Introduction The Library and Information Commission (LIC) was asked to advise the Secretaries of State for Culture, Media and Sport and for Education and Employment1 on how to improve and stimulate co-operation between the education and public library sectors in order to support lifelong learning. In its report, Empowering the Learning Community (LIC, March 2000) the Commission's Education and Libraries Task Group argued strongly that closer collaboration between libraries and educational institutions would mean greater and more effective support for learners and potential learners throughout the community. Empowering the Learning Community highlighted a number of important ways in which co-operation between the education and public library sectors could be stimulated and improved to support lifelong learning. The report produced much food for thought and attracted considerable interest, both within Government and more widely. It is clear that discussions on the issues raised within the report are set to continue for some time. This formal response to the Task Group is intended as a contribution to the debate. We should like to take this opportunity to thank Mark Wood, the chairman of the Task Group, and his colleagues (whose details are set out in Annex A) for the valuable contribution they have made to our lifelong learning agenda. We also acknowledge the excellent work which the Library and Information Commission undertook before it was subsumed within Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries. The Task Group made four specific recommendations: public and educational libraries in communities or defined geographic areas should establish co-operative arrangements to improve services to their users; cross-sectoral funding arrangements should be established. Funding for libraries in all sectors should include an element which is measured against progress towards closer cross-sectoral community partnerships; public and educational libraries in any community or region should draw up 'access maps' to enable users and learners to reach resources or assistance in other libraries on a managed basis. Consideration should also be given to making provision of school library and information services a statutory responsibility; and training of librarians, resource managers and teachers should be co-ordinated and should include ways of developing mutual support. Objective and quantifiable performance measures should be set for all these collaborative strategies. The Task Group also suggested that the Departments for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Education and Employment (DfEE) should set up a working group to take its ideas forward. The two Departments created: an external working group made up of people with a professional interest in the Task Group's report. (Membership details are set out at Annex B.) This group met on two occasions to consider the implications and practicalities of implementing the Task Group's recommendations. We are grateful for the valuable insights, thoughts and suggestions which flowed from their discussions; and an internal working group made up of DfEE, DCMS and Resource. (A list of the members is set out at Annex C.) This group shadowed the work of the external group. 1. The devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are also invited to consider the issues raised by the Task Group as part of their own cultural agenda.

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