Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here is a list of the most commonly asked questions about the Community Libraries Programme. The list will be extended as more enquiries are received. If you have a question not covered here, please get in touch by email:  communitylibraries@mla.gov.uk or by telephone: Sarah Wilkie 0207 273 8292

A further list of questions and answers about the application process for the Community Libraries Programme is on the Big Lottery Fund's programme web site.

Community Engagement – Frequently Asked Questions  

1. What do you mean by community?

The Big Lottery Fund and MLA want libraries to define their community. Libraries should consider their community in geographical terms and/or focus on communities of interest for the purposes of the Community Libraries Programme.

2. What do you mean by a community of interest?

A community of interest refers to a group of people with common attributes, skills, beliefs etc. So projects may focus on people from black and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, people from faith communities or young people. Applicants must show that there is a need for their project.

3. What do you want to see as a result of community engagement?

The Big Lottery Fund and MLA want to see people everywhere getting actively involved in their local library and local people being able to influence decisions about their own local library and its services. This will mean libraries working together with existing and non-users to establish capital projects that meet the needs of the community.

4. What do you want to see libraries doing to achieve community engagement?

We want to see libraries setting up projects that will engage groups and individuals, particularly disadvantaged people and people who do not normally use libraries. Projects should identify who these people are, what their particular needs are and then redesign services to meet their needs. We expect libraries to work with the community in planning, designing and running libraries. Some libraries have brought members of the community on to decision-making committees. This is a good way of making sure that communities are involved with the project and involved with the library in the future.

5. Is consultation an acceptable form of community engagement?

Consultation is a useful starting point for gaining ideas from the wider community. However, we also want to see libraries doing more active things as well. A good example of getting people involved is getting them to sit on decision-making panels. Another is employing volunteers from the local area that bring new specialist skills not generally available within the library service.

6. How can I get involved in the decision-making of my local library project?

Individuals, community groups and community service providers can discuss any project proposals with their local authority library service. Local library authorities are nominating key contacts that will be uploaded onto the Big Lottery Fund website during November 2006.

7. When will we be expected to hand in the community engagement plan?

You must submit your community engagement plan at the milestone review stage.

8. Will engagement with communities in socially deprived areas score higher in the assessment process?

No. One of the five optional programme outcomes refers to increased library usage by disadvantaged groups. If you choose to focus on meeting this optional outcome, you will need to demonstrate how the community is disadvantaged. This might be due to location in a socially deprived area, rural isolation, another similar reason, or a combination of reasons.
The Community Libraries Programme is about strengthening connections between local communities and their library service irrespective of geographic location. However, MLA and the Big Lottery Fund are keen to see innovation in the way library spaces are adapted/designed to cater for new audiences. Projects that improve facilities for existing regular users are acceptable, but stronger applications will show how user levels will increase, or how new audiences will be getting involved.

9. What might be the role of the community in running new library spaces/services after the implementation of successful projects?

You will need to think about this very carefully. There are many different ways in which the community may be involved in running the new facilities/services proposed in Community Libraries Programme applications. It could be active involvement in delivering services such as language classes, or representation on decision making committees linked to the new facilities/services.

10. Following the grant offer for successful projects, there will be a maximum of six months to submit our Community Engagement Plan. What if the CE Plan is adjudged to be sub-standard or incomplete?

The two Community Library Programme Support Officers will be available to help library services in putting together their CE Plan. Once CE Plans are submitted, the Big Lottery Fund will assess them within four weeks. If there are any clarification issues at this time, the Big Lottery Fund will be in touch. The period leading up to the review will be one of dialogue with the authority and the two Community Libraries Programme Support Officers will also still be available. Neither the Big Lottery Fund, or MLA would want to see any projects fail because of concerns about their CE Plans.

11. Working with hard to reach communities can be intensive and changeable. What if there are changes to the community engagement process between the March ’07 submission, and the CE Plan deadline?

Both the Big Lottery Fund and MLA recognise that projects are subject to change. As long as the project outcomes described in your application are not significantly altered, this will be fine as long as dialogue with the Big Lottery Fund and/or MLA is maintained. If there are fundamental alterations then you will need to inform the Big Lottery Fund.

12. The Community Libraries Programme Guidance emphasises the need to improve libraries for the whole community. How can this be done if we have to focus on one type of community for each library?

Some libraries will already be well used by different sections of the community. However, in many cases there will also be a pronounced lack of use by some members of the community. The Community Libraries Programme seeks to inspire new ways of engaging with local communities. The CLP Guidance encourages engagement strategies that seek to attract new audiences and build engagement skills within the library service, therefore increasing appeal and relevance to the wider community.

13. If we build a new community space in the library after engaging with (for instance) children and young people, does that mean that only children and young people should be allowed to use it after it is completed?

No. If you have engaged with a particular community and worked together to design and implement a new library community space, it may well be that much of the use after implementation is by that community. It may even be that the new space that is managed by a group made up from the same community. However, the use of the space does not have to be exclusively by that same community. The main aim is to have that new space used to the benefit of the library and the wider local community. For instance, when the new space is not in use by (again, for instance) children and young people, activities for other sections of the community could be held.