Spellow Hub library is located in Liverpool, and was transformed into a 'library of the future' in 2023.

CILIP expresses solidarity with the library staff and users of Spellow Hub Library that was severely damaged during scenes of violent disorder on Saturday 3 August 2024.

This public library opened in Spring 2023 as a fully accessible 'library of the future', offering a free “education to employment” service for people of all abilities, to support local people in education and through to routes into work.

Spellow Hub Library also provides a warm hub in the winter, a cool hub in the summer, and a place for children to use the internet and do their homework.

Across the country, public libraries should be safe, welcoming and inclusive communities, open to all free of charge.

CILIP CEO Louis Coiffait-Gunn said:

"This shocking incident is a new low during a week of worrying news from many parts of the country. The violent actions of this extreme minority group illustrate the need for exactly the kind of services provided by trained staff in public libraries such as Spellow - informing citizens with a broad range of trustworthy information and helping develop literacies for the modern world. We hope the new government invests in such services and reverses 14 years of funding cuts".

Professional librarians, archivists and information professionals play a vital role in promoting reading, digital and media literacy, and access to information for the communities they serve. It is essential that they are permitted to continue this work in safety and free from threat.

We know that libraries change lives by:

• improving people’s life chances
• supporting formal and informal learning at all ages
• helping promote wellbeing and prevent illness
• building strong, more cohesive communities
• giving people access to life skills, including digital skills and media literacy

Further Reading & Guidance

STOP-VERIFY-CORRECT: How to combat misinformation online and beyond

Information literacy and facts matter, a lot