Library statistics 2021

Dave Rowe made this Freedom of Information request to Leisure and Culture Dundee as part of a batch sent to 217 authorities This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

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The request was successful.

Dear Leisure and Culture Dundee,

FAO The Library Service.

Hello, I have two freedom of information (FOI) queries that should be quick. This is being sent to all UK library services so be assured you aren't being singled out! If the operating of the library service has been outsourced to a separate organisation then please fulfil this request by retrieving the response from that body.

1. Does the library service complete annual library statistics to be sent to CIPFA? And specifically, have these been completed for the financial year 2020/2021?

2. If the answer to the above is Yes, please include a copy of your 2020/2021 CIPFA library statistics return in your response. This should be sent in the same format as was sent to CIPFA (e.g. an Excel spreadsheet).

It is important that this should be an exact copy of the data sent to CIPFA. I am not requesting any data that is owned by CIPFA, such as their own aggregated reports. As the data is compiled by the library service it is public library data, and subject to Freedom of Information.

To try and cover any concerns about the second part of this request, I have answered a number of potential worries below. Please have a quick look through these before responding!

- Data Format. The data should be sent as structured data in spreadsheet format. Guidelines from the Information Commissioner's Office specify that it is reasonable to request data in a re-usable and "Machine-readable" formats. For example, if the data were exported to a PDF file then that would not be acceptable, as that is a document rather than structured data.

- FOI exemption: accessible by other means. Occasionally, requesters in the past have been told that this data could be exempt from FOI as it accessible from CIPFA when it is published. However this fails the test of being 'reasonably' accessible due to the high cost for a member of the public. This exemption would certainly be overturned on appeal.

- FOI exemption: commercial interest. Commercial interest exemptions do exist in FOI legislation but this would not apply to a single third party (e.g. CIPFA) who use public data. Their commercial interests are in the value they provide in reporting on that data.

Thank you in advance!

Yours faithfully,

Dave Rowe

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23 October 2021

Sent request to Leisure and Culture Dundee again, using a new contact address.

Dear Dave,

Freedom of Information Request FOISA Ref: 20211023001 - Rowe

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. I acknowledge
receipt and your request has now been registered under the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Kind regards,

Tanya

Tanya Duthie

Senior Library and Information Officer

Central Library

The Wellgate

Dundee

DD1 1DB

email: [1][Leisure and Culture Dundee request email]

web: [2]http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/f...

From: Dave Rowe <[FOI #791982 email]>
Sent: 23 October 2021 19:32
To: lacd.foi <[Leisure and Culture Dundee request email]>
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Library statistics 2021

Dear Leisure and Culture Dundee,

FAO The Library Service.

Hello, I have two freedom of information (FOI) queries that should be
quick. This is being sent to all UK library services so be assured you
aren't being singled out! If the operating of the library service has been
outsourced to a separate organisation then please fulfil this request by
retrieving the response from that body.

1. Does the library service complete annual library statistics to be sent
to CIPFA? And specifically, have these been completed for the financial
year 2020/2021?

2. If the answer to the above is Yes, please include a copy of your
2020/2021 CIPFA library statistics return in your response. This should be
sent in the same format as was sent to CIPFA (e.g. an Excel spreadsheet).

It is important that this should be an exact copy of the data sent to
CIPFA. I am not requesting any data that is owned by CIPFA, such as their
own aggregated reports. As the data is compiled by the library service it
is public library data, and subject to Freedom of Information.

To try and cover any concerns about the second part of this request, I
have answered a number of potential worries below. Please have a quick
look through these before responding!

- Data Format. The data should be sent as structured data in spreadsheet
format. Guidelines from the Information Commissioner's Office specify that
it is reasonable to request data in a re-usable and "Machine-readable"
formats. For example, if the data were exported to a PDF file then that
would not be acceptable, as that is a document rather than structured
data.

- FOI exemption: accessible by other means. Occasionally, requesters in
the past have been told that this data could be exempt from FOI as it
accessible from CIPFA when it is published. However this fails the test of
being 'reasonably' accessible due to the high cost for a member of the
public. This exemption would certainly be overturned on appeal.

- FOI exemption: commercial interest. Commercial interest exemptions do
exist in FOI legislation but this would not apply to a single third party
(e.g. CIPFA) who use public data. Their commercial interests are in the
value they provide in reporting on that data.

Thank you in advance!

Yours faithfully,

Dave Rowe

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FOI 20211023001 Rowe.xlsx

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Dear Dave,

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

I refer to your email of 23rd October 2021.

Please find below and attached the answers to your questions,

1. Does the library service complete annual library statistics to be sent
to CIPFA? And specifically, have these been completed for the financial
year 2020/2021? Yes.

2. If the answer to the above is Yes, please include a copy of your
2020/2021 CIPFA library statistics return in your response. This should be
sent in the same format as was sent to CIPFA (e.g. an Excel spreadsheet).
Please see attached.

Your Right to Appeal

If you are unhappy with this reply you may require Leisure and Culture
Dundee to review its actions and decisions in relation to your request

The requirement for review must

o be in writing or other permanent form (please address it to the
Director, Leisure and Culture Dundee, 1 Shore Terrace, Dundee, DD1
3AH
o state your name and give an address for correspondence
o specify the original request for information and the matter which
gives rise to your dissatisfaction; and
o be made within 40 working days of the date of this response, although
Leisure and Culture Dundee may, if it considers it appropriate to do
so, consider requirements for review after that time has passed.

Your requirement for review will be dealt with by the Director of Leisure
and Culture Dundee. She will reply to you in writing promptly and in any
event within 20 working days. She may

o confirm my decision with or without modification
o substitute a different decision for my decision

and will give you her reasons for so doing.

If you are unhappy with the Director's decision you may then appeal to the
Scottish Information Commissioner. You must submit your appeal to the
Scottish Information Commissioner within six months of receiving the
Acting Director's decision. Further details on the Scottish Information
Commissioner's appeal procedure can be found using the direct link
[1]www.itspublicknowledge.info/Appeal or email
[2][email address] or telephone (01334) 464610 or write
to Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St
Andrews, Fife, KY16 9D

Yours Sincerely

Jayne Gair

Acting Head of Library & Information Services

Central Library

The Wellgate

Dundee DD1 1DB

Email: [3][email address]

Web : [4]http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/f...