Maidenhead & Windsor

Three times as much choice – and much greater borrowing power. That's the literary prospect for Maidenhead Royal Borough library users in a pioneering partnership scheme given the thumbs up this week.

In a major renewal of the Maidenhead library service management system, the Royal Borough has teamed up with five other local authorities to form a consortium which will give library users not only more choice of books, DVDs, CDs and other library stock but also the flexibility to borrow items from any of the libraries in the consortium.

The new system will see the Maidenhead Royal Borough working with West Berkshire, Wokingham District, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Brighton and Hove councils to form the new South East Library Management System (SELMS).

To be introduced in the next 12 months, SELMS will control the organisation of both static and mobile libraries including stock control, issue of stock to customers and access to 24-hour library services including the web catalogue and the 24-hour automated phone service.

Among the benefits of the new partnership will be:

· increased access to a wider range of stock

· customers will be able to borrow items and return them to any library in the consortium – for example while on holiday or working in another area they will still be able to use the library

· all six consortium members have been able to work together to buy a better system, for less money, than would be possible if each partner had had to negotiate independently.

· the new system will integrate better with the council's existing electronic systems, making for greater and more efficient use of electronic ordering

· costs have been kept low as a result of shared training and maintenance costs.

Cllr Richard Fagence, lead member for Maidenhead leisure and cultural services, said: "This is really great news for all library users across the borough – and enables us to provide more of the services that people really want.

"With the technical support for our current management system coming to an end, this was a perfect opportunity to consider the options not only for improving service to our customers but also improving efficiency and making savings. By sharing resources with other authorities in this new consortium we will be going a long way to fulfilling all of these aims.

"We have listened to the comments and requests of our customers in planning the way forward, and the new system takes on board the consistent demand for access to a wider selection of books and the ability to use the catalogues of other nearby authorities. This is a major step forward for library services – and a really good example of partnership working in action."

The new Spydus library management system will be supplied by Civica plc for the next five years. It will be implemented within the next 12 months.

For further information contact Mark Taylor, head of library and information services, on 01628 796989.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead