1964 and all that: modernising your public library service

Date/Time: 14 December 2009 09:30 - 15:20
Venue: Local Government House, Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HZ
Cost: (ex VAT) £345.00 LGA member organisation rate: £219.00

Modernising our public library service is a hot political and policy issue right now, with the DCMS modernisation review imminent. Digital platforms have the potential to revolutionise the way we access information, co-location with other public services can make libraries more efficient for both users and local authorities, and there is the continual challenge to make sure the rest are delivering as successfully as the best.

This one day LGA conference will look at all these issues and more, and bring together expert practitioners and policy makers from the field to help you get the best from your local library service. It will also provide delegates with the opportunity to debate the issues and contribute directly to the Government’s vision, via an interactive slot with the Libraries Minister.

The programme will examine questions such as:

How can you get libraries onto the agenda of senior managers and elected members?
How can you deliver efficiencies positively?
How can councils deliver change management in the library service?
How can we implement and influence recent review findings to best effect?
How can we ensure libraries deliver for all communities?
What does the digital future hold for libraries?

Confirmed speakers include:

Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism
Ed Vaizey MP, Shadow Minister for the Arts
Lord Graham Tope, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Communities & Local Government
Roy Clare, Chief Executive, MLA
Dame Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive, British Library
Tracey Chevalier, Writer
Rachel Cooke, Journalist
Nick Hodgson, Chief Executive, Derbyshire County Council
Fiona Williams, President, Society of Chief Librarians
Dr Liz Lyon, Director, UKOLN