Northern Ireland Library Authority

LATEST NEWS

DCAL Minister and the Chief Executive (designate) of the NI Library Authority met the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee to discuss the Library Authority.

Minister addresses CAL Committee about the new Library Authority- Click here for a copy of his speech.

Chief Executive (Designate) of new Library Authority outlines forward work plan to the CAL Committee.  Click here for a copy of her speech.

Chief Executive (Designate) of new Library Authority gives her review of the year, December 2007 Click here for a copy of her Review (16KB)

NI Library Authority

Under the Review of Public Administration, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced on 21 March 2006 that a regional library body would be established to take forward delivery of library services across Northern Ireland.  The Authority will be unique in the UK in its administration of the public library service

Since then:

• The Northern Ireland Executive agreed the decision to create a new single Library Authority.
• The Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure decided that the Authority should be operational from April 2009.  
• Legislation to bring the NI Library Authority into being has been passed by the Assembly and received Royal Assent.

The new authority will put a premium on delivering a modern, efficient service to library users.  To that end, the policy document ‘Delivering Tomorrow’s Libraries’ will lay the foundations for the establishment of the new authority.

The Review of Public Administration (RPA)

The Review of Public Administration (RPA) was a comprehensive examination of the arrangements for the administration and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.  

Further Information on the Review of Public Administration (RPA) is available here.

What is DCAL’s role?

Our role is to implement the decision to create the new Library Authority.  To do this, we need to:

Draw up new legislation to provide a statutory basis for the authority;

Separate library functions from those of education in the Education and Library Boards;

Set up the new authority, by appointing a Chief Executive and the members of the Board, and by ensuring that the organisation has the necessary support and systems in place to be operational from April 2009.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:

Why was the model of a free-standing Library Authority chosen?

Public libraries have cultural, recreational and community roles, as well as educational.  A stand-alone library authority provides a good basis for making professional and partnership links with a range of interests and sectors to reflect libraries’ wide roles.  Such links include education, adult learning, health, advice services, local government and community provision.  

Why were libraries disaggregated from education?

Libraries have an important place in the life of a community outside the formal education system. Libraries provide a service:

to all citizens, not school children alone,

for lifelong learning, not just for under eighteens,

for informal learning, not just formal educational structures.

A stand-alone regional library authority provides clear lines of accountability and responsibility to DCAL.

The RPA was meant to streamline – why then a new body?

The move from a service delivered by 5 bodies to a more coherent single regional body is a streamlining measure.

Will it require new legislation?  When will that be complete?

Yes. The Libraries Bill was introduced to the N.I. Assembly in June 2007 and is currently being scrutinised by the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee.

What will be the relationship between libraries and education in the future?

We fully expect strong links to be forged between the library authority and the new education authority.  Many of the library service’s valuable initiatives – the Bookstart initiative for under-fives, story-telling sessions, homework clubs, primary school visits – relate to education services for children and young people, and it is vital these continue.  The links between the public library service and the schools’ library service have also been of great value in providing professional library support to schools.

What about the Schools’ Library Service?

The Schools’ library Service will be the responsibility of the Education and Skills Authority. DE and DCAL will expect continued co-operation between the schools’ library and the public library services.  Discussions are taking place between DE , DCAL and the Boards  on the best way forward.

How can local and community connections be ensured when there is only one body for the whole of Northern Ireland?

The Library Authority will work in partnership with local authorities, together with other agencies, as part of their community planning responsibilities.  

When will it be in place?

1 April 2009.

Where will it be based?

Currently the NI Library Authority Implementation Team is based at a temporary location in Lisburn.

Will the Authority all be in a headquarters or will there be local bases?

Staff working in local libraries across Northern Ireland will of course continue to be based in those libraries, and there will be bases for mobile libraries at various points.  The degree of sub-regional structure is not yet determined.