London Borough of Merton
Sheffield City Council
Open to all?Libraries and Social Exclusion
A conference to report the findings of the Library and Information Commission funded research project ‘Public Library Policy and Social Exclusion’
Monday 10 July 2000
The Library Association
7 Ridgmount Street
London WC1E 7AE
The research project, Public Library Policy and Social Exclusion, is due to report this summer and its findings and recommendations will be launched at this conference. In addition, the project team are delighted that both Mo Mowlam, the Cabinet Minister with lead responsibility for social exclusion issues, and Bob McKee, Chief Executive of the Library Association, have agreed to speak at the conference about libraries and social exclusion. Frances Hendrix, Director of LASER, will be chairing sessions throughout the day.
Recent months have seen a heightening of interest in the part that public libraries can play in tackling social exclusion. Reports such as DCMS consultation document Libraries for All and the PAT 15 Report Closing the Digital Divide have initiated a new and vigorous policy debate. This conference aims to further the debate by linking this national policy focus with the evidence and recommendations from the research project.
Bob McKee, Chief Executive of the Library Association, will open the conference, providing a professional perspective on social inclusion issues. Mo Mowlam will then speak about Government policy on social inclusion and the role that libraries can play. This will be followed by an introduction to the Public Library Policy and Social Exclusion research findings by members of the project team.
The afternoon sessions will focus on the future. Kevin Harris, a member of both the PAT15 and Libraries for all teams, will speak on ‘Social Inclusion in the Network Society.’ Members of the research team will then present the recommendations of the Public Library Policy and Social Exclusion research and discuss ways of taking forward the issues raised in the day.
The conference should be of interest to policymakers and practitioners in the field and all those with a stake in the future of the public library movement. Places are limited, and there is bound to be great demand for this important conference. Book your place now to avoid disappointment!
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
9.30 Registration / coffee
10.00 Introduction and Welcome.
Bob McKee, Chief Executive, Library Association
10.20 Social Inclusion: Government policy and the role that public libraries can play.
Mo Mowlam MP, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
11.00 Coffee
Project Findings
11.20 An introduction to and overview of the Public Library Policy and Social
Exclusion research.
John Vincent, Training for Change, Project Consultant
11.40 The project findings (1): How much do public libraries really do? – The results of a survey of public library authorities.
Dave Muddiman, Principal Lecturer, School of Information Management, Leeds Metropolitan University
12.20 The project findings (2): The inclusive library? – Case studies of public library authorities and social exclusion.
Martin Dutch, Group Librarian, Sheffield City Libraries and Rebecca Linley, Researcher, Leeds Metropolitan University
1.00 Lunch
The Future
2.15 Social Inclusion in the Network Society.
Kevin Harris, Head of Information,, Community Development Foundation
3.00 Tea
3.20 Transforming Libraries for Social Inclusion: the Recommendations of the Research Project.
John Pateman, Head of Libraries and Heritage, London Borough of Merton
3.50 Ways ahead.
Shiraz Durrani, Strategy and Commissioning Officer, London Borough of Merton
4.20 Close
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
Public Library Policy and Social Exclusion is a major policy research project based at the School of Information Management, Leeds Metropolitan University. The project is a partnership with the London Borough of Merton, Sheffield City Libraries and an independent consultant. Members of the research team, who will present the project’s findings at the conference, are Dave Muddiman and Rebecca Linley from LMU (project director and researcher), John Pateman and Shiraz Durrani (Merton), Martin Dutch (Sheffield) and John Vincent, the project consultant. The project was funded by the Library and Information Commission (now part of Re:source, the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries).
The aim of the project was to identify ways in which public libraries might best contribute to a socially inclusive information society. The research has explored the value and impact of the library in overcoming social exclusion and has also identified at key problems of public library work in this area. It aims to produce a series of recommendations which will help public libraries develop policy, strategy and services to socially excluded communities and groups.
APPLICATION FORM
The conference costs £40.00, to cover refreshments and administration costs.
Please enrol me as a delegate to the Social Exclusion Conference at the Library Association on 10 July 2000.
I enclose a cheque paid to Leeds Metropolitan University / please invoice me for £40.00
NAME
ORGANISATION
ADDRESS
TEL
FAX
Please send this form to:
Rebecca Linley, Research Assistant, School of Information Management, Leeds Metropolitan University, The Grange, Beckett Park Campus, Leeds LS6 3QS.
Lunch (including a vegetarian option) will be provided. We regret that, due to building work at the Library Association, there is no wheelchair access to the seminar room. An induction loop is available.
If you have any queries about the seminar, please contact Rebecca Linley (Tel: 0113 2832600 ext. 3661; fax 0113 2833182; e-mail: r.linley@lmu.ac.uk).
Links
School of Information Management Research Page
Library Policy and Social Exclusion Home Page
