Making the case for public libraries

As Living Libraries goes on something of a hiatus over the summer, we thought we’d leave you with some reading material. We’d like to take this opportunity to spotlight 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. Over the next month or so, we’ll be sharing excerpts on the blog. But first, a little re-cap:

Public libraries are one of the cornerstones of our society. Free and open to all, they provide, in the words of one Living Libraries interviewee, Rachel, “somewhere to be, somewhere to read, somewhere to learn, somewhere to connect”, with “no bar to age or background” as another interviewee, Elaine, explained.

But in a national context of declining public investment, libraries are under increasing strain. Both “vital spaces when other spaces are reducing”, as Carol put it in her interview, and subject to continued budgetary constraints, as several Living Libraries interviewees reported, libraries have over the last decade been required to deliver more with less, year on year. This has been, as Sue stated, “to the detriment of the service”.

The case for public libraries
Living Libraries makes the case for public libraries through the real-life experiences of those people who use, work in and run them. Rachel, Elaine, Carol and Sue, quoted above, are just four of our interviewees. Between August 2019 and January 2020, Living Libraries researchers gathered a total of forty-seven oral histories from staff and users of five public libraries, and with national figures in the library sector.

Using first-person testimony from those at the frontline of public libraries, we demonstrate the value of libraries to policymakers, decision-makers and other funders, in order that the UK’s public libraries might continue to be maintained as a statutory service under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, and supported, developed, and invested in for future generations.

Our recommendations
While libraries might occupy a unique space in the social fabric, they do not operate in isolation. Funded and run or commissioned by local government, libraries are integral to local authorities’ public service strategies, and, as a 2018 report by DCMS notes, it is crucial that libraries are considered an asset rather than a cost. Supported, developed and invested in appropriately, public libraries can help local authorities and national government to deliver many of their most pressing policy goals.

Living Libraries recommends:
1. Public libraries' key role in supporting public health and social care provision, including mental health services, should be recognised and funded appropriately.
2. Library staff should be adequately trained and supported if they are providing mental health support or other health-related advice.
3. Libraries’ role as both physical and virtual community spaces should be recognised and funded appropriately, including maintenance of library buildings and vehicles, and strengthening of libraries’ ability to build and sustain their online communities, for example, through social media.
4. Library staff should be supported with appropriate training and advice to continue libraries’ inclusive, diverse and equitable engagement with all members of the public.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Libraries should model good environmental practice through their buildings, supplier choices, and through staff and user behaviour.
8. Public libraries' capacity to offer reliable information, welcoming space for discussion and action, and practical, rapid-response support around key public health, political and environmental issues should be recognised, supported and invested in appropriately.

Thanks for reading! Over the next four weeks, we’ll be delving into these recommendations in more detail. In the meantime, you can find out more about our policy pack here, or download a copy to read or print at home.