A partnership within Southampton City Council is encouraging basic-skills learners and people with learning disabilities to use their local libraries. Richard Ashman and Sarah Taggart describe the package of continuing support on offer.
Attracting new borrowers is always a challenge but the potential barriers are exacerbated when your target audience is people with basic skills or learning difficulties and disabilities. Southampton City Libraries has found a way of breaking down these barriers by working in partnership with the City Council’s Adult & Community Learning (A&CL) Department and introducing its innovative and highly successful Library Licence course.
For many years Southampton Libraries had offered collections of books aimed at essential skills learners and tutors, but the content was frequently out-dated and the staff did not have the specialised knowledge to give the necessary encouragement and useful guidance to learners. Also, as is the case in many libraries, although a member of staff was given the responsibility of ‘promoting’ this area of stock, it was just one of many duties and so not enough time was committed to make a difference.
This all changed when a new post of Learning Officer was established with a partnership between Southampton City Libraries and the Education Directorate’s A&CL Department. Funding for the post comes from A&CL but day-to-day management remains with the library service. It was agreed that the purpose of the post was to provide first step learning to attract new basic skills learners, to encourage existing learners and tutors to use libraries as a learning venue and promote their Skills for Life collections.
Library Licence
The partnership’s success centres on the introduction of the Library Licence course. This is a seven-week course held in Southampton Central Library which is designed to make libraries more accessible by building confidence in the learners so they go on to use the library independently.
Initially, course details were sent out to agencies who deal with disability and learning issues and they then recommended the learners. Throughout the course the learners are supported by two members of staff: one from A&CL, the other the Learning Officer. Each week, through quizzes, worksheets and discussion, learners practise using the library. Practical activities include making enquiries, learning all about what can be borrowed, logging on to the People’s Network PCs and general basic IT skills. Homework tasks ensure that learners visit local branch libraries to borrow items, ask questions and find information.
As well as those who can read competently, the course caters for non-readers and emergent readers, using a range of talking books, Quick Reads and other audiovisual items.
The benefits to participants were apparent from the start. Several learners had never been to a library before and were nervous at the thought of not only going to an unfamiliar place but also having to ask questions when they arrived. They are always keen to tell us how successful their trip has been and often point out similarities and differences they notice between the Central Library and the branches. Further evidence can be seen in the fact that several learners use the library regularly and have also taken their friends along to become members.
As recruitment is under way for the second year of the course, less promotion has been necessary, as the relevant agencies are aware of the benefits attending the course can give their clients and have been enthusiastic and quick to identify learners for this year’s intake. Often learners are already familiar with each other, thus breaking down the barriers of meeting strangers and providing strength in numbers when visiting the library for the first time.
Progression to the Library Club
Having completed the Library Licence course, the learners are presented with a certificate and are justifiably proud of their achievement as, for many, this is the first time they have received an award. It is important that, once the learners have completed the course and been introduced to the library, they progress to using the library regularly. We achieve this by inviting them to join the Library Club, which meets on the same day, at the same time and in the same area as the Library Licence course.
This establishes the routine of coming to the library on a regular basis and allows learners to develop the skills gained on the course. It is also an opportunity for learners to use the library to pursue individual interests. A third member of staff from the A&CL team facilitates this, providing continued support and guidance.
Case study: David
‘As homework I was asked to go to Portswood Library and ask about their opening times. I didn’t want to do this as I get nervous talking to people I don’t know.’ The tutor listened while David went through the reasons why he felt he couldn’t do this (no time, not sure where to go, didn’t feel comfortable). With encouragement and reassurance, however, he reluctantly agreed to have a go. The following week he couldn’t wait to share with the group that he’d been to the library, spoken to the staff there – and been given a leaflet with all the information he’d needed. The homework for that week was to visit his branch library again and this time borrow a CD. When asked how he felt about this task he confidently replied ‘That’s no problem, I’m going there straight after this!’
Reading Group
The Reading Group for borrowers with learning disabilities is also thriving and provides another useful stepping-stone for learners following on from the Library Licence course. This is held monthly and several of the Quick Read titles have been used within the group. This establishes the learners as ‘bona fide library members’ in their own eyes, with valid opinions about the books they have read and a ‘sense of ownership’ of the library, rather than it just being a building in which they have completed a course.
Plans for the future
We will continue to provide the Library Licence course and progression to the Library Club for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. We will also build and develop resources and activities to support both the course and the club. We also intend to adapt the model to provide courses for other target groups identified by the A&CL team. These include an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Library Licence course and perhaps also one for hearing-impaired people.
The success of the existing Library Licence course and the versatility of the model are exciting. The fact that the course can be adapted for different target groups, e.g. ESOL, essential skills students and learners with a variety of disabilities, is its strength.
Each element described above, i.e. the Library Licence course, Library Club and Reading Group, could be provided separately, but our success hinges on the fact that they work as a progressive package. This ensures continued support, encouragement and guidance for the participants as new library users.
Richard Ashman (richard.ashman@southampton.gov.uk) is Central Library Manager, and Sarah Taggart (sarah.taggart@southampton.gov.uk) is Learning Officer, Southampton City Libraries.
Updated: 21 January 2008