2009 seems to be a year of government library reviews. Whilst many local authorities would rely on the outcomes of such reviews to shape their future, it is refreshing and inspiring to see North Yorkshire County Council release a 15 year library strategy, ‘New Look, No Shush’.

This strategy comes across as one based on a commitment to deliver achievements, as it is all too easy to fall into the trap of producing a strategic library plan lacking real substance and passion. However, as a 15 year plan, one can’t help but raise questions of sustainability. As the ambitious plans are closely aligned to current government library policies (e.g. Strong and Prosperous Communities, Framework for the Future and the Library Modernisation Review), a change in government could potentially throw the strategy way off course.

It may also be argued that an opportunity to share stories demonstrating real outcomes has been missed. For example, highlights of successes achieved by volunteer groups and local projects initiated by the library service could have further encouraged citizen engagement and built on the appreciation of North Yorkshire’s rich local history and collections, bringing the value of the library to life.

Nevertheless, the recognition of the need for change must be applauded, as not only does this provide a sound basis for moving forward the library services of North Yorkshire, it is also encouraging for other local authorities to follow suit: recognise their Achilles’ heel and do something about it. For North Yorkshire, it is now about managing expectations, attractions, innovating and most of all engaging.

Hopefully, the strategy will prove to be a positive step for North Yorkshire and its library service. At the moment, the strategic plan appears to cover a lot of ground, with many broad objectives such as “maximising the use of technology”, “innovative use of ICT” and “increase the number of people that use the service and borrow from the library”. It would be great to see further exploration of why such goals are important, how they will take shape and be implemented. I imagine this is something that develop in time, and look forward to following the progress as it happens.