy
Partnership
Volunteering is a partnership between Warwickshire County Council’s Libraries, County Record Office, Museum and Arts service and the community in which volunteers actively contribute to the County Council’s cultural, leisure and information services.
This partnership is promoted through an effective volunteer programme, which delivers a fair, safe, enjoyable and empowering experience.
The volunteering policy:
- formally acknowledges and supports the role of volunteers;
- sets out the principles governing the involvement of volunteers and provides a set of procedures to ensure good working practices;
- defines the roles, rights and responsibilities of the Division and of its volunteers;
- encourages and enables, rather than limits, the involvement of volunteers.
Public use computers filtering policy
We block some web pages and websites. Viewing them may contravene the Library Computer Acceptable Use Agreement, signed online at the beginning of each session.
You can request that a site is unblocked by:
- completing a feedback form or;
- asking library staff for a Customer Comments form.
You will receive an initial response by email or post within five working days and a full decision on the web site within ten working days.
Please note: The filtering policy for Shire Hall One Stop Shop computers is different from that in libraries.
Leaflet, poster and exhibition policy
Leaflet, Poster and Exhibition Policy (pdf, 31Kb)
Stock policy
Stock Policy (pdf, 93Kb) - how we choose it, how we allocate the funds and how we aim to meet the needs of the community.
Summary - our aims
The Library and Information Service provides a wide range of books and materials to meet customer needs, including both popular and specialist stock. We also aim to provide the best value for money available to us.
What is available
Our stock includes:
- books for adults and children;
- large print;
- talking books;
- information and local studies resources;
- electronic resources;
- CD-ROMs, newspapers and magazines;
- community language materials;
- music scores and play scripts;
- CDs and DVDs.
We have available over 900,000 items, loan approximately 3 million each year, and have access to tens of thousands of books through the public library network.
Why do we need to have a stock selection policy?
Around 125,000 titles are published annually in the UK alone. Even in a large county like Warwickshire it is impossible to buy every title, so choices have to be made.
Criteria used for selection
- Popularity of author or subject;
- Authority and reputation of the author or publisher;
- Is it value for money?
- Will it be well used?
- Is it attractive and well produced?
- Is the information accurate and up-to-date?
- Will it help provide a better choice for our customers?
- Does it reflect the county's social and cultural diversity?
Buying and managing our stock
The stock is selected by specialist Buying Teams, for example, for fiction, children’s stock and information resources. The teams are made up of senior librarians and front-line staff, who are well aware of their customers’ needs.
We undertake a range of consultation, including surveys, focus groups, and discussions with community groups, to ensure we meet the needs of our diverse communities.
We aim to make available the best possible choice, by managing our stock as a county-wide resource. Purchase is co-ordinated, and stock is circulated regularly around libraries to improve the range available for customers.
We use major library suppliers, who also process our stock ready for the shelves (e.g. date labels), as well as a range of specialist booksellers. Contracts with suppliers are set up and reviewed through a formal tender process to ensure the best possible value for money.
Purchasing is planned on an annual basis by careful reference to a number of factors, such as levels of use, the results of consultation, stock audits and service priorities.
Last year we added over 100,000 new items. There are many choices to be made. For example, in 2004 £100 would have bought us:
- 16 months of the ‘New Scientist’ magazine;
- 3 talking books;
- 10 DVDs;
- 16 picture books;
- 9 new novels;
- 18 paperback books;
- 1 reel of microfilmed local newspaper;
- 15% of a business directory;
- 5 months of the ‘Independent’ newspaper.
Requests
You can request items at any library and on-line. See the finding, requesting and reserving page for more information.
Donations
We welcome donations – they are subject to the same criteria as purchased stock, and may be redirected to locations other than where the donation was made.
Child photo consent
Photographs of children enjoying library activities or events are taken occasionally.
Before photographs are taken a consent form must be completed in full by a parent.
Mobile Library Service - criteria for mobile library stops
Length of stop
The length of stop will be determined by the number of people using the service. The minimum length of stop will be 15 minutes to allow sufficient time for use of the on - board public access internet / email facilities.
| Average No of Users | Minimum Stop Time |
|---|---|
| 4 – 6 Users | 15 minutes |
| 7 – 10 Users | 25 minutes |
| 11– 15 Users | 30 minutes |
| Over 15 users | 45 minutes + (up to a maximum of one hour) |
A minimum stop time of 15 minutes will apply where a stop is the only one in a village.
Extra time will be allocated at sheltered housing stops for delivery to housebound readers. This will be calculated based on the needs of those users.
Distance between stops
There will be no mobile stops within 1.5 miles of a static library.
Mobile stops will not normally be within 0.5 miles of each other – (this equates to about 10 minutes walk).
These criteria exclude sheltered and neighbourhood stops in deprived communities.
Exceptions will be made where there are distinct communities where natural barriers exist (busy roads, steep hills etc), where there is limited pedestrian access and in areas identified as having low scores in the index of Multiple Deprivation.
Monitoring and evaluation
These criteria will be evaluated after six months and annually thereafter.
Average visitor numbers for each stop will be reviewed quarterly and stop times adjusted accordingly.
Procedure for withdrawal of stops
Where there is no use of the service for 3 consecutive visits or where average customer fall below the minimum required, the Mobile and Community Services Manager will be alerted and steps will be taken to promote the stop locally. If this is unsuccessful the service will be withdrawn and the Home Delivery Service will be offered to those individuals who meet the criteria.
Applications for new stops
Applications for new stops will be considered only where they indicate the potential to be used regularly by an average of at least four people. The Home Delivery Service may be offered as an alternative if the customer meets the criteria.
Priority will be given to those places deemed to be areas of greater social deprivation based on the Government figures in force at the time of application.
Where timetables allow, new stops will come into operation within nine weeks after agreement to provide the service has been reached. This will allow sufficient time for the planning and publication of a new timetable and for other users to be informed of any changes.
