Attendees at the launch of Public Libraries: The case for support.
APPG LIbraries Chair Gill Furniss MP.
information on a range of health topics at the fingertips of local people. The scheme is designed to give patient and carers the tools they need to better manage their conditions, meaning less money is spent accessing NHS services. More than 778,000 people have accessed Reading Well services since it was launched in 2013. Libraries Connected identified Health as one of its Universal offers that libraries should be delivering. And individual librar- ies and library services are well placed to work in partnership with local organisa- tions to meet health and social care needs through the established library network.
Enterprise and social inclusion The British Library’s regional Business & IP Centre network typifies the support libraries can provide to local business and entrepreneurs. The project has been a huge success, helping to launch more than 12,000 new businesses and creating thousands of employment opportunities. The centres have generated a return on investment of just under £7 per £1 invested. On a wider scale, libraries provide physical resources, access to information and exper- tise that would be prohibitive to many if they had to pay for it.
One of the most encouraging outcomes from the Business and IP Centres is that they are helping those who have been margin- alised in the past. Some 55 per cent of new businesses were started by women (rising to 65 per cent in London); 31 per cent were started by people from BAME background (44 per cent in London) and 17 per cent were started by someone with a disability. The ability of the library network to reach vulnerable and marginalised people is another reason that funding is so vital, according to the report. Their ready-made network puts them at the heart of communi- ties, and many are already helping to tackle social isolation through events and sessions. They provide skills training to help peo- ple gain new qualifications and improve the employability. The report states that
44 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
CILIP CEO Nick Poole talking about the Libraries Deliver campaign.
these unique characteristics “provide a low-cost, high-value mechanism for the government to invest in combatting loneliness and social isolation, whilst helping people build the skills they need to improve their employability.
“HM Government’s own social mobility policy highlights the importance of literacy support and early-years intervention in improving people’s educational attainment and life chances. Libraries already provide these services in a way that ensure they reach the hardest to reach communities across the UK.”
Halt the decline, fund the future The report points out that since 2010/11 public library funding in the UK has fallen from £1.066bn to £853m in 2016/17 – that is likely to have fallen even further when the latest figures are released. The impact of reduced funding has led to hundreds of job losses and closures across the pub- lic library network, at a time when the population has been growing. More than 700 libraries have closed in the seven-year period between 2010 and 2017. The report says that if spending continued to fall at current rates, then just £589m would be spent on UK public library services by 2022 – the equivalent of less than £9 per person per year, compared to the current rate of just under £13. In 2010, that figure equated to a per capita spend of around £17. This continued hollowing-out of public library services has already placed a huge
Steve Potash of Rakuten OverDrive.
strain on the network, and the report says there is a real danger that further cuts will prove critical. It says: “Reductions in investment in public libraries put the social and economic return on investment (ROI) of these services at risk, which is why it is essential to secure long-term sustainable investment in public libraries.” The report calls for a per capita spend of £15, which would provide an overall annual budget of around £1bn. This figure, while not reaching historic highs, does give libraries a firm footing to build on. The key is to secure funding before it is too late and give library staff the resources they need to continue the innovative work they are doing to support communities. CILIP Chief Executive Nick Poole said: “We are seeking a commitment from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to enable Local Authorities to maintain core funding to the library services; and a commitment from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and HM Treasury to secure up to £50m per year over five years to create a Library Transformation Programme that will deliver a modern, efficient library service for the future. “We know that these are challenging times, but we believe that an investment in our public libraries is the best invest- ment we could make in our communities and our economy to deliver a lasting and transformative return.” IP
October-November 2019
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