BBC Comes to Town: Celebrating a century of broadcasting with Libraries NI
LIBRARIESNIhascelebrated100yearsofBBCbroad- casting in Northern Ireland with a touring exhibition. The library service has a longstanding partnership with the national broadcaster and the joint BBC Comes to Town road- show has been touring libraries across the country to mark the anniversary. During the roadshow, local libraries were transformed into a hub of activity, featuring a blend of outside broadcasts, talks and the BBC Experience interactive exhibition. BBC Experience allows visitors to discover how it feels to be a
news reporter, a weather reporter or a sports commentator and to experience life behind the camera. It provides a truly memora- ble peek behind the scenes of broadcasting and the hands-on involvement entertained and inspired the next generation of media enthusiasts. A spokesperson for Libraries NI Said: “The BBC Comes to Town
2024 series exemplified how organisations can work together to create meaningful community experiences. Libraries NI is proud to have been a part of this significant celebration, reinforcing our commitment to providing valuable learning and engagement opportunities. The success of this initiative underscores the vital role of libraries in fostering community spirit and educational enrichment. Libraries NI is especially grateful to BBC NI for including us in their celebrations and we look forward to contin- ued collaboration with BBC NI in the future.”
Adam Smyth, Director of BBC NI with Jim O’Hagan and Bernadette Conway of Libraries NI.
One in twenty public libraries ‘lost’ since 2016 – worst in deprived areas
NEW BBC research finds that 180 council-run public libraries across the UK have been closed or handed over to volunteers since 2016. The data, when mapped onto the government’s Indices of Mul-
tiple Deprivation, shows the poorest areas were four times more likely to have permanently lost a library than the richest. The data was gathered by the BBC via Freedom of Information requests sent to every library authority in the UK. The analysis, which also used Arts Council England data, showed “the country has lost one-in-20 libraries since 2016” as they’ve either been closed or left local authority support to be run by volunteers. The research found that 2,000 jobs have been lost over the period. Details of the findings also reveal different levels of pro- vision across the UK. But while some have increased the number of libraries they run despite reductions in staff by about 950, a third, have reduced hours with some more than halving their provision since 2016. A Government spokesperson told the BBC: “Public libraries play an important role… we recognise the pressures they face, and are committed to giving stability back to local councils so services such as these can best meet the needs of their commu- nities.” Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP, said: “The public have a statutory right to a public library service that’s efficient and com- prehensive. “The way that ministers over the past 14 years have interpreted that, as well as their duty to promote the improvement of library services, means that overall we’ve seen a worrying decline in ser- vices, and a decline in funding of 53 per cent.” Isobel Hunter MBE, CEO of the Libraries Connected said:
September 2024
“These figures lay bare the scale of the crisis facing public libraries and confirm what we have long suspected: libraries are hit hardest in the very areas that need them most.”
Legacy giving to support CILIP’s work during Free Wills month
NEXT month sees the annual Free Wills campaign to encour- age people to make a will, which includes a bequest to a charity. The scheme is coordinated by a number of national charities, but is open to anyone over the age of 55 who wishes to make, or update a will. During that process, people can choose to leave an amount to one or more causes that are close to their heart. The scheme provides free access to a solicitor to help draw up a will. Leaving a bequest to CILIP is a generous show of support to the profession and the work it does in the communities it serves. Libraries, information and knowledge management touch peo- ple’s lives in many ways and any gift left to CILIP will help it continue its charitable aims and support for all those working in the profession.
Donations will support all of CILIP’s work, including profes- sional development, promoting literacy and school libraries – including Pen&inc. magazine, advocating for all sectors of the profession, the Green Libraries agenda, and bursaries to attend events and conferences.
Find out more about Free Wills month at https://freewillsmonth.
org.uk/ and learn about other ways to support CILIP’s work at
www.cilip.org.uk/donate. You can also find out more about legacy giving, including a free guide at
www.cilip.org.uk/legacy.
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