CILIP welcomes the recognition of libraries as essential services and library staff as ‘key workers’ in the Government’s pandemic response, demonstrating the vital role public libraries have to play in our national recovery.

Although many library services have been ‘open’ to some extent since the introduction of new Regulations in January, we welcome the inclusion of libraries in ‘Stage 2’ of the roadmap, enabling them to re-open partial services no earlier than the 12th April.

We further welcome steps by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to provide clarification of the precise services that libraries will be able to provide in this stage, working with our colleagues at Libraries Connected.

5 ‘key principles’ for a successful re-opening of public libraries:

1. Safety first

We want to ensure that libraries are welcoming, inclusive and safe for both library staff and the public. As part of this, Local Authorities will want to ensure that staff have access to COVID-19 vaccinations as a priority alongside other ‘COVID-secure’ measures.

2. Embrace the digital

Libraries have demonstrated their tremendous potential for digital engagement, e-learning and e-reading support as well as access to digital public services. We will need to work together to preserve these gains and ensure that they become a permanent part of the ‘digital library offer’.

3. Spaces and places

Looking ahead, our national network of trusted, welcoming and inclusive library spaces are the perfect platform for social and economic recovery and the regeneration of our High Streets. We need to work together with Local Government to protect and modernise library spaces as an essential infrastructure for growth.

4. Catching up

We can work together with our colleagues in schools and colleges to help a generation of learners make up for time lost due to COVID-19. We need Government to ensure that public libraries have the resources and capacity to make a real difference to learning beyond the classroom.

5. Build back better

The pandemic has demonstrated the vital role of local libraries in connecting and supporting their communities. We want to look ahead with optimism and ambition to a future in which libraries help everyone, everywhere to achieve their potential. We encourage central and local Government to take the opportunity to invest in libraries to help every member of society to ‘build back better’