1. Summary: Plans for a new strategy

In September 2022, Baroness Sanderson of Welton (Conservative), a former journalist and government adviser, was commissioned by the then Conservative government under Boris Johnson to lead an independent review of English public libraries.[1] This review looked for views and ideas on how to improve libraries, and was intended to inform a new government strategy. As part of this work, Baroness Sanderson led sessions with an advisory panel of contributors drawn from the library sector and beyond.

Baroness Sanderson published her independent review in January 2024.[2] In her foreword, Baroness Sanderson highlighted the various roles libraries play in the communities they serve and argued that they are one of the most valuable community assets we have. Turning to her findings, she noted that while there are areas where lessons can be learned post-Covid, overall “the themes that quickly and clearly emerged related to more fundamental challenges”. These challenges included:

  • a lack of recognition across government, locally and nationally, of the work that libraries do
  • a lack of awareness among the general public of what the modern-day library offers
  • a lack of comprehensive data on our libraries, resulting in no accurate national picture of how libraries are performing across the country
  • a better sense as to what the government wants to see from our libraries

To address these challenges, Baroness Sanderson made eight recommendations.[3] She said that a government strategy may look at more specific policy areas, but that she had purposefully kept her proposals focused on how “infrastructure might be adapted in order to strengthen support”. In brief, Baroness Sanderson’s recommendations were:

  • the establishment of a national data hub to better evidence the role libraries play in our society
  • a national branding campaign to raise awareness of our libraries
  • the closer involvement of the British Library
  • an expanded library membership
  • a stronger volunteer network
  • the creation of a libraries minister and a more joined-up approach within government
  • the establishment of a libraries laureate
  • a change to the timing of libraries week (a week-long event currently held in October each year promoting libraries) to better involve politicians nationally

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, then minister for arts and heritage, responded to Baroness Sanderson on behalf of the then government in January 2024.[4] In his letter, Lord Parkinson explained that the review would be used to develop a new public libraries strategy to be published in autumn 2024. He said that the strategy would develop many of the points raised, but also committed to taking forward several of the recommendations. These included the establishment of both a national data hub and a national branding campaign, closer involvement of the British Library, expanded library membership and the creation of a libraries minister alongside a more joined-up approach within government.

As noted by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), Labour’s manifesto did not contain explicit reference to its policy on libraries.[5] CILIP argued this was a missed opportunity. However, it also expressed hope that libraries would be helped by proposed multi-year funding settlements for local authorities as this could enable councils to make more strategic plans for services like public libraries and thereby support local growth, literacy and free access to culture.

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Cover image by Susan Q Yin on Unsplash

References

  1. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, ‘Baroness Sanderson to help develop new public libraries strategy’, 2 September 2022. Return to text
  2. Baroness Sanderson of Welton, ‘An independent review of English public libraries’, July 2023. Return to text
  3. As above, p 6. Return to text
  4. Department for Culture, Media and Sport, ‘Letter to Baroness Sanderson of Welton on the government’s response to her independent report on public libraries’, 17 January 2024. Return to text
  5. Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, ‘CILIP response to the Labour Party manifesto’, 13 June 2024. Return to text