Image of Victoria Tower via UK Parliament Flickr

CILIP welcomes the Green Party manifesto's focus on funding libraries and other cultural organisations with an additional £5bn.

We agree that arts, culture and sports are central to people’s enjoyment of life, to their mental and physical wellbeing, and to thriving communities.

We also support the additional £5bn funding offered to local authorities, given the financial constraints many now face, with 74 (over a fifth of) local authorities now subject to special intervention or additional support from Whitehall, and the overall local authority funding gap now at £6.2billion.

CILIP also agrees with the focus on setting high standards for the rule of law and democracy in digital spaces, and for AI to be developed in an ethical and inclusive way.

Information professionals are guided by a well-established ethical framework and are critical to ensuring that society is informed by data and information that is trustworthy.

These values are embedded in CILIP’'s ethical framework and underpin the work of all of our members.

Many libraries already host tool and equipment libraries and with the right funding could expand that provision further, helping to build a truly circular economy that benefits everyone.

We call on all parties to pledge their support for stronger public libraries and recognise that libraries have a significant positive impact on local communities, society and the economy.

Please contact the communications manager for further comment, or to set up an interview with CILIP CEO, Louis Coiffait-Gunn.