The case for public libraries: Accessing information you can trust

Illustration by anne malewski | cargocollective.com/marblesatsea

We’re currently spotlighting our policy intervention, Living Libraries: The case for public libraries in the words of those who use, work in and run them. In this short publication, we make eight recommendations for decision-makers, on four themes: health and wellbeing; community; information; and the environment. Read on to find out more about the third strand of our research, on how libraries allow people to access information, technology and the digital:

“Every single day, without fail, for years,” reported Caroline, a group of “very dedicated newspaper readers” have gathered at Storyhouse in Chester. The public library has long been both repository and provider of trusted information; a keeper of facts and holder of records, archives and local history, freely accessible to all: a “resource within a community”, as Jayne put it. But in recent years, the media and information landscape has undergone dramatic changes.

The fight against misinformation, disinformation and fake news
In public libraries, verified information can be disentangled from so-called ‘alternative facts’. In Newcastle, for example, NewsGuard software has been rolled out across the library service, advising users of the veracity and accuracy of the websites they visit. A library is a “reassuring presence”, Jayne explained, which can “point people in a direction that’s safe and appropriate”. Countering the ‘echo chamber’ of social media, libraries are “that place of democracy where you’ll hear different opinions, you’ll see different information,” explained Rachel. “If you can be informed, then every decision you make will be a better one”, Alan concluded.

“People come into the library to make sense of the world” - Carol, Kirklees

Access to IT and online services
“The two core tenets” of a public library are “reading and information”, according to Anthony. But, as Sue pointed out, information we require, in order to be active citizens, and the ways in which we access it” is changing rapidly. Getting online is now essential for people to access services in their borough, or their city. As Alan put it: “people need skills now. They need to access the library.”

Public libraries provide essential access to computers, printing and scanning facilities and the internet. Users include younger people who may not be familiar with non-touchscreen technology; older people “in their eighties or nineties”; those who have been made redundant or who had been expecting to retire; manual workers who must complete training online; those who need to access the Home Office’s visa service, choose their child’s school place, or claim Universal Credit. “We get lots of people coming in asking about CVs [...] the council will send them to us, the Job Centre, the Citizens Advice Centre, they send everyone to the library," reported Hafsah.

Public libraries enable another kind of connectivity, too. In providing computers and internet access, the library offers something “that isn’t available elsewhere in the city”; a way for new immigrants “to connect with the people back home”, explained Pete, adding, “that's a service I’m proud to be involved with”. Alan contributed another perspective: “if you’re estranged from your family, you’ll probably get a similar response [to] an email or a phone call, but the email is easier to send."

Libraries and digital inclusion
“So many people don’t have basic digital skills, and don’t really have any way of learning them,” Caroline pointed out. Public libraries encourage people to be digital citizens, to “not be disenfranchised by digital progression”, as Rachel put it. Libraries support people “to be on the electoral register, to know how to book tickets, to be able to check their bank accounts." “People can’t claim [benefits], unless they can use a computer,” Alan added. “And it’s not just a case of having basic skills, you have to be able to read what’s on the screen, you have to be able to understand what’s on the screen. It’s not just a case of ticking a box."

The human connection provided by library staff is key. “Lots of other services around the city have either closed or changed,” Hafsah pointed out. Often, people are “really angry, really frustrated [...] all the other places where they’ve been to, they’ve probably not actually spoken to a person, whereas when they come to the library, we’re probably one of the few places where you could come and ask us anything.”

Conclusion
Public libraries are a rich repository for verified information concerning both local communities - through archives and records - and the wider world. Staffed with skilled professionals trained to navigate to trusted sources, libraries provide a crucial public service. In addition, the essential need in the digital age for a freely accessible space where a diverse range of people can access computers, printers, scanners and the internet, and build their skills in using information technology, cannot be overestimated.

Living Libraries recommends:
• Libraries should be supported in their continued mission to provide accurate, reliable, verified information, and to maintain their local studies and history archives for the public good.

• Libraries' capacity to provide face-to-face digital inclusion support for the broadest possible range of users should be invested in appropriately and supported through staff training.

Thanks for reading!

The named individuals in these extracts are all Living Libraries interviewees, and their full interviews will be available as part of our archive.

Previously in this series: a project recap, plus posts on libraries, health and wellbeing and libraries as community spaces. In the meantime, you can find out more about our policy pack here, or download a copy to read or print at home.