Public Performance Reporting

Community Learning

We provide community based learning opportunities for adults and young people. These help people to become better at tackling issues affecting their lives.
Learning takes place in Community Centres, Libraries, Schools, Learning Centres, Youth Centres and in the Rural Technology Bus (a mobile learning Centre).
In 2005/06 we helped 1095 adults to improve their skills in reading, writing and counting, computing, parenting, healthy living and confidence building, 11% more than in 2003/4.
Over 3,992 young people developed their skills through participation in youth forums, clubs, groups, information projects and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - almost 1000 more than in 2003/4.
Volunteers form an important role in delivering the service. This year we have trained 166 new volunteers, up from 121 trained in 2003/4.
In 2005/06 our 15 libraries had 653,172 visitors who borrowed 562,994 books, an 8% reduction on the previous year. However, our public access PCs were booked for 121,961 computer sessions, an increase of 61% over 2004/5, showing the changing role of libraries.
All our libraries have TRY IT centres which give free access to the internet.
Our libraries offer people the chance to teach themselves basic computer skills and to gain the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Our Cyber Centre at Carnegie Library is an approved ECDL Test Centre and has held an “A” standard by the British Computer Society for the last three years.