Scottish councils sign library software contract

A consortium of five local authorities and a culture charity has awarded a contract for a new library management system.

The Scottish Consortium of Public Libraries (SCoPL), which consists of Angus, Perth & Kinross, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and North Ayrshire councils, as well as charity High Life Highland, will make use of the web-based system.

Supplier Civica will receive £1.5m over the course of the three-year contract for its 'Spydus' software, which it says will help improve services and reduce costs.

The web-based system will enable the participants to automate services including public access, bookings, home lending, cataloguing, inter-library loans and stock rotation.

It also allows partners to share stock, but there are no immediate plans to do so

A statement on behalf of the consortium said: “We are confident that we have a shared platform which will enable us to deliver, individually or collectively, the world-class digital library services and robust back office a 21st century library needs.

“The integrated Civica solution is a significant milestone as we modernise our libraries by streamlining processes and improving the customer experience.”

The consortium will be joined by a further four Civica customers north of the border - Argyll and Bute Council, Inverclyde Council, Leisure and Culture Dundee and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture - who will make use of the software.

The digital system will go live in November and December for four councils, with the remaining two following next year.

The software is also being introduced in schools within some of the areas, starting with Aberdeenshire’s twelve secondaries. Students will only need a single library card to access services at either their school or the public library. 

Lee Burley, managing director of Civica Education, said: “It's widely known that libraries have faced an uncertain future.

“Against this backdrop, we’re delighted to be able to play a central role in the evolution of Scotland’s libraries, with a view to maintaining their valuable services in the local community.”