Welsh Minister announces extra £150,000 for tackling child poverty through cultural institutions

Speaking in the National Assembly for Wales yesterday (5 February 2013) the Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage, Huw Lewis AM, pledged an additional £150,000 to help museums, libraries and archives in Wales adopt and enhance initiatives to help eradicate child poverty. This additional funding is earmarked for work that will widen access and participation, providing a step-change in increased participation in museums, archives and libraries by the poorest families in Wales. Museums, archives and libraries open minds and open doors to previously closed areas of society.We must work to preserve library services in these very difficult financial times, but that we should simultaneously and pro-actively work to ensure that no one is excluded from using these services.

The Minister's statement is available via the attached Senedd.tv clip and runs for approximately 30 minutes including questions. Full transcript of the Senedd item will of course be available via the Record of Proceedings.  Below I have tried to summarise key points from the session for wider dissemination.





In brief overview the Minister noted [points in bold emphasised by me]:

• Museums, archives and libraries (MAL) do play an important role, along with other aspects of Civil Society and the Government in Wales, in working towards the eradication of child poverty. MAL provide gateways to knowledge, lifelong learning and increased understanding. They collectively work to reduce inequalities by being open to all, helping to improve life chances, developing skills and improving quality of life. The sector nurtures aspiration. These results arise not just because of financial resourcing for the sector, but result through the committed attitude of staff and volunteers.
• Commended the development of Child Poverty strategies by the National Museum for Wales and the National Library for Wales. By working in partnership with Communities First and Families First schemes both organisations have recently involved an additional 600 children and young people.
• Looking specifically at public libraries the Minister noted that they provide safe, welcoming environments with free access to resources - vital within the context of helping to eradicate child poverty. The Minister drew special attention to:
• the Incomplete field guide to wellbeing and libraries - recently launched (see this blog entry)
• improving literacy levels in Wales is central to the national strategy Libraries Inspire, emphasising the importance of sharing books and reading with children
• multi-agency approaches: delivering Book Start which now reaches 95% of families ; Flying Start now frequently use public libraries as venues for their activities and meetings.
• investment in children's public library services which can lead to increased number of children's visits to libraries of  an additional 50%.
• essential work in supporting adults - work that will have implications for eradicating child poverty. For example, assisting with job searches, improving and helping internet use - especially crucial where government services are increasingly only delivered online.

The additional £150k announced yesterday comes on top of the previously identified funding of £2.9M, and is specifically earmarked for work that will widen access and participation, working towards a step-change in increased participation in MAL by the poorest families. In this way MAL can enrich the lives of the poorest children and help them out of poverty. 

Museums, archives and libraries open minds and open doors to previously closed off areas of society.          Huw Lewis 5/2/13

Questions in the Chamber broadly supported and welcomed this statement, but there were some concerns and challenges:

• How will success be measured? How will this extra funding be directed - overcoming transport barriers, on broadband internet? Not directly answered by the Minister, but he noted:
•  the increasing thirst for accessing Welsh Culture, noting the free entry policy for national museum sites, and increasing availability of online access. 
• where investment has been made in children's library services then 50% increase in usage is seen. Wales is the only part of the UK where we still continue to see increasing numbers of public library visits.
• Given current public sector budget cuts how can we ensure viable public libraries, given the tendency to cut cultural services before other things? In response, the Minister said:
• In Wales cultural budgets certainly aren't the first targets for cuts. The Minister noted the situation in England where there is almost daily news of significant cuts to libraries, including reports of mass closures. The Minister is determined that this will not happen in Wales. Yes, these are times for imagination and investment; solutions such as co-location may work well.
•  his commitment to the public library service in Wales, again re-iterating that all powers will be used, and measures taken in order to ensure "comprehensive public library services" as required by the Museums and Public Libraries Act 1964.
• There was concern and doubt whether this additional money would need to be spent within the current financial year. If so, this may only give a couple of months for expenditure to occur.
• Jenny Rathbone AM (Cardiff Central) noted the recently announced cuts in Cardiff Public Libraries of £22M, but that no library will close. Libraries will be open on 5 days per week including Saturdays, instead of 6 days. The importance of story times, rhyme time, language and play sessions in deprived areas was noted, especially given that books aren't a central feature in many homes in of the poorest families. But how will the money be targeted?
• The Minister noted that the emphasis must not be on just preserving library services in very difficult financial times. The additional funding announced demonstrates the Welsh Government's desire to embark on an historic shift of who benefits from cultural organisations. We need to be pro-active in ensuring that no one is excluded.

Update

Welsh Government published the related news story on 7th February 2013 http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/cultureandsport/2013/130207changingcultures/

Walk-In Access Wales Event

The Carmarthen Campus of University of Wales Trinity Saint David played host to an excellent event reviewing progress and experience gained in providing walk-in access to members of the public to subscription electronic resources within university libraries. A wide range of librarians, mostly from higher and further education and public library authorities, attended the event providing lively and informed debate.

I tweeted during the event using the hashtag #wiaw and a record of these and associated tweets is available in this TweetDoc. 

It seems that many university library services have had Walk-In Access (WIA) on their agendas since the publication of the SCONUL / UCISA  HAERVI (HE Access to e-Resources in Visited Institutions) report in 2008. However, only in more recent times have factors coincided to enable some university library services in Wales to establish pilot WIA schemes. Recent focus on open access to the published outputs of public funded research  and the Finch Report have perhaps helped to swell the impetus for open access more widely, and in this context WIA too. 

Coincidentally, I think that most would agree that WIA isn't an ideal solution, and it most certainly isn't a desired end-point for open access. Enabling non-HE Library members on-site access within a University Library to e-resources still doesn't make it really easy for members of the public to access and use these  electronic subscriptions. But this is one stage further forward, and the learning  gained will be invaluable in devising and adopting easier, more ambitious solutions for the future. There will also be additional bonuses of  helping universities with goals of greater community and alumni engagement, improving usage and return from costly subscriptions, marketing and promoting the institution, and building on links with other library and information providers within their region.

Three sessions from colleagues at the University of Wales, Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University did much to discount some common myths relating to WIA and to highlight some different technical solutions used in providing access. 

Some myths: 

• Subscription licenses won't allow us to offer WIA. True in some cases, but also several large subscription deals such as NESLI and EduServ do allow access. Even some big publisher packages such as EBSCO allow WIA as a standard condition in their licenses. The list appears to be expanding. Check with other WIA schemes to see what they are providing and then double-check your equivalent subscription's license agreement.  (For instance: SWRLS - Libraries in the South West of England; or Scotland SCURL Walk-In Access Project). 
• Purpose of usage may be a problem as WIA is generally restricted to educational /  non-commercial use only. All walk-in users are asked to agree and sign a terms of use document. With appropriate documentation, support, training and guidance then this process should minimise the risk of infringing WIA use to the host institution.
• HE Libraries will be inundated with WIA requests, and that these users may  pose challenges to staffing / service standards. However, the reality is that WIA users are likely to be very low volume: tens per year, rather than hundreds or thousands. (In many cases university library services haven't yet actively marketed WIA arrangements, preferring to take a  "soft launch" approach for these pilot projects). Furthermore, the majority of the most likely WIA users will be ex-higher education students, and so will already have lots of search experience and knowledge, and so may not require extensive support. Institutions may also be able to control access times and manage user expectations by asking potential users to contact the organisation in advance. 

Some technical stuff:

• Most pilots WIA schemes have focused on providing access to IP authenticated resources. The   control of appropriate access via IP authentication guarantees to database providers that the resource has been used "on-site" and so is a straightforward access criterion to us. Other authentication systems, such as ATHENS or Shibboleth, haven't been successful for WIA so far.
• In many cases WIA users are provided with guest accounts to access to OPAC machines or other specified quick-use machines. These tend to be sited in libraries, close to service / help points. 
• All have developed local and different routines for allocating guest access, verification / ID checking etc. It would be good to standardise these in the future for the benefit of users. Similarly, some allow access with printing, whilst others allow downloading to USB memory sticks, and again consistency may be beneficial in aiding users' expectations and usage experience.
• Buy-In and support from Institutional IT Services has been essential. 

These are only very quick notes, and I hope that the presentations will be available via the project's blog shortly. There were also two parallel sessions in the afternoon which I haven't commented on here. Again the blog may provide notes from these. One output from the project will be a WIAW Toolkit which will help other institutions to roll-out WIA in their organisations. 

Some concluding thoughts:

• WIA should only be considered as a way-marker, and not an end in itself. We should also think about where we would like to be going in the future. A Utopian dream?  A wide range of HE subscription e-resources collaboratively procured for HE, FE and public use across all of Wales? Compare this with E-Books Wales or Public Libraries E-Resources offers and perhaps this isn't so Utopian! We should capitalise on our small nation status to provide such innovative, resource sharing solutions.
• Need to focus on user experience: reducing barriers and hurdles to usage wherever possible. This means standardising as far as possible. Standardisation would also enable economies of scale through pan-Wales marketing, evaluation, metrics etc.
• We should continue to use WIA as a  opportunity to develop an improved understanding of our local partner services, their collections and resources, and their user groups. Perhaps we can easily identify key user groups where initiatives may provide big wins. For WIA might this include U3A groups, local alumni, local historians / local studies experts? Similarly WIA could form a useful topic of continuing bilateral discussion and action between the Welsh Higher Education Libraries Forum (WHELF) and the Society of Chief Librarians in Wales. 

This was an excellent event and I know that this blog is far from a complete summary of the key learning points from the day. But this may spark comment, further debate, or links to other reports and accounts from the day. 

My thanks go to Alison Harding and Bronwen Blatchford for organising the event, and to the speakers who provided fascinating accounts of their own experiences to date.

Community managed libraries and Wales

CILIP Cymru Wales wholeheartedly supports the press release issued by CILIP  in London on 25 January 2013 – “Chartered Institute warns of dangerous “headlong rush” to create more community managed libraries”. However, despite being in the enviable position of having a national libraries strategy, and associated public library standards, we recognise that Wales is not immune to the realities of library closures and increasing likelihood of volunteer-assisted and community-managed services. We argue that the characteristics of geography and economic deprivation in Wales will mean that many community–managed library services in Wales will be unsustainable.

CILIP Cymru Wales share and echo the concerns identified by CILIP on the recent publication of the Arts Council for England report into community-managed libraries. We concur that:

·         “Good public libraries need the expertise  and knowledge of skilled staff to provide quality services”. The implication that community managed libraries will provide a similar level of service to properly staffed libraries is incorrect. Volunteers should only complement and not displace paid staff, as enshrined in CILIP statement on volunteering in public libraries.

·         Many volunteers in libraries are in the horrid position of having to manage their library or to lose it entirely. The recent report from the National Federation of Women’s Institutes demonstrates that the experiences of volunteers in community managed libraries are not always positive.

·         Community managed libraries raise the spectre of a two-tier public library service. CILIP’s vision is for a fair and economically prosperous society underpinned by literacy, access to information and the transfer of knowledge. A two-tier service is far from our vision for equity of access for all.

·         The call for publication and dissemination of the research used in the production of the ACE Report is also supported by CILIP Cymru Wales. We need access to as much research and evidence about volunteer / community managed libraries as possible.

In Wales public library services are fortunate in being underpinned by the Welsh Government’s strategy “Libraries Inspire” and the Welsh Public Library Standards. We also appreciate the direct Ministerial and Departmental (CyMAL) support and recognition for the value that public library services provide to communities and their social, educational, health, cultural and  economic wellbeing. (For instance, see this earlier blog). The tradition of political support for public libraries in Wales is a long and proud one. Nevertheless, Welsh unitary authorities are facing increasingly difficult budget settlements, coupled with increasing demands on their statutory services. A as a consequence we are beginning to see library closures in Wales.

CILIP Cymru Wales recognises that in some areas the landscape of public library service delivery needs to change. Improved public library services may result through partnership working with other agencies and bodies,   through relocation to shared buildings, to locations that are easier to access, and to buildings that can be maintained  and run more cost effectively, whilst also meeting more of the needs of the communities that they serve. We also recognise that Wales is not immune to the prospect of increasing numbers of community managed libraries . However, as the ACE report records:

“evidence suggests that low-income communities are likely to find it harder to play pro-active and sustainable role in managing their local libraries”.

This is particularly relevant to many areas in Wales, especially in these difficult economic times. The likelihood of sustainable community managed  library services within rural and sparsely populated areas is also very doubtful, and another key factor in Wales.

CILIP Cymru Wales will be doing all that we can to lobby against a “headlong rush into community-managed libraries”. Such a solution would, in most instances, not be fit for Wales, and so would have negative implications for the people of Wales. The status quo is not in itself sustainable, and so we recognise that change in the library landscape of Wales should and must happen. But we will be seeking to work with others to ensure that creative partnerships, collaborations and solutions result in  the provision of  sustainable, vibrant, effective and enriching public library services that are available to all in Wales.

  

CILIP Cymru Wales Annual Conference

I'm in the final stages of preparing information for the release of publicity and to open delegate bookings for the CILIP Cymru Wales Conference 2013. (Further information to follow shortly!) So imagine my delight when I read in today's press release that one of our keynote speakers, Liz McGettigan, Director of Edinburgh City Libraries, has been confirmed on the Guardian's Public Leaders Network editorial advisory panel.

Liz is a CILIP Trustee and has been chosen to be on the Advisory Board for her expertise in digital services and inclusion. You will be able to hear Liz speak in Cardiff, at the Conference, on Thursday 16th May at 10.20am. Don't delay in booking your delegate place!

If you are a Twitter user you might care to follow Liz @lizmcgettigan! Liz tweets some really fascinating and useful information.

Open access information - The Finch Report - urgent call for evidence

The CILIP Policy Department are exploring the feasibility of responding to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee Inquiry into the implementation of the Finch Report on expanding access to research publications.

Urgent feedback from colleagues working in the Higher Education sector is sought on the implications of the Finch Report. Please submit your evidence before 5pm on 31st January 2013 to policy@cilip.org.uk or by submitting a comment on the CILIP Information & Advice Blog where further information is also available. The following text comes from the CILIP blog:

"CILIP supports, as a matter of principle, measures to improve people’s access to information. We acknowledge that the underpinnings for the economic model that has supported the publication of scholarly research for the past 350 years have gone.  However the gold model recommended by Finch and accepted by the government has many ramifications for libraries and has divided opinion amongst CILIP members.  [...]

Do you have evidence of what’s happening – or what you predict will happen –in relation to the above in your institution?  

Things to consider when collating evidence could include:

•    What impact is the transition to gold open access having on library budgets?  Are funds being diverted to pay for Article Payment Charges (APCs)?  Should libraries be involved in managing open access spending for APCs?  
•    Does the gold model disadvantage research-intensive universities?
•   What about humanities and social science research - this is often undertaken without any dedicated funding from external sources – what is the impact, if any, on these collections?
•   Will the preferred gold model end up costing more? There are huge cost implications if APCs rise, the UK remains ahead of the rest of the world, and fees for non-UK authors are not being met by their funders/institution
•   Is green open access a more viable route to expanding access to published research, or are repositories on their own ineffective?

Please help if you can!

Welsh Government Minister speaks powerfully in support of public library services

At the launch of the First Incomplete Field Guide to Wellbeing in Libraries, at a conference in Newport on Thursday 16 January 2013, Huw Lewis AM, Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage, spoke powerfully in recognition of the significant contributions that public libraries make in supporting the health and wellbeing of people in Wales.  It seemed to be the consensus of delegates that Huw spoke more powerfully on this occasion than anytime previously,  in support of public libraries in Wales , noting the strong contrasts between the situation in Wales and England. The Minister encouraged delegates to contact CyMAL at an early stage with any concerns about changes to public library services in Wales. CyMAL would seek to work in partnership with the Service and the Local Authority to address such concerns. The implication appeared to be that the Welsh Government would ensure that standards of public library service and provision in Wales must be maintained despite the current public sector financial restrictions. Lines in the sand have been drawn.



Professor Sir Mansel Aylward (Chair, Public Health Wales) and Huw Lewis AM celebrate the launch of the First Incomplete Field Guide to Wellbeing in Libraries. Image (c) LibraryWales http://librarywales.org/blogs/marketing/?p=2947



Libraries aren’t add-ons; they are not extras or “nice to haves”. The provision of information and knowledge isn’t an extra.

I made notes on Huw’s speech, and as there doesn’t appear to be a publicly available copy, it may be useful to summarise the main points here. This is far from a verbatim report, but I hope that I have the main thrust and points to the speech. If you were there and disagree, or have more to add, please do comment!

Public Libraries do invaluable work to support the delivery and improvement of health and wellbeing. Being at the heart of our communities libraries are safe, social, supportive, open to all, and are recognised as being reliable and trustworthy. Libraries have a profound impact on peoples’ lives and quality of life – they are hugely empowering. The Incomplete Field Guide illustrates and demonstrates the many ways in which public libraries support health and wellbeing in Wales. It is hoped that the Guide will serve as a catalyst or stimulus for further development, especially for the creation of new partnerships and developments.

Government policy needs to take a holistic view – serving the needs of the whole of society and of the whole person. Libraries can support the delivery of holistic services. Libraries link people with the information that they need, and so will aid this holistic provision.

We should recognise that Wales is a world-leader in developing the first Books on Prescription Scheme. An innovative partnership of mental health professionals, GPs and Public Libraries saw the development, in 2003, of the Cardiff-based scheme prescribing titles to support the treatment of mild and moderate mental health conditions. The scheme expanded across all of Wales in 2005 to become Book Prescription Wales. BPW remains a highly valued initiative by the Welsh Government.  Indeed, many nations have now followed Wales’ lead, implementing similar books on prescription schemes.

We are living in economically very difficult times, but never has the Welsh body-politic turned its back on libraries. Indeed, the agenda of modernisation is truly alive today

The Welsh Government continues to support, celebrate, showcase, expand the agenda for, and to protect public libraries. The contrast is especially stark when compared with England. In Wales the number of visits to public libraries continues to increase. Not so in many English public library authorities.  It would appear that in England, Local Councils see public libraries as disposable assets, closing libraries or pushing them out to be volunteer–run. For Wales the view is most certainly different. Libraries aren’t add-ons; they are not extras or “nice to haves”. The provision of information and knowledge isn’t an extra.

We are living in economically very difficult times, but never has the Welsh body-politic turned its back on libraries. Indeed, the agenda of modernisation is truly alive today, supported through CyMAL Funding. Public Libraries, the Welsh Government in CyMAL, and local authorities need to work in partnership to enhance and ensure modernisation of public libraries. There is strong need for continued work for libraries to address the needs of new audiences, continuing to serve traditional or “core” library users, but engaging and working with new audiences. The Incomplete Field Guide illustrates much great work in this area and developments such as this need to continue and expand.

Partnership working with CyMAL was especially stressed. The Minister urged us to provide CyMAL with early indications of concern or of problems in public libraries. There are very clear expectations for standards of public libraries in Wales. The implication appeared to be that CyMAL and the Welsh Government will take a strong stance to ensure that these requirements are achieved.

In closing his speech the Minister stressed that healthy public libraries are a pre-requisite of civilised living. He urged us to take the Incomplete Field Guide as a source of inspiration and to build on this. Mental health provides a massive, challenging agenda. Austerity also provides significant challenges. How do we continue to provide the same level of service, or make improvements, during these tough times? We must share good practice and develop productive partnerships in order to meet the challenges of supporting improving mental health and austerity.

Public Health in Wales is high on the agenda, with the direction of travel seeking to empower people to best help themselves. Public Health Wales and Public Libraries have a lot to gain in working together in this context.

the Minister continues to place Public Libraries at the heart of a civilised society, and sees them as essential in delivering, through partnership with others, vital services including those that benefit health and wellbeing.

Informal feedback from a few delegates I spoke to after the event agreed that this was the strongest, most supportive speech for public libraries in Wales that the Minister has made so far. Let us be under no illusions, local authorities in Wales are under increasing financial pressures, and are facing very real difficulties in balancing budgets whilst maintaining core services such as education and social services. All public library services in Wales are feeling these pressures. But the Minister continues to place Public Libraries at the heart of a civilised society, and sees them as essential in delivering, through partnership with others, vital services including those that benefit health and wellbeing.  Delegates came away feeling that the Minister would take action where a public library authority fails to adequately support its service.

Update:  Yesterdays Daily Post North Wales includes information about CyMAL's intervention with Anglesey Council over planned budget cuts to the service. See http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2013/01/23/anglesey-libraries-face-spiral-of-decline-warn-welsh-government-body-55578-32657437/ . I can do no better than quote Ian Anstice in Public Libraries News of 23 January:

 "There have been a lot of changes in councils today with Anglesey, Denbighshire, Kent, Leicester, Newport, Southampton and Tower Hamlets all having amendments on the list. While the changes make clear that Wales is not exempt from cuts, the clear difference is that the Welsh Government - in the form of Cymal - has issued what amounts as a warning to Anglesey.  Such a direct action would simply never happen in 2013 England."

Stephen Gregory

Policy Officer (Wales) - Maternity Cover

CILIP Cymru

Further update 1/2/13 - The Incomplete Field Guide is now available at

http://www.goscl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Wellbeing-in-Libraries1.pdf 

 

Promoting Health: Libraries your community asset

An event at the City Centre Campus of the University of Wales, Newport on Thursday 17th January,  saw a wide range of librarians and health professionals gather to discuss and celebrate the contributions that public libraries make to health and wellbeing (HWB). In the afternoon the Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage launched the "First incomplete field guide to wellbeing in Libraries" (see this blog for further information). Here I provide information from the formal sessions in the morning.



Promoting Health - morning speakers
L to R: Prof Neil Frude, Susan Morris, Linda Tomos, Diane Raybould, Prof Sir Mansel Aylward (Chair)

This report follows the format of the event programme:

• Book Prescription Wales - Prof. Neil Frude
• Libraries Inspire - Linda Tomos
• Cancer information in the community - Susan Morris
• Making it work in Rhondda Cynon Taf - Diane Raybould
• Panel Question Time

 Book Prescription Wales (BPW) - Professor Neil Frude

Come, and take choice of all my library, And so beguile thy sorrow. (Shakespeare. Titus Andronicus, Act 4, Scene 1)

Professor Neil Frude, a clinical psychologist who was instrumental in the development of the BPW scheme, spoke persuasively and with huge passion. Neil is a truly fantastic advocate for libraries! The session provided background on the formation of the BPW, considered possible future developments with the scheme and outlined a broader picture of libraries in supporting HWB.

Book prescription - origins in Wales

The Cardiff Book Prescription Scheme, a truly innovative and now widely copied initiative, was launched in 2003. A collaboration between:

•  mental health experts who identified quality resources for the book list,
• general practitioners who made the prescriptions, and
•  public libraries who made the core list of titles widely available from safe, accessible, welcoming, respected premises

Book Prescription recognises and exploits that self-help treatment manuals for some minor and moderate mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, eating disorders etc) can be extremely effective in enabling sufferers to overcome these conditions. Books encapsulate the expertise of highly successful therapists, and enable cheap onward delivery, meaning that book prescription is usually extremely cost effective.

In 2005 the Book Prescription Scheme was expanded to operate throughout Wales. The book list has been revised and expanded, and a broader spectrum of health professionals now refer to the Scheme (e.g. Community Psychiatric Nurses, Health Visitors, Counsellors) as well as other agencies (e.g. prison libraries, workplace occupational health services, job centres, voluntary groups). BPW has gone from strength to strength and now accounts for more than 30,000 book loans each year, and three out of ten of the most borrowed non-fiction titles are from the BPW list. The scheme now includes audio-books, with four titles in Welsh, and there is also parallel scheme for childrens' books.

Future direction?

Neil wonders whether the BPW scheme could be expanded further to encompass some titles for dealing with physical illness - for instance coping with chronic pain, arthritis, managing diabetes effectively.  These texts work by empowering people, enabling them to improve the management of their condition - self-management.  In order to achieve this further collaborative work would be required: the appropriate professionals (from a variety of health care fields) would need to select suitable resources; libraries would need to stock them; and health care professionals know to prescribe them. Overall this could be incredibly cost-saving and life enhancing.

Wider benefits of libraries in HWB

Neil closed his presentation by briefly summarising the wider benefits of libraries to HWB, noting the MLA report of 2010 from England. There are actual, potential and incidental benefits to health and wellbeing through libraries, in addition to specific schemes that operate directly to benefit HWB: therapeutic reading groups; books on prescription; creative bibliotherapy; specific themed events etc.

Libraries Inspire - Linda Tomos (Director, CyMAL)

In a session that asked more questions than provided answers, Linda challenged participants to provide ideas to enhance Libraries Inspire - the national strategy for libraries. The Strategy will be in place until the next Assembly Election (2016) and so there is still time to influence and implement. We must demonstrate what we do (and The First Incomplete Field Guide toWellbeing in Libraries is a fantastic example of this), but also what more we could do if given additional resource. Government will be keen to learn of new ways to deliver services with less money.

Although CyMAL's primary role is to provide informed advice to Ministers on museums, archives and libraries, it also see itself as a an enabler, fostering the art of the possible. Synergies should be identified and exploited. The partnerships between health and libraries is a great example of how rewarding these links can be.

Aside from bibliotherapy and the likes of BPW, Linda also noted that libraries offer fantastic opportunities for volunteers, and in doing so libraries have contributed to the HWB of their volunteers. [This is of course true, but it is yet one further, and in my view regrettable, steer from CyMAL to encourage the use of volunteers in libraries].

Linda noted the previous strong and exciting but unsuccessful bid to the Big Lottery Fund to develop BPW for the management of some physical illnesses. Picking up on Neil's session, Linda now wondered whether it might be appropriate to revisit the proposal and to try again. [Again, I welcome this suggestion, but at the same time can't help but be saddened that government funding couldn't be sought for such an initiative].

The Welfare Reform process, including Universal Credit, introduced by the Westminster Government, will have significant impact in Wales. We need to work effectively to protect the most vulnerable in our societies. However, significant progress has been made in the past. The widespread introduction and use of adaptive technologies in Welsh Libraries needs to be celebrated. The Peoples' Network was phenomenally significant. Should we now be thinking along the lines of PN Mark 2?

Linda urged this to be the start of a conversation for enhancing Libraries Inspire in the run up to 2016. And to question what we are doing, are we doing it well, and is this providing maximum benefit for our communities?

Cancer Information in the Community - Susan Morris, Macmillan Cancer Support Wales

The story of cancer has changed significantly over recent years. People diagnosed with cancer are living longer and with improved quality of life. Sixty percent of people diagnosed with cancer will live for five or more years beyond their diagnosis. In those diagnosed with breast cancer 80% will have a five year survival rate. In Wales 17,000 people will receive a diagnosis of cancer each year.

Susan reminded us that much of the focus for cancer remains in clinical settings. For many people this is a really difficult place to receive, retain, understand and act on information. It also means that the broader emotional, psychological, social and financial needs of people with cancer are unmet. Information and support needs are huge, and extend for a longer time as cancer, in many cases, becomes a chronic condition. The impact, support and information needs reside not only with the person with the cancer diagnosis, but with family members, friends, colleagues and carers.

Macmallan's view is that information and support needs to be available in the community, that it is available from diagnosis, through treatment and afterwards, and should be available for all touched by cancer, and needs to cover holistic needs (emotional, psychological, social and financial). In this context  MCSW have four 3 year pilot projects, providing Cancer Information Specialists in South East Wales operating within public library services and contactable online or by telephone. Macmillan have also provided training and support to 75 Boots pharmacists in Wales, so that they can provide greater support and signposting.

Things are changing. The Welsh Government's Five Year Cancer Delivery Plan identifies the need for personalised and holistic assessment of needs. Public Health Wales have also been charged with providing a Strategic Information Lead, recognising the difficulties in easily accessing high quality. consistent information on the internet. Macmillan Cancer Support  already do much for the dissemination of high quality, digestible information. But having a single source for reliable, reviewed and trusted health information would clearly be advantageous.

Rhondda Breast Friends - Diane Raybould

Diane spoke about her personal experience, her struggle and war, resulting in personal action in the community. Rhondda Breast Friends was established in 2006, recognising the huge and mostly unmet information needs of people and families facing breast cancer. In 2009 RBF established partnership projects with Public Libraries in RCT. This recognised that libraries were close to their communities, were open to all and provided safe spaces to provide information and support. The provision of appropriate information can help empower and educate, and thereby relieve anxiety and fear. Diane echoed Susan's point that hospitals / clinical settings aren't good spaces to deliver this continuing and extended information support. This support needs to be:

• clear, easy to understand, and given at appropriate times
• locally available, with 1:1 support, and able to accommodate learning disabilities etc.
• provided in a suitable environment - safe, comfortable, aways from the "medical blur", provided with a listening ear with someone who cares and believes in you
• empowering - actions need to result

Libraries are "centres of empowerment" and therefore they are obvious points of delivery for these types of service.

Panel Question Time

Regrettably, my note taking during the panel session wasn't as good as it should have been. I won't directly attribute comments therefore.

Q1 noted the excellent sustainability of the BPW scheme: it is a simple scheme, backed up by extensive evidence of effectiveness, and is extremely cost effective. Are there parallels that we can draw from this?

• BPW use for chronic conditions doesn't seem so straightforward to achieve, or so certain.
• There is no single one-stop-shop for quality health care information. Public Health Wales' strategic lead for this could be great, and hugely beneficial.
• A reminder to use what you've got, but to use it more effectively. This may be a case of bringing together existing (and often statutory) services, so that they can work more effectively together.
• Using Big Lottery Funding to pump-prime projects that then realise financial savings / benefits and so are therefore fundable from existing resources
• Noted that BPW tackles a very discrete set of issues and it's impact can therefore be readily determined. Other health care contexts are more complex and diffuse, there are a variety of interventions, and a wide range of benefits. Attributing cause and effect in these contexts is difficult. The value of social intervention is difficult to gauge.

Q2. Is it possible to role out BPW to include physical conditions? We've already seen the example of Exercise on Prescription!

• Establishing a list of quality audited resources would be more difficult because of the wide range of health care professionals that would need to be involved.
• Great ideas can easily get parked and buried - Neil gave evidence to a House of Commons Select Committee on the effectiveness of book prescription but nothing came of this. Ministers need clear evidence of effectiveness but in some instances this evidence isn't available. Under such circumstances we become trapped in a scientific Catch-22 situation.

Q3. Comment from Steve Hardman (Swansea Libraries). What happens when there are no public libraries? We need to act before it is too late. In Swansea 26,000 HWB loans were made last year. People borrow these items because they need them, not because they are great reads. Who will provide this service if public libraries aren't there?

• Linda responded that BPW was funded from health budgets. We need to seek alternative funding sources to help us develop our services.

Sir Mansel also reminded the audience that the Public Health Green Paper will place health high on the policy agenda. We need to be wary of it's impact, to be actively involve in consultation and dialogue, and to sieze opportunities that arise from it.