People in Calderdale and members of the borough’s libraries are being asked to share their feedback on updated proposals for how library stock is managed.
Calderdale library service is updating its Stock Management Policy which states how books, electronic and other resources should be acquired, managed and made available.
It has been ten years since the Calderdale policy was last fully reviewed, and a new revised draft has now been created which aims to provide the maximum benefit for the people of Calderdale, within the available library budget.
A huge volume of material is published annually in print and electronic formats, and the constraints of space and budget mean that it is impossible for the library service to buy everything. Libraries in Calderdale aim to provide access to as wide a range of material as possible to support the information, learning, business, cultural and leisure needs of the borough.
The updated draft policy includes the stock selection criteria for the wide range of library resources, including adult fiction and non-fiction, children and young people’s fiction and information resources, audio and talking books and much more.
It also includes detail around the usage of digital resources, such as eBooks, eAudio Books, digital newspapers, magazines and comics. The usage of these items for information, leisure and recreational pursuits is increasing and the library service intends to develop provision of these items.
The stock policy document has been created with the aim of reflecting the needs of Calderdale communities, and the Council is encouraging people to share their feedback on the policy to ensure it meets this objective. The policy can be viewed at www.calderdale.gov.uk/libraries, where there’s also a survey available for people to share their views.
The survey should take around 5 to 10 minutes to complete and paper surveys are also available at all Calderdale libraries. The deadline for responses is Wednesday 31 January 2024.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Jenny Lynn, said:
“Our libraries are at the heart of Calderdale’s communities, and we want to ensure that the many and varied resources which are available can meet people’s needs for reading, information, learning and enjoyment.
“There’s a huge amount of material available, so to ensure we can provide a diverse amount of content, which is consistent across our service, our stock purchasing is guided by policy.
“It’s been some time since we last updated our policy, so we’ve published a revised draft which we believe better meets the current requirements of library users and allows us to respond to existing and emerging trends.
“We’re inviting people to have their say on the proposed draft, to ensure the library service sufficiently caters for the communities it serves.”
For more information on Calderdale libraries, visit https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/libraries ENDS