 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
|
Hampshire County Council records The consideration by Hampshire County Council of a possible link with the NAL is recorded in two documents, a report to the Council by the Director of Recreation and Heritage dated 13 September 2007, which sets out the proposed arrangement between the Society and the County Council, and a shorter document of the same date which seeks a decision by the Council to accept the recommendations of the report. The two documents are reproduced below. The key organisational points are as follows: The National Aerospace Library will be operated on a day to day basis by the Royal Aeronautical Society, and although the County Council's logo will appear on the library's signage and publicity the County Council's input will be restricted to in effect seconding a member of staff to work on that site.
So far as we know, the arrangement has worked satisfactorily. We understand, however, that the exchange of correspondence expected in para 2 has never taken place. We do not know what is recorded about the arrangement in the minutes of the Society Council. A point of some concern is the apparent discrepancy between the content of the report and the statement in the Chief Executive’s Message in the September issue of The Aerospace Professional, “Turning to events a bit closer to home, the Council will be holding its first meeting outside London for a considerable time, when it meets on 10 September at 'The Hub' building in Farnborough, to review progress on the setting up of the National Aerospace Library. Preparations are now well under way with the remaining material at Hamilton Place, which is not staying here, being transported to Farnborough and much of the material already stored in 'A' Shed at Farnborough being moved across to the National Aerospace Library. Having said this, I think it is important to emphasise that the Library on the third floor here at Hamilton Place will remain fully operational, to allow members to borrow books and to carry out research. The facilities at Farnborough will focus on public access and provide us with a much needed expanded storage facility for our own collection and other collections that may be given to us in the future.” This paints a different picture from the case-making paper to the Hampshire County Council which, in paras 4.1 and 4.2 below, gives the impression of a greater transfer of material to Farnborough than is implied by the Chief Executive’s statement. We have no explanation for this apparent discrepancy in the two documents, both issued in September 2007. Hampshire County Council Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 4 13 September 2007 National Aerospace Library Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage Contact: Richard Ward 01962 826621 richard.ward@hants .gov.uk 1. Summary 1.1 The United Kingdom has a long and important history of involvement in aerospace and many key developments took place in Hampshire - particularly at Farnborough but also at other locations such as Eastleigh and Southampton with the Scheinder Trophy races and the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire taking place there. 1.2 The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAES) has raised funds to establish a National Aerospace Library (NAL) and has obtained premises in Farnborough. RAES is offering an informal partnership whereby the NAL can be jointly badged as a public library as well as a learned society research library. The RAES would be responsible for all running costs and the library service would contribute a limited amount of staff resource to enable longer opening hours and full public access. The opening hours would be significant contribution to improving the service's performance on the Public Library Standards. 2. Recommendations 2.1 That the Executive Member for Recreation & Heritage approve the Recreation and Heritage Directorate's involvement in the newly established National Aerospace Library. 3. Background 3.1 As mentioned in the summary United Kingdom has a long and important history of involvement in aerospace and many key developments took place in Hampshire - particularly at Farnborough but also at other locations such as Eastleigh and the Southampton. 3.2 Many of these key developments were documented but there has been hitherto no one key location to which scholars, students, industry researchers and the interested layman might have resort. The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAES), based in London, has a comprehensive collection, and has been the driving force behind the establishment of the National Aerospace Library (NAL). Other significant holdings are to be found in the National Archive at Kew, and at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon. Various armed service repositories hold material but access is not easily available to civilian researchers. The County Library holds a modest, but nonetheless interesting and important collection of books and journals in its Farnborough Library. 3.3 The Farnborough service was enhanced by the rescue of an important collection of books and technical reports about to be disposed of by Qinetiq. This illustrates an important point - with the bringing together of defence contractors into larger conglomerations there is the real danger of important historic collections being lost as the successor companies' main interest lies elsewhere. 4. The current position 4.1 The Royal Aeronautical Society has launched the National Aerospace Library and has obtained premises in Farnborough. To this site will be transferred its main holdings from London. These holdings are of international importance and include books, journals, and technical reports. In addition there are papers and correspondence from such well known figures as the Wright Brothers. All the major names in UK aviation history - going back as far as Sir George Cayley are represented as are the major aerospace firms such as the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The collection on early ballooning is considered the best in the world and there is an extensive collection of illustrations. 4.2 Some material will remain at the Society's HQ at 4 Hamilton Place London but the aim is for the main focus of the collection to move to Farnborough. The Qinetiq collection referred to above will be transferred to the new library in due course. 4.3 The library premises are currently being fitted out and it is expected that the library will open in the autumn of 2007. Use of the library will be open to all- it will not be restricted to members of the Society. 5. The County Council's involvement 5.1 The County Council has been involved from the very beginning of the scheme when the Leader had an exploratory meeting with the Keith Mans, the Chief Executive of the RAES, the Director of Recreation and Heritage and the Head of the Library and Information Service. To date the input has been mainly the advice of the Head of the Library and Information Service who was invited to join the Society's steering group and who has attended several meetings in both London and Farnborough. 5.2 The Society has proposed that the library should be jointly operated by itself and the County Council. This has many advantages: there is a known interest in aviation matters in the Farnborough area, and indeed in the wider county and South East Region. For example there are the Brooklands site in Surrey, the Boscombe Down site in Wiltshire and the Supermarine heritage of Eastleigh (now Southampton) Airport and the Schneider Trophy races held over the Solent. 5.3 The NAL will bring a collection of international importance to Farnborough - the site of the first powered flight from British soil in by Sam Cody in 1908. 5.4 The NAL will be badged as a joint County Council and RAES Library, and as it will be freely open to the public it will be appropriate to count the opening hours towards improving the authority's performance towards meeting the Public Library Standards. 6. Legal implications 6.1 The National Aerospace Library will be operated on a day to day basis by the Royal Aeronautical Society, and although the County Council's logo will appear on the library's signage and publicity the County Council's input will be restricted to in effect seconding a member of staff to work on that site. 6.2 It is expected that there will be an exchange of correspondence between the Society and the County Council outlining the precise nature, and the limitations of the County's input. 7. Financial Implications 7.1 The RAES will bear all the building costs including maintenance and general running expenses and the County would contribute a number of staff hours in the week to allow longer opening and to ensure public access. 7.2 It is proposed to increase the establishment of the Farnborough Library by one Library Assistant and for up to 30 hours per week to be devoted to the NAL. This post will be accommodated with the Library and Information Service's overall budget. 8. Impact Assessment 8.1 There should be no adverse effect upon any group following the establishment of the NAL. 9. Conclusion 9.1 The National Aerospace Library provides the County Council with an opportunity to help secure the future of a major collection of books and papers of international importance and to ensure that public access is made convenient and free of charge.
Hampshire County Council Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 4 13 September 2007 National Aerospace Library Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage. Contact: Richard Ward; Tel: 01962 826621 e-mail: richard.ward@hants.gov.uk 1. Summary 1.1 The following decision is sought:
2. Reason 2.1 The United Kingdom has a long and important history of involvement in aerospace and many key developments took place in Hampshire - particularly at Farnborough but also at other locations such as Eastleigh and Southampton with the Schneider Trophy races and the first flight of the Supermarine Spitfire taking place there. 2.2 The Royal Aeronautical Society (RAES) has raised funds to establish a National Aerospace Library (NAL) and has obtained premises in Farnborough. RAES is offering an informal partnership whereby the NAL can be jointly badged as a public library as well as a learned society research library. The RAES would be responsible for all running costs and the library service would contribute a limited amount of staff resource to enable longer opening hours and full public access. The opening hours would be a significant contribution to improving the service's performance on the Public Library Standards. This decision links to the Corporate Priority of Maximising Well-being, by providing improved services. 3. Other Options Considered and Rejected 3.1 To turn away the offer: this might mean that access to the collections was restricted to members of the RAES or to bona fide academic researchers, or that fees might be charged. 4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted None. 5. Dispensation by the Standards Committee Not applicable. 6. Reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent Not applicable Approved by: Date: ............................................. ................................... Councillor Mrs. M. Snaith
Appendix 2A The history of the RAeS Library |