We should resist damaging cuts in library and other vital local services and think of new solutions to alleviate the impact on people and communities the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council (MLA) said today, as it launched a prospectus with ideas for the longer term, and advice to avoid ad hoc library, museum and archive reductions and closures.

 

Sharper Investment for Changing Times calls for more creative planning to ensure the public get the most out of the £2bn-plus that national and local government invest in museums, libraries and archives.

 

MLA Chair Sir Andrew Motion said: “Cultural and artistic activities are at the heart of Britain’s recovery from recession. Museums, libraries, archives and other places of art and creativity are nourishment for the spirit and encouragement for everyone in times of adversity; these are vital components for tourism, the economy and our sense of well-being.”

 

“Cuts to museums, libraries and other cultural services are unpalatable – we must resist them in favour of imaginative alternative solutions. Our call, to government and councils, is to recognise that cultural services can help communities recover from the impact of the recession. They are not easy game.

 

“But financial difficulties will bring change whether we like it or not – those delivering the service must not be left unsupported with less cash and limited choices.  That is why the MLA has today published a prospectus for change with practical solutions.  Changes should be for the longer-term, and the opportunity must be seized to design better services around the needs of people and their local communities.”

 

Sharper Investment for Changing Times recognises that around three quarters of the £2bn-plus that is spent on museum, library and archives in England is in the control of local, not central government. It foresees the need for radical re-thinking of systems of delivery, based on planning around the needs of people, communities and places.

 

With practical solutions and ‘best practice’ examples, the prospectus recommends:

 

• museums, libraries and archives to work harder to share their resources and make a wider public impact as efficiently as possible, concentrating less on sustaining costly buildings and storing unseen objects, and more on opening up fantastic collections of books, records and iconic artefacts for learning and enjoyment

 

• national government to ensure the longer term funding and statutory framework is one in which councils, museums, libraries and archives can have the freedom, flexibility and stability to plan for far-reaching change

 

• local government to identify more efficient delivery models, using Total Place methodologies, to utilise the value of museum, library and archive services for wider purposes, innovating and integrating with other services, working across boundaries, and with public and private partners using new forms of governance where appropriate.

 

MLA Chief Executive Roy Clare said, “The resources, experts and expertise of the MLA were on hand to support local government in every locality throughout England. The ambition is that the public - user, visitor, consumer and tourist - are in charge; able to enjoy and learn from quality collections, seamless services, and personalised expert help and information, whether in welcoming buildings, online in libraries or via the internet at anytime, anywhere. “