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it remotely – to get the most out of the service. Every user of the library needs something different – a book, some music, or information they want to follow up. Questions and enquiries can be straightforward or complex, general or very personal – from looking for a well-loved book, to helping with homework, research or searching out the answer to a knotty problem. People look to libraries to help them at every stage in their lives, for information on joyous events and celebrations, to anxiously seeking to know more about applying for benefits, or a medical or legal matter.
Public libraries offer a growing range of services that you will have a chance to become involved in. These will reflect the needs of community, ranging from story times to the youngest, helping people to develop essential digital skills learning to use a computer to services for those with special needs. Innovative libraries are continuing to develop new approaches and service that are as varied as the lives of people who use public libraries.
And many people continue to come to the library, or use the services remotely, because they are special places – welcoming, open, non-judgemental, and supportive.
From their origins in the mid nineteenth century, the principles of being free to use and open to all have been at the heart of the public library’s role in supporting the rights of communities and citizens.
At their core is the aim to support the human right to freedom of access to information and freedom of expression. To give everyone the opportunity to read, discover and learn whatever they want without fear whether it is in print, or online or in other media.
No other public service fulfils this role in quite the same way, and helping people find the book, website, information or organisation that meets their needs is one of the most rewarding parts of working in a public library, building a sense of pride in providing a unique and distinctive service.
Whilst the breadth of the role of the public library is one of its great strengths, it can also provide a context in which individuals and communities may hold differing views over what services and activities the public library should provide and to whom.
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