Initially I sent this to Kieren Quinn Head of Council and the other 8 members of the cabinet. They just sent a link back to the Tameside Council website. But he also put me in contact with the report writer Adam Allan. (See below please) he was very helpful.

Dear Miss Douglas,

Further to your message of 7th February 2012, I am pleased to make the following responses to the points you raise.

1) Why is an estimated £900k been cut out the Library services budget? Response: The financial issues facing the service are dealt with in the Cabinet Report of 8th November 2011 to which you refer below and which can be downloaded from the Big Conversation page relating to Libraries.

2) How will this affect our libraries in the future? Response: The report indicates that a final strategy has yet to be developed.

3) Do you have any ideas for the new strategy for Tameside’s libraries? Response: The report indicates that a final strategy has yet to be developed.

4) Do you feel that The Library Service review will be an accurate way of gathering people’s opinions? Response: We feel that people’s opinions will be effectively gathered by means of the consultations which will be undertaken. These opinions will inform the service review when it is undertaken.

5) Do you feel a proper consultation has been carried out? Response: The first consultation is still underway, but we are closely monitoring the returns we are receiving in order to ensure that the survey is representative of the local communities. Early results indicate a wide and comprehensive range of responses.

6) How will you make the public in Tameside aware of further public consultation on any proposals which arise from this consultation? Response: All consultations will be widely publicised in libraries, online, and via local media.

7) Will you have full awareness of the issues and impact on the many community groups within the Tameside district before any proposed decision? Response: We are aiming to bring the widest range of relevant evidence to the review process. Community groups and individual members of those groups have had, and will have, every opportunity to alert us to issues and impacts of the key principles set out in the consultations.

8) It’s said that “All returns will then be considered along with existing information that is available to form firm recommendations for the Council’s Executive Cabinet”. What is the existing information? Response: The existing information consists of usage data, previous surveys, building survey reports, cost analyses, and other relevant statistical and management data which informs our understanding of the service. Me: That’s where the evidence is gathered, nothing to do with the review, I’m thinking?

9) The Library Service Review is a “standard questionnaire”. Would you agree with the statement? Response: The Big Conversation questionnaire relating to the library service has been specifically designed for this consultation exercise. The present questionnaire is not the service review. Me: So why is it called the Library Service Review, as they say it is a “consultation exercise”? I’m thinking now that maybe this it is publicity stunt/exercising spin making they appear that they are consulting with the public with no intention in using the evidence from the Library Service Review?

10) Can we use the big conversation logo as a heading! Response: We are not in a position to license the use of graphics which the Council has acquired for its own publicity purposes.

11) Can we use information from this report ITEM NO: 7, dated 8th Nov 2012 in the newspaper? Response: The document has been put into the public arena, and you are welcome to quote from it as you wish.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Allen,
Assistant Executive Director
Cultural and Customer Service