AfL and Camden Local Studies and Archives Service
Latest Update – please see earlier announcement below
Camden have now released a summary of the outcome of the Cabinet meeting – click here to view
9 June 2011
In the meeting of Camden Council’s Cabinet on 8 June, the Future Shape of Library Service and Implementation Programme report was amended to greatly reduce the threat to
There was a lively debate at the Scrutiny Committee, which sent on a recommendation to Cabinet
“That Cabinet take all efforts to approve the retention of the Local Archives Service at an appropriate location within the Borough of Camden and ensuring that future access to the service incurs no cost or minimal cost to residents of the Borough”
Cabinet members accepted this recommendation, which although it does not bar outsourcing, makes it a lot less likely. Cllr Theo Blackwell, Cabinet member for Finance, also recognised that the proposed level of cuts for LSA were disproportionately high compared with cuts to other parts of the Library service, and the savings were reduced from £135,000 to £70,000. The Cabinet member for Culture, Cllr Tulip Siddiq also recognised the need for further discussions to take place on the future of LSA and a Working Party is to be formed which AfL and the Camden History Society will be invited to join.
The decision by Cabinet does not absolutely ensure that LSA will remain directly run by
David Mander
Chair AfL
8 June 2011
The London Borough of Camden is proposing radical changes to Camden’s Local Studies and Archives service in their report The Future Shape of Library Service and Implementation Programme that goes to Camden’s Scrutiny Committee on Monday 6 June 2011and to Cabinet on Wednesday 8 June.
Click here to access the Council’s calendar where the report can be downloaded
The report drew on a consultation exercise undertaken with Camden residents on options for cuts for the Library service as a whole but with an option question on how people felt about cuts to the Local Studies and Archives (LSA). 28 % were prepared to support some level of cuts – 72% rejected this option. It was couched in a way that suggested cuts, but maintaining the service.
What the report proposes is making savings of £135,000 from a budget of around £280,000 for 2012/13 and doing so by seeking sanction for outsourcing the service, either to another local authority or to London Metropolitan Archives. Buried in the report are proposals to dispose of Cockpit Yard where the archives are stored and LSA’s conservation unit housed, and to ultimately sell off the upper floors of Holborn Library, where LSA is based. If Members approve the report, officers would have the sanction to carry out and then implement an option appraisal without further member approval.
Some local groups had a briefing meeting on the report before it was published and feel that what was discussed did not represent the report in the form it has gone to members. In all events the option being put forward has not discussed with local people.
Camden’s LSA has been a beacon for the quality of service it offers and for its community connections. There have already been a number of letters in the local press, and more will follow. Archives for London is working with the Camden History Society who are leading on the opposition.. Local societies are asking for proper consultation exercise to be carried out so that people can see the proposal and have the chance to say if they support outsourcing, or want LSA and its collections to remain under direct local management. While the option of partnership working has been proposed, no neighbouring borough has the capacity to take on a service the size of Camden’s collections and so if outsourcing is approved, the most likely outcome of the proposed options appraisal is that the collections will go to London Metropolitan Archives, with the residual budget meeting an annual charge.
The deputations making representations about LSA will ask that a proper consultation process be conducted before any work is made on the options proposal and that the power for officers to make a subsequent decision without member approval be rescinded.
The National Archives’ strategy advocated partnership working among record offices for greater efficiency. There are benefits from this approach, if properly consulted on. There may well be advantages in a larger service in a metropolitan area taking on a more local role. But there needs to be a proper debate on the merits, gains and losses, and local people, service users and depositors, ought first to have their say.
For further information please contact the Chair of AfL, David Mander (please email if possible for a faster response) -
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