Number of libraries, staff and expenditure from 2016-2023
Case reference FOI2024/00387
Published 20 March 2024
Request
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information. Please may you provide me with:
1. How many library service points did you have by the end of 2016 (calendar year)? Do you have a list of addresses for those at all? Please detail mobile libraries separately to buildings.
2. How many library service points did you have by the end of 2023 (calendar year)? Please provide the addresses and detail mobile libraries separately to buildings.
3. Of those, which have had their opening hours reduced since 2016? And can you outline any changes please?
4. How many of these libraries have been transferred from council control to the control of volunteers since 2016?
5. Please tell us how many libraries have moved premises since 2016 and provide the former and current address.
6. Please tell us how many new libraries have opened since 2016 (not existing libraries moving to different buildings) and provide addresses.
7. How many library service points are proposed for closure within the next year? Please detail any mobile libraries separately to buildings.
8. How many members of staff worked for your libraries' service by the end of 2016 calendar year (headcount please, not FTE)? And how many members of staff work for your libraries' service by the end of 2023 calendar year (headcount please, not FTE)?
9. How many library service points were operated by volunteers by the end of 2016 calendar year? And how many library service points are operated by volunteers by the end of 2023 calendar? Please detail any mobile libraries separately to buildings.
10. The net spend on library services each year in the period 2016 to 2024.
11. How many books have been classed as Lost, Stolen or Missing per annum since 2016? Please also provide figures for the financial cost.
Please provide the information in the form of a csv/xlsx file.
Response
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information. Please may you provide me with:
1. How many library service points did you have by the end of 2016 (calendar year)? Do you have a list of addresses for those at all? Please detail mobile libraries separately to buildings.
2. How many library service points did you have by the end of 2023 (calendar year)? Please provide the addresses and detail mobile libraries separately to buildings.
3. Of those, which have had their opening hours reduced since 2016? And can you outline any changes please?
4. How many of these libraries have been transferred from council control to the control of volunteers since 2016?
5. Please tell us how many libraries have moved premises since 2016 and provide the former and current address.
6. Please tell us how many new libraries have opened since 2016 (not existing libraries moving to different buildings) and provide addresses.
7. How many library service points are proposed for closure within the next year? Please detail any mobile libraries separately to buildings.
8. How many members of staff worked for your libraries' service by the end of 2016 calendar year (headcount please, not FTE)? And how many members of staff work for your libraries' service by the end of 2023 calendar year (headcount please, not FTE)?
9. How many library service points were operated by volunteers by the end of 2016 calendar year? And how many library service points are operated by volunteers by the end of 2023 calendar? Please detail any mobile libraries separately to buildings.
10. The net spend on library services each year in the period 2016 to 2024.
11. How many books have been classed as Lost, Stolen or Missing per annum since 2016? Please also provide figures for the financial cost.
Please provide the information in the form of a csv/xlsx file.
A) The information requested for the second part of Questions 3 is not held in a form that would enable it to be located, retrieved and extracted within the Appropriate Time Limit which equates to 18 hours as defined by the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limits and Fees) Regulations 2004.
Our electronic reporting systems are unable to run a report for this information. To ascertain the data requested, officers would need to manually check individual files for this information. An initial search has shown that there were at least 17 changes to opening times within this period and some sites had several changes within a short space of time. The service area would have to check all site times for every year; make sure those were the only changes in that year; check why those opening times changed (e.g. planned reduction in hours, building work, poor weather, etc.); if and when the opening hours reverted to the normal ones. It is estimated that it would take 120 minutes to check each change. Once the details had been identified this would need to be noted and once all changes had been checked in this way, the total figures requested could be calculated.
This would at a conservative estimate take at least 34 hours to complete. Where the Limit is exceeded Public Authorities are not obliged to supply the information requested by virtue of S12 of the Act. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
However, within the 18 hour limit, we can provide answers for questions 1, 2, the first part of question 3, and questions 4-11 as requested. Please advise us if this is something you require.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.