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Citizens Online and

Brighton & Hove Library Service

Case Study

David Scurr, Partnership & Project Manager,

Citizens Online

Jake Smith, Library Service Manager (Digital),

Library Services, Brighton & Hove City Council

SwitchWe help organisations ensure the

switch to digital doesn’t

exclude people.

Switch• Baseline: Research & Report

• Design: Partnership development

• Delivery: Digital Champions

• Review: Monitoring & Evaluation

/SwitchOur whole system approach to tackling digital exclusion

‘Deep dive’ Digital Inclusion Projects

Brighton & Hove

Impact Report

Gwynedd Project

Overview

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Meet the Digital Brighton & Hove team

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Meet Jake from the library service!

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Brighton & Hove City Council Library Service -

Why Digital Inclusion?

• Statutory duties and standards – equal access for everyone

• Stretched library services channel shift

• Libraries have a strong link to literacy and with that digital

literacy

• Libraries are moving into e-books and online services

• Baseline research shows that not all customers have essential

digital skills

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Baseline research

• 7.4% of local

population is

offline

• 16% of local

population do not

have essential

digital skills

• Mapping of

community assets

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Digital Brighton & Hove Collaboration Framework

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• Lists internet

access locations &

digital support

sessions

• Search by local

area using map or

drop-down list

• 1 central & 14

local libraries

Signposting to digital support

Digital Champions Training

• Recruited 436 Digital

Champions

• Both face-to-face and

online training

• 34 Library Officers (embedded)

• 23 Library Connect Volunteers

Digital Champions Network

• Membership access

to tailored e-Learning

Resources

• CPD & Mozilla Badge

scheme

• Used by Library

Connect Volunteers to

record activity

Enhancing provision

• Helping to plug gaps in

the local communities

• Working together with

partners to address

needs

• Join up provision

Enhancing provision…in libraries!

1. Staff to help with

simple queries

2. Refer to bookable 1-1

session with Library

Connect Volunteer

3. Group workshops run

by Citizens Online and

local partners

Partnership development

• Built an active Digital

Inclusion Network

• Over 250 organisations

engaged from all

sectors

• Chaired by Head of

Libraries, Sally

McMahon

• 400+ Digital Champions

• 5000+ Learners engaged

• 6950+ Sessions

• 250+ Organisations engaged

Switch• Increase number of

Library Connect

Volunteers

• Develop a ‘Library

Connect at Home’ service

• Keep playing an active

part in the Digital

Brighton & Hove Network

“You can’t have libraries without digital… Our aim is to

keep the skills of staff and volunteers up to date and then hope that over time there will be more resources to increase

the offer we can make to customers.”

Brighton & Hove City Council Library Service -

Next steps

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Top Takeaways

• Buy-in from the top

• Blended approach – introduction of volunteer DCs as well as embedded

DCs

• Staff & volunteers with high level of digital skills help build capability of

other staff

• Baseline analysis and mapping encourages optimal use of local

resources

• Devices and WiFi access overcome connectivity and tech barriers

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Thank youDavid Scurr

@david_scurr / @citizensonline1

david.scurr@citizensonline.org.uk

Jake Smith

@BHLibraries

jake.smith@brighton-hove.gov.uk