The role of Libraries and Archives in Promoting Social Inclusion and Lifelong Learning

I wish to update Members on the contribution that the library and archives sector in Wales is making to the promotion of social inclusion and lifelong learning; and about two important publications that the sector has just launched.

The booklet produced by the Society of Chief Librarians is aimed at politicians, and highlights the services provided by public libraries and their contribution to Assembly priorities.

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals' Libraries and Lifelong Learning Strategy underlines the commitment of this professional body to working in all kinds of libraries to support and promote lifelong learning, and sets out its priorities for the next two years.

Members will receive individual copies shortly.

By achieving rapid progress on a variety of fronts, the library and archives sector represents a unique, universal resource, strongly positioned to work with the Assembly to improve the lives of people in Wales.  

Libraries are supporting economic, community and cultural vitality. They are one of the few services capable of providing truly lifelong learning opportunities with projects ranging from outreach work, such as Bookstart, to ‘Silver Surfers’ - ICT clubs for senior citizens.

Local records offices play a crucial part in ensuring open local government and freedom of information, providing unique insights into personal and community history.  

The National Library of Wales is making a specific contribution to learning, combining the functions of library, museum, academic institution, public record repository and learning centre. It is developing physical and virtual educational services, including a new Visitor Centre, to meet the needs of school, college students and lifelong learners; and to encourage greater exploitation of the Library's collections by higher and further education institutions.

The National Library is also playing a lead role in contributing to Cymru Ar-lein by developing cutting-edge technical skills and an electronic linked directory of Welsh and Welsh-interest websites; and working with partners to promote cultural tourism.

Funding has been provided, through the New Opportunities Fund, to implement the People’s ICT Network.  This is bringing, as far as practicable, all public libraries online by the end of 2002 to provide Internet access and other ICT services.  Unlike some other authorities in the UK, no Welsh authority plans to charge for the service.   The People’s Network is giving everyone in Wales the opportunity to become ‘e-citizens’, engaging interactively with Government.  Public libraries will also enjoy high speed access to the internet as they will be part of the broadband ‘life-long learning network’ for Wales, along with schools and other ICT learning centres. The free ICT services on offer in public libraries are having a significant impact on the services available locally, especially in rural areas.

The People’s Network initiative is also increasing the amount of electronic material available in order for online access to be fully and creatively utilised.  It is important that Welsh cultural and social history and life, and community information, is accessible electronically. This is important for social inclusion and lifelong learning but also vital for cultural tourism, especially attracting international visitors.   There are 6 major Welsh-based projects, rooted in the libraries and archives sector. They include Gathering the Jewels which is bringing together, in a single electronic site on the world wide web, a huge collection of images and texts located physically in libraries, museums, galleries and record offices throughout Wales.

These projects are acting as pathfinders, developing digitisation expertise and managing high quality bilingual electronic content. This improves Wales’ ICT skills base and therefore its economic advantage; and provides the basis for Assembly Government funded cultural digitisation projects, in particular Culture Cymru Online - an all-Wales network of ICT cultural services. The library and archives sector is playing a leading part in its development.

The growing body of cultural electronic content will be available to all learners; will be accessible in schools as part of the national grid for learning, and reach communities all over Wales.  A substantial part will continue to be produced and managed by the library and archives sector.

As well as making access to material easier by digitising content, the need exists for a comprehensive, searchable, online record of all library resources in Wales; research is ongoing to identify relevant factors. The research encompasses the printed holdings of all public libraries and all libraries in higher and further education in Wales.  This is the first attempt at a comprehensive survey of resource discovery across all library sectors in Wales and to recommend ways of realising the ultimate vision - an online system or systems that would allow all citizens, easily and at a glance, to discover library resources anywhere.

The library sector in Wales is working innovatively  to develop ways in which the different services they represent, such as higher and further education and public libraries, can be integrated to maximise access to learning for all.  There are 3 established cross-sectoral library partnerships in Wales – Atlis in Swansea , Galw in Wrexham and Newlis in Newport, with others being developed. The fundamental aim is to empower learning communities of all types by marketing the concept of all libraries within a community as a single resource, and providing access maps for learners to make full use of local resources in different types of libraries.  

Members will know that last year I introduced the first Standards and Library Plans for public libraries in Wales, which have equality of opportunity as an underlying theme, including providing services for the visually impaired.  Libraries will therefore welcome the launch of the first ever catalogue of Welsh Language Braille Books.  This is part of RNIB’s Right to Read Week and is funded by the Welsh Language Board.

The evidence is that the standards are already encouraging local authorities to take a more strategic approach to their public libraries.

I look forward to continuing to work with the sector in promoting social inclusion and lifelong learning, and continuing to update Members on new developments in the future, including the outcome of the consultation I launched last month on a strategic and advisory structure for museums, libraries and archives.