Issue - meetings
Advertising in Cultural Spaces
Meeting: 15/07/2008 - Executive Member For Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion and Advisory Panel (Item 7)
7 Library Service Revenue Generation 
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This report asks the Executive Member to agree the principle of the library service generating additional revenue through commercial contracts.
Decision:
Advice of Advisory Panel
That the Executive Member be asked to agree to the principle of the library service generating additional revenue through commercial contracts, subject to a report back indicating proposed guidelines for officers and looking at the possibilities for other council buildings as well.
Decision of the Executive Member
RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed
REASON: To enable the service to investigate this income stream further.
Minutes:
Members considered a report which asked the Executive Member to agree to the principle of the library service generating additional revenue through commercial contracts.
Income generation was increasingly important for all Council services. In the library service, there were problems with current income sources. Hire of DVDs and CDs had declined, and overdue charges had been identified as a major barrier to library use. It was therefore proposed that the service enter a contract with a managing agent to provide advertising in libraries, over a period of five years. Authorities in Somerset and Leeds had already taken this approach and both had recommended it.
If approved in principle, the first stage would be an audit of buildings to identify commercial opportunities, at a cost of about £12k, followed by the preparation of media packs. Commercial opportunities would be sent to the service, which would retain control over which opportunities were agreed to.
Members agreed in principle with the proposal. They highlighted the need to consider carefully what is advertised and where and would like officers to provide further information to help them make any future decisions.
Advice of Advisory Panel
That the Executive Member be asked to agree to the principle of the library service generating additional revenue through commercial contracts, subject to a report back indicating proposed guidelines for officers and looking at the possibilities for other council buildings as well.
Decision of the Executive Member
RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed
REASON: To enable the service to investigate this income stream further.