A report by the Director of Finance summarised the findings from the Museums Libraries and Archives (MLA) Council consultancy report on the stakeholder review of the Wirral Library Service.  It discussed Libraries, as a service and a place, and detailed a number of actions for the Council to consider that could be used in the development of the Library Strategy and also in the development of co-located Libraries and One Stop Shops, which the MLA report had acknowledged as a positive way forward.

Councillor C Meaden welcomed the report informing that joining with One Stop Shops would protect Libraries and take them into the 21^st Century.

Councillor S Foulkes told the Cabinet that Libraries could be better protected if the Council could attract more Government funding.  A lesson had been learnt and he wished to convey to the public that the Cabinet was aware of how important Libraries were but they would need to change their working practices to bring about necessary improvement.  There would be consultation and negotiation with staff with a view to providing a better cost effective service.

RESOLVED: 

That the MLA report be noted along with the progress being made in the adoption of the report findings in linking Libraries and One Stop Shops together.