Anna takes us through the myriad ways in which Cambridgeshire Libraries (in particular) are working to Net Zero with their own facilities (heatpumps, solar, LED), and with partners and in promotions
Last updated
00:00 - 14:26 Anna's presentation
14:26 - 31:00 (end) Q & A
Anna is very pleased to be contacted by anyone if she can help out further: anna.mcmahon@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
May 07, 2025 11:49 AM London ID: 834 5460 8536
Anna introduced herself and presented on adapting her presentation for Zoom, discussing the origin of the name "Ixworth" and the library's role in promoting environmental sustainability. The meeting covered various initiatives and partnerships of Cambridgeshire libraries, including their potential as cool spaces and the sharing of resources and information. The group concluded by planning to develop a storyboard to guide parish and town councils in addressing net zero goals at their next meeting.
Actions:
Anna to send the presentation slide deck to Graham.
Anna to look for and share documents or links related to Cambridgeshire Libraries' green initiatives and events.
Gary to share information about cool spaces initiatives if implemented in his area.
David to prepare and lead a workshop next week on developing a storyboard for the Great Collaboration to guide parish and town councils in tackling net zero issues.
Graham to upload Anna's presentation materials to the wiki page.
Anna's Zoom Presentation Introduction
Anna introduced herself and discussed her presentation. Graham mentioned that they were expecting twice as many attendees and gave them a few minutes to join. Andrew had to leave early but shared information about the community library in Mitcham. Sue provided some historical context about the origin of the name "Ixworth".
Library's Circular Economy and Sustainability Efforts
Anna, a Library Development officer from Cambridgeshire libraries, discussed the library's role in promoting the circular economy and reducing environmental impact. She highlighted that libraries are leaders in the circular economy, with a core business of sharing resources like books, e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, and e-newspapers. Anna also mentioned the library's efforts to reduce energy consumption by installing air source heat pumps, solar panels, and LED lighting in their buildings. Furthermore, she mentioned the library's mobile services, which make over 400 stops in 100 communities each month. Anna emphasized that these efforts are part of the library's commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon footprint.
Cambridgeshire Libraries' Initiatives and Partnerships
Anna discussed the various initiatives and partnerships of the Cambridgeshire libraries, emphasizing their role as community hubs for events and activities. She highlighted the library's commitment to sustainability through the "Green Libraries" manifesto, which includes pledges to lead by example and inspire communities to take action on climate change. Anna also mentioned the library's involvement in local partnerships and its role in promoting the library as a warm space during winter months. Graham and Madeline asked questions about the library's funding and the book bike's range, respectively.
Libraries as Cool Spaces
Anna, Garry, Graham, Cllr Stuart, Sue, and Madeline discussed the potential of libraries as cool spaces, especially during hot summers. Anna mentioned that libraries in different communities have varying capacities and that the idea of using libraries as office or study spaces is being considered. Sue raised a concern about the potential moisture from air conditioning affecting the condition of books, which Anna clarified was not a concern. Madeline suggested the idea of installing living walls in libraries to keep them cool, which Anna expressed interest in but doubted would happen soon. Graham mentioned a previous discussion about the benefits of green walls in reducing temperature.
Net Zero Initiative Storyboard Development
In the meeting, Graham and Anna discussed the potential for sharing resources and information about their library's initiatives. Anna agreed to find and share relevant documents and a slide deck. Graham then handed over to David, who outlined the focus of the next meeting: developing a storyboard to guide parish and town councils in tackling the Net Zero issue. David emphasized the need to set targets, understand their implications, and break down CO2 outputs into different sectors. The goal is to create a practical and usable guide for achieving Net Zero requirements.
00:18:43 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Sound is breaking up
00:19:15 Andrew Maliphant: At Mitcheldean Community Library we are planning to put solar panels on the roof as well as improving the building's insulation. We have needed to get a structural survey of the roof before applying to the county council for permission, as they still own the library building (people borrow books using their regular county library card). The nearby GP surgery is interested in getting the benefit of any generated electricity we can't use ourselves, though under present circumstances we will need to find a friendly electricity supplier to act as the middle man as running a wire across a road is not practicable 00:21:26 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Offer from one of our viewers about a library dedicated to climate change: Hawkwood College - Jonathan Porritt's donation of over 3,000 books on climate:
00:47:35 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Thank you
100 00:16:51.520 --> 00:16:53.979 Anna McMahon: Yeah, yeah. Alright, we're all set.
101 00:16:54.220 --> 00:16:57.670 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Yeah. Is that all? Good, indeed, absolutely.
102 00:16:57.670 --> 00:17:20.929 Anna McMahon: Far away. Okay, so first, st I introduce myself. My name is Anna Mcmahon. I'm a Library Development officer with Cambridgeshire libraries, which means I'm not kind of on the front desk serving customers. I'm behind the scenes, characters. And my job is basically promoting the library service, creating partnerships, putting on events. And this kind of thing.
103 00:17:21.838 --> 00:17:28.120 Anna McMahon: And I'm also from Cambridgeshire libraries the the green lead. So I try and
104 00:17:28.630 --> 00:17:37.689 Anna McMahon: sort of keep us motivated with our green commitment, and I should say libraries are completely, politically impartial. So when I talk about Green, it's with a small key.
105 00:17:38.160 --> 00:18:00.980 Anna McMahon: Library services are slightly different around the country. We have the same basic kind of offer. But you know there are differences between us. So what I say today, I'm talking about Cambridgeshire libraries. What happens in your own library service may be slightly different, but I hope, just in general, that the presentation encourages you to go and find out what your own library services are offering.
106 00:18:03.324 --> 00:18:04.080 Anna McMahon: No.
107 00:18:11.260 --> 00:18:14.490 Anna McMahon: so alright bye.
108 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:20.200 Anna McMahon: 1st slot, thank you.
109 00:18:23.810 --> 00:18:24.940 Anna McMahon: As opposed to
110 00:18:25.330 --> 00:18:47.790 Anna McMahon: about recycling. This is one of our Eco club, and offering them spaces so that they could share their message with a wider audience. My lovely library colleagues, who are out and about but attending an eco event in a local senior school. So this is one of the things we do is to try and work with communities to share green messages.
111 00:18:49.080 --> 00:18:57.549 Anna McMahon: Libraries, of course, are leaders in the circular economy. We've always lent books, cared about resources and making the best use of them.
112 00:18:57.917 --> 00:19:01.399 Anna McMahon: You know, there's a reason that library is used as a kind of
113 00:19:01.550 --> 00:19:06.499 Anna McMahon: shorthand for any collection of items that shared between people.
114 00:19:07.096 --> 00:19:12.479 Anna McMahon: So we've been doing it for a long time, and it's kind of our core business.
115 00:19:13.590 --> 00:19:20.069 Anna McMahon: and we don't just share books. Now. We also share other items.
116 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:23.410 Anna McMahon: Cover that a little bit later on.
117 00:19:28.834 --> 00:19:35.399 Anna McMahon: But our books and services are enjoyed in Cambridgeshire by 100,000 1,000 active library members.
118 00:19:36.650 --> 00:19:39.709 Anna McMahon: By active, we mean they're using the library
119 00:19:40.330 --> 00:19:54.980 Anna McMahon: during the 12 month period that we measure, and this might be boring books, but also using some of our other services. We have computers, free Wi-fi in the library that people can come in and use, and we have events that people attend.
120 00:19:55.540 --> 00:19:59.259 Anna McMahon: and more of that. As we go through this, these slides.
121 00:20:01.780 --> 00:20:07.110 Anna McMahon: So obviously, we're making better use of books by sharing them, lending them
122 00:20:08.550 --> 00:20:14.999 Anna McMahon: rather than that model of you. Buy a book at a bookshop, and then you put it on your bookshelf after you've read it.
123 00:20:15.390 --> 00:20:25.959 Anna McMahon: our books go through lots of hands. So we think this is a good use of risk, and controversially, I counted that with, maybe you can. Maybe you could be borrowing a library book instead.
124 00:20:27.550 --> 00:20:34.899 Anna McMahon: So amongst our collections, we have in Cambridgeshire developed some specific sort of environmental book collections.
125 00:20:36.590 --> 00:20:38.529 Anna McMahon: So we have books about nature
126 00:20:42.690 --> 00:20:48.410 Anna McMahon: books, about climate change and the environment. And what's happening.
127 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:56.600 Anna McMahon: Lots and lots of green books for children land out very well
128 00:20:58.650 --> 00:21:03.549 Anna McMahon: books about greener living. So, for example, different ways to eat and cook
129 00:21:04.850 --> 00:21:13.360 Anna McMahon: and garden, and then other books on crafting. And you know other kind of green activities.
130 00:21:16.030 --> 00:21:19.260 Anna McMahon: Many people don't still don't realize that we also loan
131 00:21:19.410 --> 00:21:27.699 Anna McMahon: electronic books. So we have a huge selection of ebooks and e-audio books, also e-magazines and e-newspapers and e-comics.
132 00:21:27.820 --> 00:21:34.790 Anna McMahon: So we're not restricted to just the physical books that we have on the shelves. We've also got this other vast collection
133 00:21:35.170 --> 00:21:39.239 Anna McMahon: which you can access without even making the trip to the library.
134 00:21:40.340 --> 00:21:44.870 Anna McMahon: And of course it's all all free, just like borrowing a physical book
135 00:21:47.520 --> 00:22:15.140 Anna McMahon: to talk a little bit about the library estate. So in Cambridge County Council there's a net 0 goal, and as part of that they're upgrading all the buildings that they own we have 33 libraries altogether, and some of them are in rented property. So we have less control over that. But in all the buildings that owned by the County Council there's been a program for installing air source heat pumps, solar panels and led lighting.
136 00:22:15.950 --> 00:22:21.180 Anna McMahon: And our energy team has given me little bit of information.
137 00:22:22.381 --> 00:22:27.999 Anna McMahon: Oh, sorry. This is some some heat pumps installed on our central library, our flagship library
138 00:22:28.370 --> 00:22:29.750 Anna McMahon: up on the roof.
139 00:22:31.010 --> 00:22:33.389 Anna McMahon: But yeah, here's a slide that the
140 00:22:33.600 --> 00:22:38.219 Anna McMahon: energy offices provided me with, which gives an example of
141 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:42.120 Anna McMahon: the the energy saved. The carbon saved
142 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:45.340 Anna McMahon: by swapping over to their source heat pump.
143 00:22:45.660 --> 00:22:49.739 Anna McMahon: the equivalent to driving around the world 5 times. It's what we're saving each year.
144 00:22:54.160 --> 00:23:09.670 Anna McMahon: And yeah, inside the library buildings are installing led lighting, which not only saves energy but also gives a better lighting within the building so often. There are, you know, multiple advantages to making these changes.
145 00:23:13.610 --> 00:23:25.259 Anna McMahon: And yeah, here are some of our solar panels. I'm not going to read out all the numbers for you. But yeah, a quarter of our of the Individual Library's annual electricity. Consumption is a good saving
146 00:23:30.560 --> 00:23:31.570 Anna McMahon: oops. Sorry.
147 00:23:31.990 --> 00:23:40.180 Anna McMahon: and we can also save on road journeys by bringing the library to you. We've got 3 mobile libraries.
148 00:23:40.330 --> 00:23:45.050 Anna McMahon: as it says, makes over make over 400 stops in 100 communities each month
149 00:23:45.330 --> 00:24:00.700 Anna McMahon: at the moment. These are not electric vehicles, but we have a program for replacing them, and we will shortly be replacing our Fenland Mobile Library with an electric vehicle, and so we'll do a full rollout in due course.
150 00:24:03.899 --> 00:24:10.910 Anna McMahon: I mentioned Bessie, the book bike earlier on. As far as we know. She's the Uk's 1st library book bike. I think we just picked Bristol
151 00:24:11.611 --> 00:24:17.788 Anna McMahon: and she goes out on visits in Cambridge and South Cairns,
152 00:24:18.510 --> 00:24:25.027 Anna McMahon: attending events, visiting schools and residential homes, and so so forth.
153 00:24:26.270 --> 00:24:31.641 Anna McMahon: We can fill it with the bespoke books for whatever occasion, and we can sign people up to the library,
154 00:24:32.380 --> 00:24:39.990 Anna McMahon: out and about, so. She's a good good ambassador for us, and she's an electric bike.
155 00:24:42.710 --> 00:24:49.000 Anna McMahon: This was Bessie theatre event in Cambridge, and Michael Rosen
156 00:24:50.490 --> 00:24:53.739 Anna McMahon: happened to be there and posed with us, which we're excited about.
157 00:24:56.510 --> 00:25:14.559 Anna McMahon: and we just the book stock when I use the word just that's not to dismiss books. Libraries are books are our core business, but we also do an awful lot as well as the books, and increasingly, libraries are hubs for events and activities.
158 00:25:15.580 --> 00:25:20.299 Anna McMahon: and we do lots and lots of green events and activities in libraries in Cambridgeshire
159 00:25:21.208 --> 00:25:28.480 Anna McMahon: from crafting to talks, seminars full on eco fairs.
160 00:25:28.670 --> 00:25:32.289 Anna McMahon: This was in green Libraries week, which was October last year.
161 00:25:37.500 --> 00:25:51.729 Anna McMahon: so an example of talks. This was a beekeeper giving a talk in one of our smaller libraries, and we also got we work with the local recycling team. And this was an event. Talking about composting.
162 00:25:54.044 --> 00:25:55.886 Anna McMahon: We have a
163 00:25:56.970 --> 00:26:15.960 Anna McMahon: an Arts program with our libraries, which is funded by the Arts Council. It's called the library presents, and part of the programming always includes some green themed events. So here we've got an Indian dance event which is with an environmental theme and a puppet show about nature.
164 00:26:16.600 --> 00:26:19.620 Anna McMahon: So arts is a great way of
165 00:26:20.450 --> 00:26:25.990 Anna McMahon: sharing with communities environmental messages. It's just a softer way in.
166 00:26:30.140 --> 00:26:34.359 Anna McMahon: And we do lots of ecographs, hands-on learning.
167 00:26:34.600 --> 00:26:38.480 Anna McMahon: Here we are turning a book which has been withdrawn from stock.
168 00:26:39.457 --> 00:26:46.729 Anna McMahon: Turning into a hedgehog and some racing cars made with, I think, old Cds and cardboard tubes.
169 00:26:52.670 --> 00:27:07.500 Anna McMahon: and we've done some quite big Eco. Fairs at libraries, one at Central Library, one at St. Neil's, 1 at Ely Library, and we're sort of rolling that out where we work with partner groups who come in and present for us, and I will talk about more about partnerships as well in a moment.
170 00:27:12.260 --> 00:27:18.569 Anna McMahon: Now, just a little plug for library dot live, which is where Cambridgeshire libraries posts all its events.
171 00:27:19.060 --> 00:27:24.759 Anna McMahon: And we also share on Facebook. And I think most library services will do that so that you can find out what's going on.
172 00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:34.750 Anna McMahon: We work a lot with partners to share green information. So on. The left action on energy is the
173 00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:43.189 Anna McMahon: Cambridge County Council. Kind of program for enabling people to make their homes more efficient.
174 00:27:43.310 --> 00:27:48.660 Anna McMahon: And on the right we've got someone from the Wildlife trust
175 00:27:49.385 --> 00:27:55.299 Anna McMahon: and we often invite partners in to be to be part of larger events, or to give talks, etc.
176 00:27:58.890 --> 00:28:11.490 Anna McMahon: Here are just a few of the partners that we work with in Cambridge libraries. So it's everything from, you know your local parish council and community groups and schools to District Council.
177 00:28:11.780 --> 00:28:13.420 Anna McMahon: County Council.
178 00:28:13.620 --> 00:28:16.600 Anna McMahon: We work with the university. We work in museums.
179 00:28:17.495 --> 00:28:23.890 Anna McMahon: We work with national organizations. The British Library, Bfi.
180 00:28:24.230 --> 00:28:46.450 Anna McMahon: We've even done an international project with New York Public Library. So you know, our reach is far and wide, and it's always worth if you're trying to get in touch with groups that you want to work with. It's worth asking in your library. The person on the front desk might not have the contact, but there might well be someone within the library service who has got a connection because we are always always networking
181 00:28:47.280 --> 00:28:50.540 Anna McMahon: and trying to bring people together. That's part of what we do.
182 00:28:51.190 --> 00:28:56.570 Anna McMahon: So yeah, ask in your library. If they've got connections with a group that you're interested in getting in touch with.
183 00:29:00.090 --> 00:29:19.070 Anna McMahon: you can actually save energy yourself by coming and using the library as a physical space to be in. You could work, study, read, meet up with friends, or you can just come and hang out. It's 1 of the few spaces in the modern world where there's really no expectation on you. You can just come and use our space for free
184 00:29:19.830 --> 00:29:23.529 Anna McMahon: we do also have rooms that you know. If you
185 00:29:24.450 --> 00:29:34.819 Anna McMahon: working with a group and wanting to put on a talk on an event for for your group, then we can rent out rooms in many of our libraries at very low cost to community groups.
186 00:29:38.220 --> 00:29:45.260 Anna McMahon: Cambridge libraries has signed the green Libraries manifesto. This was a national initiative by
187 00:29:45.410 --> 00:29:49.800 Anna McMahon: Silip, which is one of the library organizations in Britain.
188 00:29:49.980 --> 00:29:53.910 Anna McMahon: And it's we'll go on to the next slide.
189 00:29:54.720 --> 00:30:11.329 Anna McMahon: There are. There are several pledges in it. But basically it's about pledging to lead by example through our own actions in the green space and to inform and inspire people in communities to take positive action on climate change and nature restoration.
190 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:27.989 Anna McMahon: And it's it's spread further than the Uk. There are quite a lot of international libraries who are also signed up for this. And this is not just public libraries. It's also school and university libraries, research libraries, medical libraries.
191 00:30:30.694 --> 00:30:33.615 Anna McMahon: And ended with an exhortation
192 00:30:34.330 --> 00:30:49.100 Anna McMahon: with our library members, we can help make a cleaner, greener world. So thank you for supporting your library, and you know, don't be afraid to ask your library how we can support you. We're very, very interested in working with our communities.
193 00:30:50.190 --> 00:30:52.979 Anna McMahon: Alright. So that is my presentation.
194 00:30:56.950 --> 00:30:58.979 Anna McMahon: and I will try and stop sharing.
195 00:30:59.610 --> 00:31:00.620 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Yes.
196 00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:03.890 Anna McMahon: Okay.
197 00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:09.300 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Anna. Thank you so very much. That was
198 00:31:09.540 --> 00:31:30.200 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: actually very surprising, because I come from a part of the country that doesn't have a publicly funded library. So my 1st question to you is going to be, where do we get the money from? To host all these events? Because I think they look like they're doing a wonderful job. But there's there's no cash around to support people like you putting all these things together.
199 00:31:31.143 --> 00:31:36.649 Anna McMahon: Well, this is why we work so much with partners. You know, we've got the spaces.
200 00:31:37.385 --> 00:31:43.400 Anna McMahon: So if partners want to come in and give a talk. Then we can, you know.
201 00:31:43.720 --> 00:31:48.700 Anna McMahon: get the audience for them. So that that's kind of how it works.
202 00:31:48.950 --> 00:31:51.059 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Will companies sponsor you?
203 00:31:52.140 --> 00:31:55.604 Anna McMahon: Because we're sponsored by a local authority.
204 00:31:56.220 --> 00:31:56.880 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: The zoom.
205 00:31:56.880 --> 00:32:20.390 Anna McMahon: Don't generally need that. If we're wanting to put on a special project that we might go after funding pots, you know, once the libraries are allowed to apply to. So, for example, last year we had money from something called the Europe Challenge, which enabled us to work with a refugee community that was near to one of our libraries, and that was, we worked
206 00:32:20.750 --> 00:32:31.550 Anna McMahon: with the refugees and also with the the local settle community to bring people together for for food and arts events using the library space. So.
207 00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:43.599 Anna McMahon: But we want to do a big, bigger project. Then we have to, you know, go and find some source of funding usually. But we're always interested in donations. So if people want to support libraries, they're always.
208 00:32:44.040 --> 00:32:50.140 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I live in a village where the library is only open because volunteers refuse to let it shut. But I
209 00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:52.550 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: it's true of a lot around the country.
210 00:32:53.430 --> 00:33:00.059 Anna McMahon: Yeah, no, I'm in in Cambridgeshire. We have our 33 kind of full libraries which are run by
211 00:33:00.220 --> 00:33:03.449 Anna McMahon: Cambridgeshire libraries, and then we've also got
212 00:33:03.620 --> 00:33:17.570 Anna McMahon: 12 community led libraries which are run by volunteers, and they're like a cousin library so they can get books from us. But we don't organize what they do, and and how they how they run themselves.
213 00:33:17.750 --> 00:33:22.099 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Yes, the Mobile Library is obviously a way of getting around to see more people.
214 00:33:22.100 --> 00:33:22.770 Anna McMahon: Nothing.
215 00:33:22.770 --> 00:33:23.850 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Wonderful stuff.
216 00:33:24.190 --> 00:33:29.240 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Let me just check to see if anyone else has any questions. Yes, here we go with Madeline in Buckman.
217 00:33:31.170 --> 00:33:35.079 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Hi, Anna! Yes, Buckton's not too far from you.
218 00:33:35.080 --> 00:33:36.040 Anna McMahon: Option. Yeah.
219 00:33:37.773 --> 00:33:49.049 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: How far does Bessie the book bike go? And how do I mean, how do you get her from place to place? I'm wondering if people are peddling, and you're charging.
220 00:33:49.050 --> 00:33:54.819 Anna McMahon: This is pedal power. So unfortunately, I don't think she's gonna make it to Buckton. That's about.
221 00:33:54.820 --> 00:33:55.600 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: That's a shame!
222 00:33:55.969 --> 00:34:11.870 Anna McMahon: In Cambridge, so we can get out to. She's been as far as Linton for people who know Cambridgeshire but I think Buckton might be a reach too far. Because we are reliant on staff to to peddle her around.
223 00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:18.980 Anna McMahon: Oh, lots of hands up now.
224 00:34:19.290 --> 00:34:19.909 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Right.
225 00:34:20.868 --> 00:34:23.730 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Gary, if you'd like to go in next, please.
226 00:34:25.510 --> 00:34:27.379 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Good afternoon to you.
227 00:34:27.389 --> 00:34:28.519 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Good afternoon, Graham.
228 00:34:29.092 --> 00:34:36.899 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Anna. I was wondering, you know, a lot of libraries kind of promote their spaces as kind of like warm spaces in the winter.
229 00:34:36.900 --> 00:34:37.300 Anna McMahon: Okay.
230 00:34:37.300 --> 00:34:44.500 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: People where they can go during, you know, cold spells if they're struggling with heating and stuff. Is that something you do in Cambridgeshire?
231 00:34:44.500 --> 00:35:02.740 Anna McMahon: Yes, yeah, yeah. All our libraries are available as warm spaces. I mean, obviously, they're they're warm. They're available all the time. But yeah, especially during the winter months. The libraries that have kitchens also provide refreshments. So yeah, we definitely do that.
232 00:35:02.740 --> 00:35:05.320 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: And you actively promote it, do you.
233 00:35:05.320 --> 00:35:05.900 Anna McMahon: Yeah.
234 00:35:06.580 --> 00:35:14.410 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Because this initiative I'm kind of looking at as well, is using libraries as a kind of cool space as well for the summers, because.
235 00:35:14.410 --> 00:35:15.090 Anna McMahon: Smooth.
236 00:35:15.090 --> 00:35:24.129 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Especially this this year. It looks like it's going to be a bit of a scorcher if it carries on the way it's going, and just a place for people to go to cool down.
237 00:35:24.430 --> 00:35:26.080 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Yes, sir, yeah. Okay.
238 00:35:26.080 --> 00:35:36.070 Anna McMahon: That's definitely on our, on our radar as well, and providing, you know, cold water stations and that kind of thing. It depends a little bit from library to library.
239 00:35:36.390 --> 00:35:39.590 Anna McMahon: What our facilities are, you know. Some
240 00:35:39.730 --> 00:35:44.649 Anna McMahon: are cool, and some are really not very cool in the in the summer, so
241 00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:52.069 Anna McMahon: it would have to be relevant promotion. But yeah, libraries and school spaces. Yeah, clearly, a very good idea.
242 00:35:52.070 --> 00:35:58.129 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Yeah, if you could do any. If you do anything a lot like that, if you could like, share that with us, that'd be really useful, because it.
243 00:35:58.130 --> 00:35:58.480 Anna McMahon: Thank God!
244 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:01.450 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Of something we could probably use to help
245 00:36:01.898 --> 00:36:04.779 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: develop what we're looking to do as well. Something similar.
246 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:21.519 Anna McMahon: yeah, no. It'd be interesting to see how that develops because, warm spaces became a big thing with the cost of living crisis and energy crisis, etc. But yeah, I can see when we do get really hot summers, then libraries are an obvious public space for people to come.
247 00:36:23.270 --> 00:36:24.399 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Do it, please.
248 00:36:25.791 --> 00:36:32.510 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Yeah, yeah, it. It was actually along Gary's question about cooling. So
249 00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:37.620 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: noticed that all your heat pumps are air to water.
250 00:36:37.930 --> 00:36:41.340 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: I presume feeding the existing radiators.
251 00:36:42.310 --> 00:36:46.810 Anna McMahon: Yes, I'm not that I'm on tricky ground here because I don't.
252 00:36:47.080 --> 00:36:49.370 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: No, okay, no. I was just
253 00:36:49.490 --> 00:36:54.129 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: just wondering whether anyone had thought of adding air conditioning
254 00:36:55.170 --> 00:37:02.635 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: to have a a proper cool space. I think cool spaces are going to become far more important.
255 00:37:03.050 --> 00:37:03.580 Anna McMahon: Cool.
256 00:37:03.580 --> 00:37:15.440 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: In in years to come. The the other thing I was Gonna ask is, how did you get Cambridgeshire County Council to retrofit all your libraries like that?
257 00:37:16.399 --> 00:37:19.079 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: It's TV air source heat pumps.
258 00:37:19.080 --> 00:37:24.110 Anna McMahon: It was driven by them. They they signed the Climate emergency
259 00:37:24.370 --> 00:37:33.240 Anna McMahon: several years ago, and then for the last 2 years it's been their top priority to kind of start meeting them in net 0 targets.
260 00:37:33.370 --> 00:37:40.360 Anna McMahon: So retrofitting all County Council buildings was a big priority for them, so.
261 00:37:40.610 --> 00:37:44.430 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Excellent. You couldn't tell Essex to do the same, could you?
262 00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:50.421 Anna McMahon: Oh! I wish I had that power!
263 00:37:50.910 --> 00:37:51.656 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Thank you.
264 00:37:53.050 --> 00:38:00.799 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I have another thought for you, Anna, please. I noticed the idea of having people come in and just use your space as.
265 00:38:01.190 --> 00:38:08.879 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: or a study to work or so forth. How do you do for capacity? There? Do you get filled up, or are they people still not used to the idea.
266 00:38:09.461 --> 00:38:37.990 Anna McMahon: It varies very much from library to library, community to community. You know what the local need is. Some of our libraries are very small, and we might only have one or 2 computers that people can come in and use. Obviously, you can bring your own device in. But there might not be a whole lot of desk space, plus depending on what kind of work you do. You know, if you're going to need to be chatting to clients all day. Then you probably don't want to be doing that in a library. But Central Library
267 00:38:38.520 --> 00:38:49.730 Anna McMahon: fills up massively, especially with students during revision time. But also people. Yeah, come in and use our desks and whatever for working.
268 00:38:50.950 --> 00:38:53.581 Anna McMahon: So yeah, the venue by venue.
269 00:38:55.160 --> 00:39:02.660 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I must say it's a novel thought that for some strange reason hadn't ever occurred to me. I'm often looking for somewhere to go and find quiet.
270 00:39:03.120 --> 00:39:08.549 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Work. The library never actually leaps to mind. So you've done one convert. Thank you very much.
271 00:39:10.430 --> 00:39:16.110 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Go to to Sue in Xworth, and then we'll go to Madeleine, who's got her hand up as well. Can Sue, please.
272 00:39:16.110 --> 00:39:32.039 Sue Spiller - Ixworth, Suffolk: Could I just make a comment about the air conditioning? My understanding is that it's taking in the warm air, and it's putting out cold air, but in doing so it's putting out moisture, and I do wonder whether, in fact, the moisture could be detrimental to the condition of books.
273 00:39:33.790 --> 00:39:35.450 Sue Spiller - Ixworth, Suffolk: Has that been considered.
274 00:39:35.810 --> 00:39:37.509 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Think it's the other way around. I think they
275 00:39:37.990 --> 00:39:40.820 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: cool air is drier than it would otherwise be.
276 00:39:41.270 --> 00:39:42.890 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I don't think it's more waste.
277 00:39:43.240 --> 00:39:44.500 Sue Spiller - Ixworth, Suffolk: I don't think it's more moist.
278 00:39:44.500 --> 00:39:44.940 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: No.
279 00:39:44.940 --> 00:39:56.119 Anna McMahon: No, I mean, we. We certainly have air conditioning in our local studies collection, where, you know there are older rare documents that have to be kept in good condition, so we certainly wouldn't be
280 00:39:56.460 --> 00:39:58.960 Anna McMahon: pumping moisture in.
281 00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:04.457 Anna McMahon: So, whatever the system is. And, as I say, I'm not a technical person, so I can't really comment. But
282 00:40:04.820 --> 00:40:08.449 Anna McMahon: no, that that would always be a consideration where.
283 00:40:08.450 --> 00:40:08.890 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Keep.
284 00:40:08.890 --> 00:40:09.500 Anna McMahon: Books.
285 00:40:10.140 --> 00:40:13.469 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: I think air conditioning was originally
286 00:40:13.850 --> 00:40:24.340 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: invented or developed in America specifically to reduce the humidity in a specific factory. I can't remember what the factory was.
287 00:40:25.480 --> 00:40:26.250 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Right.
288 00:40:29.330 --> 00:40:30.040 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: moving on.
289 00:40:30.040 --> 00:40:30.470 Anna McMahon: Somebody.
290 00:40:30.470 --> 00:40:31.110 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Then please.
291 00:40:31.670 --> 00:40:32.240 Anna McMahon: Nope.
292 00:40:33.670 --> 00:40:39.897 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Just again on the the idea of keeping places cool.
293 00:40:41.130 --> 00:40:45.599 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: In Buckton, the village hall, which is where the library is.
294 00:40:45.600 --> 00:40:45.930 Anna McMahon: Just.
295 00:40:46.822 --> 00:41:00.900 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Got a grant to install living walls. I just wondered whether there's anything, whether there's anything that Cambridgeshire County Council, or anybody, or whether the library services have
296 00:41:01.230 --> 00:41:09.400 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: shown an interest in developing cool walls or living walls, or something. It'd be great for the Central Library in Cambridge to
297 00:41:10.870 --> 00:41:12.190 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: like like that.
298 00:41:12.630 --> 00:41:18.287 Anna McMahon: I think it's 1 of those things that for for many staff that's kind of on the wish list. But
299 00:41:18.930 --> 00:41:24.319 Anna McMahon: for all sorts of reasons. I doubt that it will happen very soon, you know. I would
300 00:41:24.530 --> 00:41:32.976 Anna McMahon: of it, if we were building a new library, say, to have it with green walls and green roof and things, but
301 00:41:33.570 --> 00:41:41.226 Anna McMahon: in terms of retrofitting. I suspect we won't be going down that route, but you know I'm not the one that makes the decisions about these things.
302 00:41:42.950 --> 00:41:45.749 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: No, no, I didn't know whether there was.
303 00:41:45.750 --> 00:41:54.290 Anna McMahon: For sort of maintenance reasons. I think possibly they would shy away from it. But I don't know. I'm very interested to know what happens in Buckton, I shall follow that one. Now.
304 00:41:54.710 --> 00:41:57.469 Madeline Fraser Buckden PC: Yeah, yeah, okay, thank you.
305 00:41:57.620 --> 00:42:05.540 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Gary, wasn't it last week that you had a little video that you were showing us in caution where the local school has put up live walls.
306 00:42:08.850 --> 00:42:11.430 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: The week before. Sorry.
307 00:42:12.160 --> 00:42:16.019 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Yeah, I don't think it was on the video that they had a green. They had a.
308 00:42:16.850 --> 00:42:21.849 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I think it's just the act of putting plants all the way up the outside of the wall. Yeah, this will be.
309 00:42:21.850 --> 00:42:22.790 Garry Ford - Corsham Town Council: Before Graham.
310 00:42:22.790 --> 00:42:28.650 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I beg your pardon, anyway, Anna, they were saying that they were 5 degrees cooler where the walls.
311 00:42:28.650 --> 00:42:29.000 Anna McMahon: Row.
312 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:30.939 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Covered in vegetation.
313 00:42:31.700 --> 00:42:32.349 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: I'm sorry.
314 00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:34.330 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Substantial difference.
315 00:42:34.590 --> 00:42:37.689 Anna McMahon: Yeah, definitely, something to to look at.
316 00:42:38.307 --> 00:42:43.862 Anna McMahon: I mean, we're smaller measure of taking sort of things like installing blinds.
317 00:42:44.590 --> 00:42:52.860 Anna McMahon: inside libraries to just keep the space a little bit cooler. Those sorts of things we can easily do. So we've been actioning some of that.
318 00:42:55.370 --> 00:42:57.380 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Fascinating.
319 00:42:57.660 --> 00:43:21.569 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: You've shown the light on what they could be doing and what we should be persuading our local people to do. I think, Anna, do you have any sorts of links to what your library has done those days where you're showing sort of library, green week, and and so forth. Do you have any documents or lists of what you planned or did to? We can just share with other people.
320 00:43:21.570 --> 00:43:22.170 Anna McMahon: Fuel.
321 00:43:23.730 --> 00:43:25.779 Anna McMahon: I'll have to root around a little bit.
322 00:43:26.560 --> 00:43:28.419 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: This very second.
323 00:43:28.420 --> 00:43:29.610 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Yep, when we.
324 00:43:29.610 --> 00:43:29.940 Anna McMahon: Yes.
325 00:43:29.940 --> 00:43:34.640 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Page up on the wiki. It would be nice to have some stuff that we could give leads to people.
326 00:43:34.910 --> 00:43:38.719 Anna McMahon: Yeah, I'll I'll see what I can find. That would, you know, be useful.
327 00:43:39.640 --> 00:43:43.479 Anna McMahon: I can also share this slide deck, if that's that's a useful thing.
328 00:43:43.480 --> 00:43:47.548 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Well, if you, if you send that to me, that'd be very useful. Yes, please,
329 00:43:48.420 --> 00:43:53.799 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: and let me just check if anybody else has any other questions for you or any comments to make.
330 00:43:56.290 --> 00:44:04.589 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: In that case I'm going to put the onus on David now to ask if you can spend 15 seconds telling us what we're going to be doing next week.
331 00:44:05.840 --> 00:44:08.430 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: If that's not too much of out of the blue question
332 00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:12.919 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: we've lost. No, they would use.
333 00:44:12.920 --> 00:44:17.730 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I'm I'm here. But apologies. So that's
334 00:44:18.410 --> 00:44:20.020 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: can you? Can you hear me? Okay.
335 00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:21.759 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Yes, yep, you're fine.
336 00:44:23.377 --> 00:44:32.279 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: What we'll be doing next week is looking at developing a
337 00:44:32.640 --> 00:44:45.270 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: a storyboard to help the great collaboration with sort of guiding parish and town councils to
338 00:44:45.990 --> 00:44:49.369 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: call the net 0 issue.
339 00:44:51.790 --> 00:45:00.340 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: basically, we just give you an overview. We need to to target set. So we need to find out where we're gonna get the information from. In order to set the target.
340 00:45:00.520 --> 00:45:03.510 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: we need to understand what those targets mean.
341 00:45:04.193 --> 00:45:09.990 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And then break those the the overall Co. 2 output into different
342 00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:16.240 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: sectors or areas. So housing, transport, industrial, that type of thing.
343 00:45:16.780 --> 00:45:21.520 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: and then work out how we, as parish town councils
344 00:45:21.650 --> 00:45:30.190 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: can then start to put in place plans to reduce Co. 2 in each of those specific sectors.
345 00:45:31.435 --> 00:45:36.669 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And this is very much clay on the potter's wheel.
346 00:45:37.030 --> 00:45:45.240 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: where we are going to shape that hopefully as a group shape that play into something that is useful and usable.
347 00:45:47.390 --> 00:45:48.690 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And so
348 00:45:49.326 --> 00:45:57.383 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: as I begin to start to create the storyboard which I have been doing it, just opens up more and more
349 00:45:57.900 --> 00:46:11.429 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: issues and areas that need to be looked at in detail and understood. And so it's it's a workshop to help us understand how best to use the great collaboration website
350 00:46:11.570 --> 00:46:21.470 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: to really help provide really practical, simple, sensible information advice
351 00:46:21.830 --> 00:46:32.449 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: with regards to achieving the sort of net 0 requirements that we're all trying to achieve. A lot of us have lots of aspirations, but no idea how to achieve it.
352 00:46:33.540 --> 00:46:39.589 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: That's going to be fantastic. It's a marvelous segue to Gary's presentation last week. On
353 00:46:39.740 --> 00:47:01.900 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: the way that sort of caution approached their issues, and then came up with exactly what you're suggesting that they listed what they're going to goals they're going to achieve. They listed how they would go about it, and then they were very careful about measuring the output, the outcome. So I think it'll be a great segue to that, David, looking forward to it. Thank you. Yes.
354 00:47:01.900 --> 00:47:07.249 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: I'm sorry I missed that last week, but that would have been absolutely a superb presentation.
355 00:47:07.726 --> 00:47:15.360 Cllr David Morgan-Jones Ewshot PC: And hopefully he can join, and really add to it, because more hands to the the pump, as they say.
356 00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:21.140 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: Yeah. Well, I think it would be a wonderful piece of timing, Gary, if you are able to make it next week.
357 00:47:21.260 --> 00:47:32.329 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: and for everybody else. I hope that you've enjoyed today, and that you will, and joining us next week to push David to ever greater talents. Thank you very much. All
358 00:47:32.330 --> 00:47:33.290 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: very much.
359 00:47:33.290 --> 00:47:34.130 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Joanna.
360 00:47:34.130 --> 00:47:35.530 Graham Stoddart-Stones - Great Collaboration overseas branch: She's a room, everybody. Bye, bye.
361 00:47:35.530 --> 00:47:36.899 Cllr Stuart Withington, Gt Dunmow TC, Essex: Thanks, bye, bye.
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