Income Generation for Public Libraries:Pilot Programme

Expression of Interest

Locality is pleased to announce that a demonstration programme to prototype and learn from innovative approaches to income generation in public libraries will commence this autumn, funded by Arts Council England. Locality is now soliciting Expressions of Interest from local authorities and community enterprises that are interested in participating.

Five library service commissioners/providers will be selected In October 2014, to participate in activity to be conducted by March 31st 2015.The DEADLINE for expressions of interest is 12 noon Friday 3rd October. Applicants will be informed of the outcome by Friday 10th October.

Successful projects will benefit from:

  • 5 days enterprise support to help undertake pre-feasibility work and review the viability of an income generation project
  • Access to additional technical support from a pool of experts, including legal professionals and business advisors. £10,000 of expert support and advice is available across the 5 pilot projects
  • Networking activities with other enterprising public library commissioners /providers at Locality’s Annual Convention –17-18th November 2014.(includes convention place, travel expenses and accommodation)
  • Specialist webinars concerned with relevant trading opportunities and technical issues.
  • National and international exposure through the publication of project case studies.

Programme participants will be required to:

  • Share information from their projects - including financial data - to contribute to peer learning and programme evaluation (including completion of end of programme evaluation form in March 2015)
  • Engage in the networking events, including
  • programme introduction session 14th October, 2:00-3:30pm
  • Locality 2014 Convention, 17th – 18th November (
  • online peer review session in March 2015 (date TBC)
  • Engage with the support of enterprise mentors
  • Develop a brief prototyping / implementation plan, to be agreed with programme manager by December 31st 2014
  • Implement and pilot their idea between January and March 2015 in a practical setting.

This project follows on from work earlier in the year to develop a guide for library service commissioners and providers exploring income generation as a means of enhancing public library services. The report provides technical guidance as well as case study examples to help share good practice. It also encourages innovation to support the development and sustainability of libraries into the future.

Locality's Income Generation Guide can be downloaded from:

If you are interested in registering your organisation for the selection process, please complete the form overleaf and return it to . Please email or ring Anton on 07955 364 192 with any queries.

SECTION 1

Contact details of person completing this form

Name
Job Title
Address
Telephone Number
E-mail
Organisation (must be local authority or communityenterprise that commissions/provides library services)
Address
Telephone Number
E-mail Address

SECTION 2

Please describe the area in which your Organisation operates (tick all boxes which apply).

Inner City
Predominantly urban
Market Town
Rural Villages
Other – please specify

SECTION 3

Please describe any activities you are already involved with regardingincome generation in the context of public library services.

  • How advanced are your plans?
  • Describe in brief the main income strands, and indicate where you see potential for further growth / development? Please quantify if possible.
  • Which departments / agencies / partner organisations are currently actively involved to progress these plans?

(up to 300 words)

Please describe your proposal.

Whilst programme participants will receive support to develop their ideas for income generationintegral to the programme, we are ideally looking for organisations that already have at least one idea that they would like to implement or expand that may have potential for significant income generation. We are primarily interested in activities that have scope to be replicated in other areas.

Please specify:

  • How are you proposing to generate income?
  • What activity you intend to pilot from Jan-March 2015 or before
  • Where will the pilot take place (e.g. single branch, across service)
  • Has any work already been undertakento explore or test the idea
  • Whether any specific legal vehicles, are, or will be established in order to trade.
  • What is innovative about your proposal

(up to 700 words)

Is your Chief Executive aware of, and supportive of your proposal to participate in this programme? Are Elected Members? The selection process will favour applications that can demonstrate a commitment to engaging with the programme. Please confirm details, or otherwise indicate the most senior level at which the proposal has been endorsed.

(up to 100 words)

Please describe what support you think is needed, and how you think Locality and our delivery partners could help you achieve your ambitions? (We will seek to match participants with mentors who have skills and experience relevant to the needs of the programme participant).

(up to 300 words)

What useful learning do you think may be gained to share with others through your involvement in this programme?

(up to 200 words)

Please describe in brief your interest in developing income generation in a public library context? What benefits do you hope to realise?

(up to 200 words)

This is a time-limited programme. Please describe how you will continue to progress activity at a local level once this support programme has ended.

(up to 200 words)

Please describe any other resources you have available from your own organisation or partners that you can draw on to support your pilot project and plans for income generation.

(up to 300 words)

Please confirm whether you are able to fulfil all of the participant requirements set out below:

Yes / No
  • You are able to share information from your project - including financial data - to contribute to peer learning and programme evaluation (including completion of end of programme evaluation form in March 2015)

  • Engage in the networking events, including

  • programme introduction session 14th October, 2:00-3:30pm

  • Locality 2014 Convention, 17th – 18th November (

  • online peer review session in March 2015 (date TBC)

  • Engage with the support of enterprise mentors

  • Develop a brief prototyping / implementation plan, to be agreed with programme manager by December 31st 2014.

  • Implement and pilot your between January and March 2015 in a practical setting.

Please attach any relevant documents that may be helpful in assessing your application,

e.g.

  • Business plans relating to proposed activity
  • Evaluations / reviews of recent pilot project and trading activities
  • Governing documents of relevant social enterprises or trading arms

Signature:
Name:
Position
Date:

Please complete and return to no later than 12:00 noon, 3rdth October2014.

1