Library Service Business as usual

Notification from Bromley Council :

Please do be aware of this news release, which has been issued today and formally announces that GLL are now managing the Council’s library service, with today being the first day of operations in this new partnership.

The news is published on the Council’s website http://www.bromley.gov.uk/press/article/1296/business_as_usual_for_library_service_now_being_managed_by_gll and currently featured on the home page.  It has also been tweeted https://twitter.com/lbofbromley too.

Business as usual for library service now being managed by GLL

Social enterprise leisure and libraries operator GLL started to manage the Council’s library service today, with a commitment to maintain opening hours for all 14 libraries.

The news follows the award of a 10 year contract to GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited) which will generate savings for the Council thereby helping protect the library service and other frontline services, including those for  the most vulnerable.  The decision to award the contract to GLL followed a tendering exercise, with the specifications meaning that the successful provider would need to operate the existing library service, with the same number of libraries and existing staff

Councillor Peter Morgan, Executive Councillor for Renewal and Recreation said, “We are very proud of our library service, which is demonstrated by the multi-million investment we have made and the way we have looked to protect this service.  We are pleased to welcome GLL, who are an experienced libraries operator, to the Borough to manage our library service.  It is very much business as usual, with opening hours unchanged and the same levels of staff continuing to serve residents of this Borough and the many others that use our libraries.” 

Chris Symons, Director of Development at GLL said, ““We are excited about managing Bromley libraries – bringing our wealth of experience and innovation in providing high quality library services that local people want. Where we operate libraries, footfall increases as we attract readers of all ages into brighter, more modern facilities. We are looking forward to working with staff and customers to demonstrate the positive difference a social enterprise can make at community level.

GLL, which is a charitable social enterprise, already manages a number of library services elsewhere and will be able to generate savings to the Council by utilising their economies of scale as well as their charitable status meaning that the cost base is reduced. 

For information, please note the updated e-mail contact addresses for each library, which are published on the Council’s website, :  http://www.bromley.gov.uk/directory/11/libraries_in_bromley

If you have any questions, please let me know. 

Kind regards  

Andrew Rogers

Communications Executive

London Borough of Bromley

Tel: 0208 461 7670 

www.bromley.gov.uk