Groby library

In 1954/5 Catherine Aston was a young woman studying to become a teacher, and she decided to write a profile of Groby as one of her projects. This was before the days of word processors or digital cameras, so she included a number of line drawings and added a number of her own watercolours of local buildings.

The paintings were for illustrative purposes and not intended to be great works of art, but that doesn’t matter. They capture a moment in time in the life of Groby, have a certain charm, and are delightful. She included text describing each of the scenes, and recorded views of Groby that have gone and many that have survived. She also painted a village map which shows how much the village has grown in the subsequent 68 years.

She went on to become a teacher and met Groby resident Sylvia Beck at St Mary de Castro church, where Catherine was active and included providing illustrations for articles in the church magazine. She wanted her project to remain in the village and gave it to Sylvia, who subsequently arranged for it to be made available at the reference section of Groby Library.

If you’ve wondered how Groby looked when it was still a small village nearly 70 years ago, just call in at the library and take a look at Catherine’s project. Coffee and cake are optional. But nice!

The journey from publicly funded to Community Library

March 2016

A New Logo For Groby Library

An Update On Groby Library By Janet Bishop

We may not have a transfer date, as the paperwork is taking a lot longer than anyone anticipated, but we do have our new library logo. We have been working hard with the lovely designers at Hyphen, based on Fir Tree Lane in the centre of the village, to come up with a logo which will mark a new and exciting era for Groby Library.

The trees outside the library gave us inspiration to include one in our logo, but they also symbolise knowledge and growth. The icons within the tree are to represent some of the new things we want to accommodate at the Community Library, such as art and music workshops, local cinema, reading groups, drama groups and a coffee shop to name just a few. The library will also be available to hire for meetings etc.

The new logo will be used to highlight the fact that we are a volunteer run library and will also make it easier for people to spot news and events which we will be running.

So watch this space, and look out for our new logo!

February 2016

Community library transfer delayed

It's true what they say. Everything takes longer than you think, and this applies to setting up a Community Library just as much as any other project. There's so much to do. It's not just the practical day to day jobs, it's also what has to go in the background. After all, the Community Library Group have had to form a charity and conduct legal negotiations with the County Council. They are giving financial support initially and providing the premises and equipment so every 'i' has to be dotted and every 't' crossed. That's how it should be but it does mean that it's been very difficult to keep to their original project plan without any slippage.

So it didn't all happen on February 8th, but there's hopefully only a few weeks delay.  It's more of an inconvenience to our great band of volunteers who have been busy training than it is to customers.  Library members will be unaffected by the postponement of the transfer which they hope will now take place sometime in March. Keep an eye out at the library for new dates and posters as there may be a few days closure around the changeover date, while the new occupants settle in.

August 2015

What Is Happening To Groby Library? 

On Saturday 12th September you will have the opportunity to find out  

As many of you are aware Groby library is one of the smaller libraries which was threatened with closure unless a community group came forward to take over the costs and the running of the library. Fortunately a group of volunteers, Groby Library Volunteers Group, has been formed and we are hoping to take over the library later this year. 

On Saturday 12th September from 10am, we are holding an open day at the library. Alongside information and the volunteers on hand to update you on how we see the future of the library and the exciting opportunities which come with it, we will be holding a fund raising event. 

There will be face painting, live music, refreshments, cakes, a book stall, craft stalls, raffle prizes, children's games crafts and lots more. 

We want to give the village a fun backdrop to find out what is actually happening with the future of the library and hopefully raising some money at the same time. We are very excited about the new opportunities that being in control of our own library can bring. 

So put the date in your diary or on your calendar now and watch out for the posters with further details regarding the event. Please come to show your support, find out what we are all about and have some fun. 

Anything you can donate? 

We are also looking for donations of prizes, used books and toys, local artists/crafters who may be interested in donating their work, jam or cake makers or any volunteers who would like to help out on the day. Please contact janetbishop13@gmail.com for more information. 

Looking forward to seeing you on the day. 

Janet Bishop, Groby Library Volunteers Group 

April 2015

Library Business Plan approved

The group being formed to run Groby Library as a community service received a boost just before Easter with the news that the Business Plan prepared and submitted by David Ryan has been approved by Leicestershire County Council.

“Following an assessment of the outline business plan the group have been allocated category 1 status,” explained County Council Project Manager Paul Love. “This means that we are recommending that the submission be developed to the next stage of drawing up formal agreements to transfer the library to community management.” The plan scored 92 points out of a possible 125 points, with all sections meeting the criteria required.

A 'relationship manager' had earlier been appointed by the County Council to assist the Groby Group and the next step is to set up a meeting to discuss any comments/clarification relating to the outline business plan and start to identify indicative dates for further activity. This includes the legal status of the group and management arrangements for the library, and examining the current position/plans relating to the recruitment of volunteers and staffing. The existing building only has a toilet for staff so there is a need to look at the possibility of improving these facilities and any other building changes required. The preferred target date for transfer is also something which will require discussion so that current users of the library are clear about future plans for the library.

There's a lot of work which will now go on 'behind the scenes' and the continued support of the community will be essential to the success of the project. One of the first tasks will be to create a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and consideration is currently being given to a suitable name.

February 2015 Latest News

Working together we can save Groby Library 

Last month the news about the future of Groby Library wasn't good. But it now looks as if the library can be saved if there is enough community support for a Library Trust. If there aren't enough volunteers to form a viable Trust then it is likely that closure and the introduction of a mobile service will be the only option.

Groby Parish Council cannot run the library but the good news is that local businessman David Ryan has decided to try again to form a Trust. His proposal has been accepted by the County Council and he has been invited to submit a Business Case for the project by the middle of March.

There's more good news. At it's February meeting Groby Parish Council considered whether or not to make provision to give some financial support to a community library project. They acknowledged that the respondents to a survey in the Spotlight last August indicated that residents were prepared to pay an extra 50p per month on their Council tax if that would save the library. The outcome of the discussion was that they approved some financial support for the year 2015/16.  As the Council cannot run the library the support package is dependent upon the successful creation of a Community Library or similar organisation. So it is critical that there are sufficient volunteers to make the project a success.

So how will all this work?

For the next 2 years the County Council will pay for most things apart from the major single item of expenditure, staffing. The Council could  replace the current staff with Trust  volunteers trained  in the running of the library. Other councils who have gone through this process have indicated that 2 volunteers might be needed for every hour that the library is open. This would mean 40 volunteers would have to be organised and co-ordinated, a major task for a new organisation. However, the County Council has also indicated that it would be prepared to supply trained staff for an hourly rate, but for 20 hours a week his would amount to around £20,000 a year. 

 This is unaffordable and so compromises will need to be considered and these include a mixture of trained staff and volunteers. These are the kind of decisions that a new Library Trust would have to take, so it is important that some of the volunteers are happy to take on a behind the scenes management role. Bear this in mind if you want the library to survive and help in any way you can. You can email communityreaders@yahoo.co.uk  or alternatively to contact@grobyonline.tk. If you don't use email just drop your details into the letterbox at the Parish Council office. The library staff are not allowed to collect the information. 

Another article below looks at the form a trust could take and the ways in which members might offer support.

February 2015

You don't have to stamp books to support Groby Library

There's many ways members can help

If you were a fly on the wall of Groby library you'd have lost count of the number of customers who have asked whether the library can be saved from closure. The answer is a cautious “yes it can, if there is enough help from the community.” Although the Parish Council cannot run it, the Community can. So the only way to save it is to give practical support to the new Library Trust that is being formed. If that support is not forthcoming then it is likely that the library will shut its doors for good.

What form will this Trust take?

It's been easier to talk of a Trust rather than “some form of Community Organisation” in these early days, as a steering group will have to be formed to take some pretty vital decisions. There are a number of forms the organisation could take but the most practical form may be a Charitable Incorporated Organisation(CIO), another mouthful. The advantage of a CIO is that members have limited liability, so presumably no member goes bankrupt if things don't work out. It seems that a CIO also benefits from 80% charitable rate relief, knocking around £1300 off the annual running costs of the library. That's about 12% of the non-staffing costs, so it's really important.

How can I help?

The fly on the wall will also have heard many potential volunteers say “I'd really like to help but couldn't use the computer to issue books or discharge them when they are returned.” And that's a really good point, but running a library is actually much more than just issuing books. For example, when books are returned they have to be put back in the right place on the shelves. The stock also changes as it moves between libraries, so there are new books coming in which have to be sorted and put on shelves. The books moving on to another library need to be collected and boxed. When reservations arrive someone with a pleasant telephone manner may enjoy making the calls to advise borrowers to collect them.

Someone may say they are happy to pop in and have a quick run around with a vacuum cleaner, as long as they don't have to move any of the furniture. Contract cleaning currently costs over £2000 a year. If that bill could be reduced that would also substantially cut the cost of running the library.

The CIO would also be responsible for cutting the grass outside the library. If someone came up with a way of getting that done there are potential cost savings of over £600 a year. A local landscape gardener may come up with a plan which might require some initial investment but could result in the creation of a low maintenance garden.

Beneath the skin of what we see in the library there's another world of cabling, gas and central heating pipes which have to maintained. Local tradesmen may feel that giving impartial advice when jobs may need to be done could be a contribution they could make. It may be that the CIO would choose, as far as practicable, to keep any money it has to spend on maintenance within the village.

It's clear that there would be a lot that will be going on behind the scenes. There will have to be some kind of book keeping or accounting activity, and money to bank. There'll be processes for reporting problems and issues to someone who can deal with them. Some form of secretarial report will be essential to organise meetings, produce agendas and write (hopefully brief) minutes. When work needs doing quotations and official orders will be needed. Which means someone will have to check that everything has been done satisfactorily in order to authorise and arrange payment.

Someone else may be involved in volunteer organisation or recruitment, replacing those who can no longer help. Others may want to form a sub-group that has the sole function of organising fund raising activities. The list could go on, but it's important to say that this diversity doesn't take account of what else may be taking place on the premises. Some would suggest a coffee bar or small charity shop, others suggest lettings. The CIO will need as many ideas as can be generated in order that decisions can be made on the most effective way to raise the cash needed to pay the bills. So advice about how to cut costs or set about maintenance tasks, relevant experience, ideas and networking contacts may be just as important as the most fundamental part of the library service, using the computer to process book issues and returns.

How quickly these activities will need to be introduced will become clearer as plans are made. But no doubt the old adage about projects will be worth remembering – successful outcomes require 95% planning and 5% execution.

So if you want to help keep Groby Library open please don't let the fly on the wall hear the computer as a reason for not assisting. There is something for everyone. There is a chance to part of the redefining of what we want our library to be about. An opportunity to work alongside like minded people, making new friends and helping old friends with their book choices or other services.

Working together we can save Groby Library. If you want to be part of it you can email your contact details to communityreaders@yahoo.co.uk or alternatively to contact@grobyonline.tk. If you don't use email just drop your details into the letterbox at the Parish Council office. The library staff are not allowed to collect the information.

January 2015 

First hurdle jumped in bid to save Groby Library

The Expression of Interest to take over the running of Groby Library has been approved by Leicestershire County Council. "Your registration has been accepted and I am now inviting you to submit an outline business plan by the deadline date of 14th March 2015," explained LCC project Manager Paul Love.  "A Relationship Manager has been allocated to support you with the completion of your outline business plan and act as first point of contact within the County Council."

As the number of volunteers pledging support increases day by day confidence is growing that the library can be saved from closure.  "We still need more," explained David Ryan who submitted the EOI, "as we need to be able to form a Library Trust which matches the different skills members bring with the different roles available to ensure smooth running."   

January 2015

Parish Council support if residents form a  Library Trust

Groby Parish Council is currently not allowed to run a Library.  

At it's January meeting, however, in response to the wishes of the people of Groby, it agreed a support package for the financial year 2015/16 for any group approved by the County Council to run a Community Library in Groby.

This involves the formation of a Library Trust or similar  management organisation by residents.  If a trust is not formed it is likely that library will close and the village will receive a weekly visit from a mobile library instead.

Local businessman David Ryan believes that a Community Library Trust could be successful. He has now decided not to give up hope and has registered an interest with County Hall.  He is prepared to submit a business plan if enough residents come forward to create and run a Trust. With a closing date of January 16th this is currently the only viable option for Groby.

It is critically important that enough volunteers come forward to manage a Trust, and if you wish to be part of this new venture for Groby, or wish to ask any questions, you are asked to 

• email your contact details to CONTACT@GROBYONLINE.TK, 

• or hand them in at the library.   Your details will only be held for the purposes of creating a Library trust.

January 2015

Groby library closure a step nearer

In the days running up to the printing deadline for the January edition of the Groby Spotlight  the hopes of saving Groby library from the County Council axe have suffered a blow. The library cannot be run as part of Groby Parish Council and can only be saved by the formation of a trust or similar organisation. But with the 16th January deadline for registering an interest in running Groby Library imminent the only party planning to apply has received little community support and has withdrawn from the process. 

In another development a meeting of the Parish Council's Finance Committee on Thursday January 8th decided to recommend to the full council meeting on January 12th that in the financial year 2014/15 there should be no funding of a Library Trust. The Committee members did, however, recommend that consideration should be given in future years to assisting with non-staffing costs as financial support from the County Council diminished. The outcome of the budget discussion at the January Parish Council meeting was not known as the Spotlight went to press, but details will be available on www,grobyonline.tk.

The County Council's cost cutting proposals have been known for some time, but detailed running costs for Groby Library were not provided to interested parties until December. The Christmas holiday effectively reduced the time available for full consideration of the financial implications.

Last August the Parish Council conducted a survey of residents through the Spotlight to assess whether or not they wanted a library in Groby. The result was an overwhelming Yes with a 98% vote in favour. A 50p a month increase in Council Tax was considered acceptable. Even with such funding, which would save the jobs of the existing library staff, it has now become clear that a Community Trust would still have to be set up to be the body responsible for the management of the library and to raise any additional funds needed. Forty volunteers came forward to staff the library in the event the existing salaried staff were not retained and some of these volunteers indicated they would assist with the management.

Local businessman David Ryan believed that a Library Trust could successfully run the library, generating income by extending it's use at times when it is closed. He saw the library building being used for a number of other activities for local residents which could include an Internet Café and Homework Club for the children amongst other activities. Because of data protection issues he did not have access to the names of those who had volunteered their services in the Parish Council survey and so he appealed in the Spotlight for those interested in helping to contact him, but without any success. “As there has been very little response to the call for action the idea is a non starter,” he said at the weekend, “and this is likely to mean the loss of the library in its current format.” 

A Spotlight appeal for ideas on how a 2015 library should operate and what services could be provided in a library hub also produced little response from the community, as did a request for comments from the Chairman of the Parish Council in relation to increasing cost forecasts. 

If a Community Trust is not formed the library is likely to be replaced with a mobile library visit. The County Council is now conducting a survey on the mobile service with a view to reducing the fortnightly visits to villages currently in receipt of a mobile service to three weekly. How long a mobile library visit would last isn't known. If it was for 5 hours a week a book would have to be issued every 30 seconds to handle current demand. 

What the County Council library deal includes 

When a Community Library is created the County Council will expect it to be staffed by volunteers but alternatively will provide staffing for an hourly fee. The Council will train volunteers, provide books, internet facilities, the library management system, current furnishings and premises. For the first two years they would also cover around £10,000 of other costs including energy bills, rates, premises maintenance contracts, grounds maintenance, photocopier and phone rental.

 From April 2017 the County contribution would be reduced year on year and by 2021/22 nearly 90% of the costs will be met by the Community Library Trust, though grants or other financial support may be available. Additional internal maintenance costs would also fall on the Trust and so there would need to be a clear plan for income generation by optimising the use of the library for other purposes. This is just a very broad summary – detailed information is available at http://www.leics.gov.uk/futurelibraries. 

What you need to do if you want to save the library from closure

Check the latest position either on www.grobyonline.tk or by ringing the Parish Council  but remember that there is no circumstance in which the library can be saved without the formation of a Trust. If you feel you can work with others to form a Trust you will need to register with the County Council and submit a business plan by 13th March 2015. The deadline for submitting the registration forms is January 16th but on GrobyOnline you will be able to see whether the County Council is prepared to be flexible.

How to contact others who want to form a Trust

If you want to be put in touch with others who want to form a Trust and wish to share your contact details you can email contact@grobyonline.tk.

Groby library facts

• • A quarter of the population of the village are members of Groby library.

  • The library has nearly 2000 library members, 38% of them are under 12 years of age.

  • Nearly a third of members are over 50 years of age.

  • Nearly two thirds of members are female.

  • On average the library issues a book every two minutes

  • On average the library welcomes 24 visitors for every hour it is open

  • The public computers are in use for 760 hours a year

Winners and losers if Groby library closes

The young, the elderly, women and residents without internet access are amongst those who will be most disadvantaged by the closure of Groby Library.  But every cloud has a silver lining and there are some who could benefit from Groby library closing. Both Waterstones and Foyles have reported increases in book sales recently and surprisingly new store openings are planned, which should be good for their balance sheets if not for library users wallets. Sales of electronic readers such as kindle have levelled off and although ebooks now take a substantial part of all book sales the decline of the paper book appears to be slowing. Amazon will no doubt be happy to see more of our money going on books and downloads, as will the Roal Mail and couriers. Although book sales at charity shops may improve at least the money will go to a good cause.

The loss of the public computers in Groby library will either force users to travel to another library for free access, travel to an internet cafe and pay, or buy an internet enabled device and pay for home broadband. Talktalk, BT and the others will shed no tears.

Potentially bus companies could also benefit if non concessionary card holders decide to travel to another library. The Council tax from Groby residents funds the County council's library service so Leicester City Council could be a loser if borrowers find it easier to visit the Beaumont Leys Library whilst shopping at Tesco or visit the Central Lending Library on Bishop Street.

December 2014 

What do you want from a new look 

Community Library?

If Groby Library closes and the Post Office relocates to Budgens, the centre of the village will suffer a double blow. Whatever the outcome of the Parish Council's deliberations over library funding the likelihood is that, as the library is open for only 20 hours a week, the status quo is not an option. The building is available for rental when the library is closed. If one assumes availability for all uses for 12 hours a day that means that the building could potentially be in use for 84 hours a week. It does not make economic sense for it to be in use for only 25% of the time.

Although it is not a brick built permanent building it is relatively spacious for the book stock it holds, and many libraries operate in smaller accommodation. There may be a number of ways it could be re-organised. For example, re-siting the moveable shelving could release more space, as would replacing the desktop computers with laptops that could be used at a table, and moving the issues counter to the computer alcove.

But creating a joint library and community activity centre would bring other problems, as the library only has a few parking spaces. The availability of additional rental facilities for community activities or even as an election polling station might also affect the income of the Village Hall, having a financial impact on another valuable community asset.

No doubt the possibility of the library moving into the Village Hall has been discussed and, if so, in the absence of anything that has been said to the contrary, discounted. A Village Hall option would allow a downsizing in the space needed and a reduction in library overheads as the cost of services such as heating and toilet facilities and maintenance are shared by all users.

Perhaps any space freed up in the library building could be used for some form of community hub, an internet café or similar, but is there sufficient demand? What about a small retail unit? Is there an unsatisfied demand for something that could be provided here. If the Post Office moves could a retailer supply all those stationery goods that are currently bought at the Post Office? Could it be a delivery and collection point for online purchases? Or a base for an entrepreneur with an online presence such as pix2canvas.co.uk on Main Street in Ratby? What goods or services do we need that we can't get elsewhere in Groby?

There is ,of course, the proposal by David Ryan mentioned in another article which, if he receives the support he needs to create a Community Library Trust, may turn out to be the best option if the ideal solution of the Parish Council enabling the existing staff to stay isn't feasible.

But how do you think a 2015 library should operate and what services do you think could be provided in a library hub? Time is running out, so share your thoughts and write to or email the Spotlight.

December 2014 

Groby library - let it go?

How close we are getting to a closure?

Groby Sings is a great example of how the community can come together and deliver something special when it has someone with a vision to lead it and a dedicated team in support. The Christmas concert has gone but the memories of the songs from the Disney success 'Frozen' live on, and probably none more than the big hit 'Let It Go'. Sadly 'let it go' may be just what will happen to Groby's library, despite the fact that in the Spotlight survey 98% of respondents said that they want the library to stay open.

Of course delivering a library is a more ambitious project than a creating a choir, requiring premises and finance, but both need a team to provide leadership and motivation. Groby Parish Council has been assessing the financial input to retain something as close as possible to the status quo and has registered its interest with the County Council(LCC). It hopes to have something approaching a definitive statement of the implications from LCC before the parish budget setting meeting in January. If the parish council decides it is too large a commitment then the focus must turn to any other group who can deliver an alternative, a community library.

But this is where there are other problems, as despite an ongoing debate and appeals for interested parties to come forward, it seems that there has only been one resident with a proposal for a non local authority funded library.

“I've written a draft plan which I see as being a back up should the Parish Council proposal not come to fruition,” explained David Ryan in the Spotlight last month. “It would involve the setting up of a Library Trust which would manage the day to day operations of the library and consist of local residents and hopefully a member of the council. Our plan would be to continue operating the library to the current opening hours as a minimum but this would depend on a suitable number of volunteers coming forward to cover these hours. I then see the library building being used for a number of other activities for local residents which may include an Internet Café, Homework Club for the children amongst other activities. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who may want to be part of a Trust Management Committee or those who feel they would like to be part of a volunteer bank to provide the library services as it's important that we can demonstrate the will and desire to keep the library in the village.”

Unless there has been a last minute rush it seems that his email inbox (david@happykidsedu.co.uk) wasn't overflowing with offers. In fact there were none. Of course those who have given offers to help the parish council may be just as willing to work with David if a council package isn't viable. As time is running out it would certainly help him to know whether a team could be put together if necessary. And with such a high level of support in the community for the continuation of a library service it would also help the parish council if there are other residents who feel they could provide leadership for a project at what is becoming a critical time.

What became clear when the LCC Scrutiny Panel met was that any community library would still have to comply with the legislation affecting libraries, and this would mean, for example, that membership fees or charges for borrowing books would not be allowed. Other income generating activities within the library premises would be permitted. A community library would be able to continue in the same premises, initially for a peppercorn rent. A speaker from a Warwickshire library at the hearing said that with hindsight the community group should have registered as a charity as that would have made applications for funding grants much easier.   

November 2014

Click here to read the Libraries Scrutiny Panel report

November 2014

We have ways of making you volunteer...

Reflections on the Big Society and a plan to save Groby library

The Big Society was big news a few years ago, though we don't hear the term mentioned much now, and when we look back on the Coalition it probably won't be the first thing that springs to mind.

Although historians record the work of Governments in detail the electors remember the highs, and more likely the lows. So Margaret Thatcher may be synonymous with the Falklands, the miners and the Poll Tax, rather than the great benefit she introduced for mums that gave them pension tax credits when they stayed at home on family duties. The Iraq War and weapons of mass destruction are the millstones round Tony Blair's neck, rather than changes such as the reduction in waiting times for operations in the NHS.

So what will it be for the Coalition? We know Nick Clegg's, tuition fees, and will probably forget the increases in tax allowances to help the lower paid in particular. David Cameron may be remembered as the leader who kept us in, or brought us out, of the European Union. We'll have to wait and see. For some the cuts and the shrinking of local government might come to mind. And others may remember this as the administration that let a library system built up over a century wither on the vine.

But when cuts were planned it may well be that no-one thought they could end with a 1950's situation of a van crammed with books touring the villages once a week. It could well be an unexpected consequence. But it didn't need to be this way.

A National Library service?

County Councils used to run all our schools, but over the years this has diminished and directly funded academies and free schools have replaced them. If a National Library Service run by the Department for Education had been designed and implemented we may have avoided a situation where volunteer groups are having to scuttle around doing deals with local councils to keep village libraries running.

The Department for Education website declares that it is responsible “for education and children’s services in England. We work to achieve a highly educated society in which opportunity is equal for children and young people, no matter what their background or family circumstances.” At a time when employers continue to complain about literacy and numeracy standards, and the Government pushes ahead with policies which mean only the computer literate can easily access some services, what better vehicle could there be for promoting and assisting their aims than a local library network. And this doesn't mean that there couldn't be cost savings and a role for a volunteer assisted service if finances demanded it.

Dream on.  What do we have instead? Councils and their officers all over the country duplicating work, desperately trying to save the libraries but knowing that there is a bottom line saving that has to be achieved. No-one mentions the words Big Society because what is happening is not the outpouring of philanthropic feelings from the electorate but enforced volunteering if services are to be saved. It seems that's the way to make us volunteer.

The next steps

But this is where we are. The County Council Scrutiny Panel will report this month on how they feel the offer of support to local community libraries should be structured. Locally this will be followed by a Finance Meeting at the Parish Council to consider whether they should set aside cash in 2015 for supporting Groby Library. There are lots of issues to clarify and overcome so it won't be plain sailing, as they are not allowed to run the library themselves.

That probably means the creation of a legal entity such as a Library Trust to be the responsible body for running the library. Daunting as this prospect may seem it should be remembered that the Village Hall is an independent organisation and Groby Meadow, part funded by the Parish and part by individual shareholdings, is a Community Interest Company. And local businessman David Ryan believes it can be done. He has an interesting background and runs Happy Kids Education, a new company that will offer a range of Childcare services in conjunction with schools across Leicestershire and beyond. These include breakfast and after school clubs, birthday parties and more.

“I've written a draft plan which I see as being a back up should the Parish Council proposal not come to fruition,” he explained. “It would involve the setting up of a Library Trust which would manage the day to day operations of the library and consist of local residents and hopefully a member of the council. Our plan would be to continue operating the library to the current opening hours as a minimum but this would depend on a suitable number of volunteers coming forward to cover these hours. I then see the library building being used for a number of other activities for local residents which may include an Internet Café, Homework Club for the Children amongst other activities.”

It's early days and there's no further information available at the moment but David doesn't underestimate the challenges. “ I don't want to raise expectations but I do feel there's a credible opportunity here for the library to be community led,” he added. “ I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who may want to be part of a Trust Management Committee or those who feel they would like to be part of a volunteer bank to provide the library services as it's important that we can demonstrate the will and desire to keep the library in the village.” As David's proposal is separate from the work being undertaken by the Parish Council he does not have access to the names of those who have already volunteered to help, which is understandable given data Protection issues. But if you would like to register an interest in his solution you can email him at david@happykidsedu.co.uk.

Groby is a fortunate village that has the resources and has residents with the experience and abilities to deliver a community library project. If the library closes it will not be because of the spending cuts but because we just didn't want it to stay open quite enough.

September 2014

Consultations

The closing date for returning consultation responses on the proposed Multi Use Games Area and the future of Groby library was September 5th.  The Parish Council has confirmed, however, that late submissions will not be rejected.  So if you recycled last month's Spotlight before completing the questionnaire you can still comment.  Further copies can be obtained from the Parish Council or you can print the form from www.groby.com, the council website. Although it is not known what the response has been to date regarding the Multi Use Games Area it is clear that some regular library users have not participated in the consultation,  believing that the decision to close the library has already been made.  

The purpose of this consultation, however, is to gauge the level of support for a continuation of the library service, even if it has to be funded and provided in a different way.  It is not a binding referendum, just a way in which the Parish Council can form an opinion about whether residents want, or indeed don't want, a local library.  It is important, therefore, that as many people as possible respond whatever their views.

August 2014

Your village. Your services. Your money.

Your views are needed on library services

The August Parish Council  consultation is to assess the feelings of residents about the future of Groby library which could close next year as part of the Leicestershire County Council budget cuts. The Parish Council Library Working Party will be meeting towards the end of September. This will allow time for the responses of readers to be assessed and will come after the County Council has taken the next step of considering in September 2014 a report detailing the outcome of it's own consultation.

Now it may be that the results of the Leicestershire wide consultation will persuade the County Council to change it's proposals, but the extent of the budget cuts that have to be made appear inescapable. The threat that funding will be withdrawn from most village libraries, including Groby, is real. The likelihood is that it will happen. So the question is : what happens next?

There are those that will say that we don't really need libraries in this digital age, and it is true that the way that readers enjoy both fiction and non-fiction have changed and will no doubt continue to change. But there are many who feel that it is inconceivable that a community the size of Groby cannot support it's own library and will allow the service to disappear. And there are some who say that although the library may be part of the centre of the community the service has not been quick enough to adapt from it's traditional role into more of a community hub where hardbacks, paperbacks and ebooks form just part of what we now call a library is about.

Difficult decisions to be made

Faced with the real prospect of closure the community now has to take some difficult decisions. Should Groby take up the County Council offer of up to 5 years help in setting up a community library? And if we think we should can this be made any easier if we ask the Parish Council to help? This would probably involve an extra monthly charge of around 50 pence per household on the Council Tax bill but might enable existing staff to be retained for the core library service and reduced dependence on volunteers. This may be seen as a bitter pill to swallow. The Government succeeds in reducing the expenditure of the county council, but it's really smoke and mirrors as the cost is transferred to the Parish Council instead. In the end someone pays the price, whether it's through Council tax or time spent volunteering in a community library or fund raising. It's not clear yet how much would have to be raised each month if the Council Tax increase is not an option.

What is currently on the table isn't just closure. It's the chance to take advantage of a 5 year period where there is continued County Council financial support, albeit reduced. Five years in which to keep the service afloat and perhaps rethink how we want the library to develop and respond to the inevitable changes which the coming years will bring.

We put our Parish Councillors in place to make decisions for us, but there are issues where it's very difficult, as the wrong decision can have far reaching consequences. The library questionnaire is an attempt to gather information to help them assess the feelings of residents and take them into account when they discuss the options. The least we can do to help them is to complete the questionnaire and return it by September 5th so they know how we feel.

April 2014

Wading through mud

Could 2p a day per household  save our library?

Sorting out the proposals for the future of Groby's library service is far from easy. Not quite sinking sands but certainly like wading through mud. There are still questions in the air following the consultation meeting at the Village Hall organised by the County Council, a meeting that left some of the estimated 70 villagers attending unimpressed by the presentation style of the delegates.

They were, of course, in a no win situation. The public were there because they have been told that if they don't find a way of running the facility as a community library it will close and we will have to get used to the weekly appearance of a mobile service. One of the options is to raise money to keep the existing building and pay the current staff, perhaps through a combination of an increased parish precept and fund raising.

The Council tax we pay is not what is called an hypothecated or “ring fenced” tax, it's our contribution to the costs of all the services our local councils provide. Nevertheless some local residents may feel that over the years they have happily, or often not so happily, paid the County Council their taxes and as a result the Council was able to use that money to build a library. Having paid for the library through taxation they are now to be presented after a 5 year 'honeymoon period' with an annual bill to rent the building they paid for. In the meantime they continue to pay their full Council Tax to ensure that other County residents have a free and comprehensive library service on their doorstep run by the County Council.

One cannot blame the County library service for this situation, however. Neither the staff nor our County Councillors passionate about library services went into their roles with the objective of cutting local services or making staff redundant. Difficult financial decisions have had to be made and these are cascading down to local level. But at local level the man in the street perhaps finds it difficult to reconcile the local and national news.

We're all in this together?

The local news is that Groby needs to raise initially around £16,000 a year to support a basic library service, which amounts to less than 2p a day per household. The national news is that since 2008 the Royal Bank of Scotland has lost all the money invested in it by the taxpayer and has confirmed its total losses since its bailout have now drawn level with the £46,000,000 pumped into it in 2008. But even this seems like peanuts when we hear the news about free schools. Whilst funding to our 'free' library service is to be slashed the weekend newspapers have said that an additional £400,000,0000 is being diverted to the budget to set up new free schools.

But the community is resilient and will face up to the situation as it is. This was demonstrated at the consultation meeting when villagers were asked whether or not they would volunteer to help save the library service. Half the audience said that they definitely or probably would. Another 11% were uncertain because there were still so many unanswered questions. It is only when those issues are resolved that the scale and form of volunteering will become clear. But one prospective volunteer quite rightly raised the issue of co-ordination and the avoidance of duplicated effort by individuals. The Parish Council Library Working Party is looking at the various options, considering the financial implications, and is as anxious as everyone else to bring clarity to the debate.

"Groby Parish Council is very keen to retain a library in the village and is working with our county councillor and other members of the community to develop sustainable ideas which can then be put to the community,” confirmed a spokesperson. “We are also keeping an eye on the judicial reviews in other counties regarding the prematurity of the decision by Leicestershire County Council."

So for the moment readers are advised to continue to think about what sort of library they want in Groby and what they can do to help deliver it, but in practical terms to wait for the recommendations of the Working Party.

March 2014

Libraries – Every cloud has a silver lining?

"We could create a library service that could be an improvement”

The  prospective cut of £800,000 per annum in funding for library services could result in the sacking of  County Council staff in rural libraries and the possible closure of libraries if parish councils and community groups do not come forward to run them.  But County Councillor Richard Blunt does not feel the changes are necessarily bad news.

When presenting the plan for a period of consultation on the future of libraries at the County Council's Cabinet meeting this month he said that even before the consultation had begun around a third of  communities had been in touch to say that they were interested in discussing involvement.  “There is some appetite for this,” he told members adding that “if we do it properly we could create a library service that could be an improvement.”  He acknowledged the good work done by the current staff now faced with possible redundancy.

Readers of the Leicester Mercury may have been confused by the report that Cllr Blunt had said  "the rumours that libraries will close is nothing but scaremongering,” which seemed to be at odds with  the official  County Council position. “I did say  we may have to close libraries if we can't find partners," explained Cllt Blunt.  “I also said that it was scaremongering to say that Libraries WILL close.  Journalists want a sensational story and they sometimes over egg the cake to get the headline they are looking for. There is a big difference between "will" and "might." 

The report presented to members said that in order to achieve the cost reductions identified it will be necessary to implement the necessary changes from Spring 2015.  There will be a consultation from 7 April 2014 with local communities, Parish Councils, staff, stakeholders and other relevant bodies. A report detailing the outcome will be submitted to the Cabinet in September 2014.  The final deadline for receipt of business cases for Community Managed Libraries will be  3 January 2015 with implementation between April and June 2015 of Community Managed Libraries or alternative arrangements for service delivery.  Savings of £140,000(2014/15) and £640,000(2015/16) will increase to £800,000 in 2016/17.

The County Council has now issued details of how it sees the new arrangements working and what support it would provide community libraries.  

What the Council will provide

Accommodation

For library freehold premises these will be leased on an internal repairing basis for a term of  not less than 10  years.  There will initially be a peppercorn rent payable and a Council contribution to reasonable directly related property operating costs for an initial period of up to five years.  These include head rent (where applicable), electricity,  gas, buildings insurance, water and rates.  Where a library is relocated into an organisation's own building then a contribution to reasonable directly related operating costs will be made as above to a maximum of the  amount currently paid.  

Computing facilities

The Council would provide a pc for for computerised loan issue and returns and library management. And WiFi access and a minimum of one public access PC though more may be provided subject to negotiation.

Training and support

The Council would provide initial and refresher training in appropriatetraining to all volunteers free of charge. The Council would also provide access to professional advice by phone, email, web based resources and by visits. 

Bookstock 

The Council will loan library book stock to a level appropriate to the levels of service being provided. 

Other Equipment 

The Council will provide use of existing fixtures and fittings such as shelving, tables, chairs and counters. 

Transition Costs 

A one off grant could be available to support any reasonable costs incurred in setting up the service which might include minor alterations to buildings to enable the service to be provided and/or the fees involved in setting up a trust or other legal entity. 

Insurance 

The Council will be responsible for insuring the fabric of the building. 

 What the Community will provide

Staffing 

The partnership would provide all staffing resources, presumed to be volunteers, to meet the minimum number of opening hours agreed. 

Other Equipment 

The costs of repairs or replacement of existing fixtures and fittings such as shelving, tables, chairs and counters. 

Insurance

The partnership would be responsible for arranging insurance cover for the loaned book stock and would be required to take out public liability insurance with a minimum cover of £10 million.  

This document will help communities consider more fully the  personal commitment required from volunteers running a Library as well as  the costs that may have to be met when the 5 year honeymoon period is over and County Council support is reduced.  It deals with the key issues but there are many more questions to be asked.   In the week that this Spotlight is being delivered  initial discussions have been taking place between the County and Parish Councils. 

Local residents will be saddened by the prospect of library staff losing their jobs but are faced with the stark conclusion of the report presented to the County Council.  To achieve the necessary budget cuts there is no status quo.  Only time will tell whether the cloud's silver lining has a hallmark or whether it's just silver paint.

Would a Tesco Express fit on the Groby library site?

How far will residents will go to save their library?

It's 51 years since Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 in which society has outlawed books and "firemen" burn any that are found.  Thankfully it hasn't happened although the advances of technology have made books less relevant in some circumstances.  The e-reader enables many books to be kept on a pocket sized electronic device.  A world without books is still unimaginable as digital books and knowledge depend on the availability of a power supply. 

So the future for books may not be as bleak as it first seems, though that cannot be said for our library service.  The Leicester Mercury has reported that Leicestershire County Council is to focus it's dwindling resources in protecting a core network of 17 libraries.   The remaining 37, including libraries in Groby, Anstey, Ratby and Markfield would be threatened with closure if no community group comes forward to take them on.  This comes as no surprise as the direction of travel was pretty clear when the Council launched it's consultation into how to cut spending last summer, as reported in the Spotlight.  

1500 active borrowers

In 2012/13 around 26,000 visits were made to Groby library by residents and 30,000 books were issued. There were 1500 active borrowers and 200 new members.  Following this month's confirmation  that more job losses are on the way, and services will have to be cut, it may be that in a year or two there will be no library to visit and no books to borrow.  There may be no Wriggly Readers  sessions or wide eyed toddlers dazzled by the array of books they can look at and take home.  The elderly will have one less place to visit locally and for some it will mean a little longer sitting alone at home without social contact watching daytime television.  And for those without broadband at home their digital world will also shrink.

There will no doubt be a degree of anger at the County Council's plans and the fact that the only way to preserve the service is to do things differently and move the costs to others.  But the fact is that the Council probably has few options.  It has to cut expenditure and this means prioritising the services it provides.  So supporters of a local library service probably have to bite the bullet and see what they can come up with.  Sometimes change is forced on communities, as in this case, but sometimes communities generate change themselves.(See some examples in the box).    

It would be great if the crisis facing the library service would go away, and who knows, it might.  But it probably won't and it's time for those who wish to see a transition to a sustainable system to start considering the options.  No information is available yet about what support the County Council would offer.  Would they offer the building or would they consider it another asset like the land on the site of the old A50 which they have suggested for a housing development?  Tesco might find it a nice central site for a convenience store if the trees were felled and the lawns replaced with parking.  

For many residents the library assistants are the only front line County Council staff they have contact with, and they would be sorry to see them form part of the further job cuts planned.  But sadly it is the staffing cost which at 70% of expenditure is the largest overhead.   Other running costs, including maintenance and utilities, were £11,000 and annual income £3,000.

The Council's statement

“We expect to continue to run our town libraries, but we will explore community running of our smaller libraries and possible co-location with other organisations, such as parish councils” said a spokesman for the County Council.  “We may have to close libraries if we can't find partners.  We are still working on the detail but the broad proposal is for the county council to offer professional support from its libraries service on a tapering basis to help develop the understanding needed.  We also have a significant volunteer network working with the service already and we hope that we can encourage greater involvement from those experienced volunteers to help. We have been having exploratory discussions with Ratby, Barrow and Kegworth and these discussions are ongoing.”  

It is understood that there have also been discussions concerning Markfield library, but there are as yet no answers to the big questions about such things as library premises, vital issues for any group considering stepping into the void left by the County Council if it retreats to simply offering  “professional support from its libraries service”.  It is just a proposal at this stage and is highly likely to be followed by a further period of consultation before final implementation is agreed.

No council wishes to embark on a venture which is beyond it's ability to deliver or its financial means, and Groby is no exception.  “Members believe that our Library is a key resource and should be saved for the local people if at all possible,” said a spokesperson. “ However there are significant hurdles and if a community group were to be successfully formed to take over the service we need to know more about the County Council's proposals so that we can assess what part the Council could play.

Do you want to save your library?

With 1500 active borrowers there should be no shortage of ideas about how the library service in Groby can be spared the axe and what a local library could actually become when the ties to County Hall are cut and decisions can be made locally.  Every campaign needs a leader with a clear vision which inspires others to action,  but it is likely that the County Council would probably wish to open initial discussions with the parish council.  Whilst awaiting more information  local residents need to consider whether or not they want to save their library and, if they do,  how they could help.

An Ipsos Mori survey asked the question “How important or unimportant do you think public libraries are as a service to the community and to you personally?”  74% said Essential/Very important for the  community and 47% for them personally.  If you share this view, and are concerned about the future of library services locally, you can learn more about the possibility of community involvement at http://locality.org.uk/projects/community-managed-libraries-2/ or follow the link from www.grobyonline.tk.

You can read the full Leicester Mercury report at http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Library-transfer-plans/story-20420147-detail/story.html#ixzz2q5YhOhfF

November 2013

Spending consultation results now available

The results are now available online at http://www.leics.gov.uk/future in an interactive form which allow results to be viewed by gender, age range and district council.  

County spending consultation ends September 15th

What will be the outcome for Groby library?

When you receive the next edition of the County Council's magazine Leicestershire Matters don't put it straight in the recycling bin, even if that's what you normally do with it. The latest edition will include a questionnaire about future expenditure and will be asking you about what you see as the priorities.

The Council needs to save £100 million over the next 5 years. So far £35 million of savings have been identified and the consultation is about the remaining £65 million savings. The decisions to be made will be difficult and could result in radical changes in the way the Council delivers services.

The dilemma

When you see the questionnaire you will realise the size of the dilemma. How keen are you to reduce funding care in residential and nursing homes for frail older people or to reduce services such as homecare and day services? Or how do you feel about reducing the investing in prevention and early help which enables older people to live independently?

If you can't face a reduction in these services what about cutting the funding of care in residential and nursing homes for people with complex learning disabilities or cutting expenditure on care in residential and nursing homes for people with complex learning disabilities or reducing services for vulnerable people and their carers/families?

If you feel unable to cut what we spend on these vulnerable groups what about reducing the number of places available for children in local authority care or the provision of residential and community based services to people with physical disabilities with substantial and critical needs?

The list goes on, and this is just a taste of the potential impact of the cuts. The consultation document is unequivocal. Some things will stop whilst others will be delivered in different ways and the council believes it will need to work with services and organisations and the people of Leicestershire. Examples that the Council is already working on or thinking about include working with the Health Service and local doctors, working with district councils and Police, working with local people, community groups and voluntary organisations to plan and run services.

Library service review

As the questionnaire continues one eventually arrives at such issues as reducing the number of libraries, reductions in opening hours, or replacing fewer books. Fewer museums, shorter opening hours and reducing access to collections and historical records, and reduced service and maintenance work at country Parks.

Your views on a number of alternative ways of doing things are considered including handing over the running of specific services (e.g. libraries, museums, community centres) to residents, community groups and voluntary organisations where the alternative is to close or severely reduce a service.

Locally there is no museum, just the library on Leicester Road. Although it pre-judges the outcome of the consultation it is reasonable to assume that a review of the local library service will follow in due course. The document says the county council is talking to parish councils about locating libraries with parish councils and points out that in Warwickshire 12 libraries are run by communities, whilst all Suffolk libraries are run independently. 

In Warwickshire Community managed libraries are run by local community groups with support from the County Council’s Library and Information Service. They also have one community run honesty library located at a Community Centre. Local volunteers manage book loans which are not issued to the County library ticket.

Declining use?

Libraries nationwide have generally suffered a fall in use over the last few years. In Groby the number of visits to the library has increased over the last few years to a record 26,000 for 2012/13. Book issues for the year, however, declined by 19% to 30,362. The public's use of computers has declined by more dramatically – by 42% year on year, but it is not clear whether this is the result of increased home broadband or the one hour a day restriction introduced last year. Staff salaries account for around 70% of the modest running costs of the library, so it is clear where any savings may have to be made.

If you are concerned about the future of library services locally and want toknow more about the possibility of community involvement take a look at http://locality.org.uk/projects/community-managed-libraries-2/ . Locality is one of those organisations that most of us never knew existed, and was formed in 2011 by the merger of bassac and the DTA, both organisations with a rich history. Amongst it's other activities it describes itself as “supporting a national network of community organisations and local authorities exploring the transfer of library services and assets.”

This County Council consultation is challenging and illustrates the difficult decisions to be made. Many readers may find the choices too difficult to make. You can complete the questionnaire in the magazine or online by following the link from http://www.leics.gov.uk/future.  The consultation ends on September 15th 2013.

September 2012

Library computer income lower than forecast

In August GrobyOnline  revealed how new library charges for computer use hit village library users disproportionately.   Seven hours use in Oadby and Loughborough is free but costs £2 a week in Groby, £4 in Field Head and Markfield and £6 in Ratby.  Even though the new charge was designed to raise revenue for the County Council it seemed unlikely that this postcode lottery for charges, which could amount to hundreds of pounds a year, was intentional.   It was suggested that this was more likely to be an unexpected consequence of the change.  This has at last be confirmed by the County Council, who have also provided the figures requested about the estimated revenue to be generated and the revenue to date, which has fallen far short of forecasts.

"It would be fair to say the issues that you have raised were an unexpected consequence of the charges," confirmed a spokesperson for the County Council.  "A forecast of £20,000 additional revenue was anticipated from this charge. However, early indications are that this figure may be challenging. To date, around £2,000 has been achieved.  The charge will be reviewed this autumn although it is too early to say what decisions we will take as a consequence of the review."  Hopefully the charges will be revised to ensure that everyone pays the same rate for the same use wherever they live in Leicestershire

August 2012

New library computer charges

Leicestershire County Council(LCC) has had to make difficult decisions when deciding how to reduce costs and generate income, but some users of library computers are asking whether the changes to charges introduced in April are unfair to many villages.  The effect is that customers in some villages  could potentially pay hundreds of pounds a year for a service which other areas  receive free of charge.

Libraries budget slashed

The Leicestershire Communities and Well-being service, which provides libraries, has to reduce its spending by £4.3 million over the next few years, so to boost income the charges for some services were changed in April.  Before April computer use in libraries was free of charge, subject to a weekly allowance of 6 hours, but  this has been reduced to a daily allowance of one hour.  Any daily use over one hour costs £1 for 30 minutes, which compares to 50p an hour in an internet café in Leicester.  Within a few days one customer had written to the Leicester Mercury complaining about the changes.  

"When the system is slow, you cannot log on to websites and printing needs to be done via staff. Often little can be completed in one hour," she wrote. "If no-one is waiting or booked, let us continue to use our hours weekly, otherwise more demand may occur another day and prevent access then for some.  It seems this new punitive daily limit is an attempt to recoup  costs, rather than regulate demand to ensure fair access for all with reduced opening."

Groby library is now open for 6 days a week.  Computer users who don't travel to other libraries can still enjoy 6 hours free each week as long as they visit the library every day.  But in Loughborough and Oadby the libraries are open 7 days a week, so users enjoy 7 hours free.  This means that their users actually get an increase of an hour in their weekly free computer use whilst many others have suffered a cut, unless they travel to another library.  

Groby customers have to pay £2 a week if they wish to use their local library computers for 7 hours.  Any Field Head resident using Markfield library has to pay £4 a week for 7 hours, as that library only opens on 5 days.   This could  amount to hundreds of pounds over a year. To be in the same position as  Loughborough or Oadby residents any    Markfield customer would have to travel to another library on 2 days out of 7, including a minimum of a 20 mile round trip to Loughborough or Oadby on a Sunday.  That's hardly the kind of environmentally friendly behaviour the County Council would wish to encourage and not at all practical.  

The position is much worse in nearby Ratby.   Here the library is only open for 4 days a week, so it costs customers £6 a week, approaching £300 a year, for the same local library computer use that is free in Loughborough and Oadby.  

Vulnerable affected

"Unemployed people will still get free access,” explained a Council spokesperson.  Although the unemployed and children have a more generous and probably adequate daily allowance,  it is  not free access.  After 2 hours these groups also have to pay the £1 per 30 minutes.  One library customer who is a registered carer who has to pay after an hour finds that finances just don't stretch to paying the surcharge.  Visits to the library, which includes researching family history,  provide a welcome relief from the responsibilities at home. Because of those duties it is not always possible to visit the library every day, which wasn't so critical with the former weekly allowance.  Internet  family history searches are time consuming and an hour soon passes.

A difficult decision

“The decision to introduce a cost for computer use was a difficult one to make,” explained the spokesperson.  “We wanted to provide a simple to remember and consistent cost across the county.  Customers can use any library across the county to access computers throughout the week.  Knowing that we needed to introduce a revised charge to meet income targets, we looked at other authorities and tried to be as fair as we could.”   

And there is no doubt that the charges for computer use in neighbouring counties are less generous  than in Leicestershire.  But some users feel the fact that a postcode lottery also operates elsewhere is little comfort to those who have to pay for something that  other Leicestershire residents receive free.  The  new charges  do not take account of the limitations imposed by differences in library opening hours  and inequity created by the shift from a weekly to a daily allowance.  “ We all pay the same Council Tax for County services” said one unhappy customer,  “but it is only some Council taxpayers that are having to pay more if they can't use another library. The change to a daily allowance is purely to generate income and is quite unfair”. 

The spokesperson added that as this is a new charge they are monitoring customer feedback and will review the charges annually.  The Council has so far declined to provide information about the cost of providing the service, their forecast of the annual income to be generated, and the income to date.  What is also unclear is whether the effect of the new charge was anticipated or whether it is an unexpected consequence of the changes.