The Future of UK Public Libraries: Community Lifelines, Funding & Strategy

Public libraries are vital community hubs, evolving beyond books to offer digital learning, enterprise support, and wellbeing services. Despite their immense value, they face significant funding cuts and closures across the UK. There's a strong call for a national strategy for public libraries, supported by robust data, to ensure their long-term sustainability and recognition. Innovation, collaboration, and adequate funding are crucial for libraries to continue thriving.

Key Takeaways:

• Libraries are essential community assets, offering free spaces for learning, connection, and safety.
• They provide diverse services including digital access, job support, and social events, tackling loneliness and exclusion.
• Public libraries face severe funding cuts and closures, with many reducing hours due to local authority pressures.
• A national strategy, a data hub, and better recognition of library value are widely supported recommendations.
• Community-managed libraries and volunteers are crucial but need sustainable funding.

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964: The UK legislation requiring local authorities in England and Wales to provide a "comprehensive and efficient library service".
• Sanderson Review: An independent 2023 government review that recommended a national strategy and data hub for English public libraries to improve their evidence base and public awareness.

Discussion and Reflection Question: Given their diverse roles, how can communities and national government best collaborate to secure public libraries' future funding and ensure equitable access, especially in rural or disadvantaged areas.

Source: Future of Public Libraries
Volume 767: debated on Wednesday 14 May 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....