CILIP publishes Guidelines on public library provision in England
What makes a good library service? With growing public concern about the future for public libraries, and the results of the government’s review of library service expected imminently, this is the one question which remains unanswered. And this is the question which CILIP is addressing with its Guidelines on public library provision in England, published today.
The Guidelines will be announced this morning at CILIP’s annual Public Library Authorities Conference in Bristol. They state that a good library should be accessible with opening hours that suit local needs; well-resourced with materials that are regularly refreshed; and employ knowledgeable staff. They should also reach out to local communities, especially those who are unable or unwilling to visit, and provide programmes of activities and events to appeal to the local population.
“I’ve been involved in four government reviews of public library service,” said CILIP’s Chief Executive Dr Bob McKee, “Two during the Thatcher/Major years and two during the Blair/Brown years and none of them have managed to produce a clear and comprehensive statement of what is expected of public library provision.”
CILIP argues such a statement is urgently needed given increasing levels of public and political interest in local libraries, and given the financial challenge faced by government. “In the last few days we’ve seen Wirral Borough Council make a u-turn on library closures following local campaigns and a public enquiry,” noted Dr McKee. “That’s a welcome move, but the financial problems faced by Wirral and other local Councils won’t go away. Clear guidance is needed on what local Councils are expected to provide in their role as Public Library Authorities.”
This call for clarity is also echoed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Libraries whose report, published on Friday 2 October, criticises government for a lack of leadership and guidance on public library provision.
“Local people understand the value of their libraries much better than most politicians,” said Dr McKee. “Both the Wirral Inquiry and the All-Party Group report show the need for clear guidance so that the library service gets the leadership it deserves and local people everywhere get the quality of service they have a right to expect. We hope that the CILIP Guidelines will help to provide that clarity and leadership.”
Find out more at www.cilip.org.uk/goodlibraries
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Press contact:
Anwen Hoosen
Tel: 020 3174 0118
Mobile: 07899 798885
Email: anwen@riotcommunications.com
Mark Taylor
Head of Corporate Marketing & Media Relations, CILIP
Tel: 020 7255 0654
Email: mark.taylor@cilip.org.uk
Notes to editors:
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals is the leading professional body for librarians, information specialists and knowledge managers. It forms a community of around 36,000 people engaged in library and information work, of whom around 21,000 are CILIP members and around 15,000 are regular customers of CILIP Enterprises. Visit www.cilip.org.uk for more information about CILIP.