Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green speaking at the parliamentary event

“Libraries represent the very best of us. Let’s keep giving them what they need to flourish,” said author John O’Farrell, to an audience of 150 guests including MPs and Lords."

Laurence Turner, MP for Birmingham Northfield, Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, author John O’Farrell, and Bobby Seagull, a CILIP library Champion from 2020-21 and CILIP Honorary Fellow all spoke how libraries had changed their lives.

Laurence Turner MP, who hosted the event, explained how important libraries were in his current role and had been when he was growing up:

“Libraries change lives, that message couldn’t be more true today.”

“And from my own experience as a SEND (Special Educational Needs) kid growing up, how important access to a library space was. Without that I don’t think I’d be standing here today.”

“One in 12 children do not have book they can call their own at home and in my constituency that number is higher. So, when this new government sets out to invest in public services and drive up educational and skills standards as part of its strategy for getting growth back in the economy, I want to see libraries at the heart of that strategy.”

Over 150 guests and 20 MPs joined the event that took place on 21 October 2024 and was sponsored by library tech and service provider Bibliotheca.

CILIP CEO Louis Coifaitt-Gunn opened the afternoon by introducing library representatives from three different services, to showcase how libraries change lives by supporting learning and social mobility.

Images from top left: Laurence Turner MP, Sureena Brackenridge MP, group photo of attendees (know who everyone is? send us a message)John O’Farrell author.

The event was made possible with support from leading sector organisations; Libraries Connected, School Library Association (SLA), The Reading Agency, Association of Senior Children’s and Education Libraries (ASCEL), Society of College, National and University Libraries (SCONUL), CILIP London, CILIP Information Literacy Group, CILIP Youth Libraries Group, CILIP School Libraries Group, CILIP Academic and Research Libraries Group and was sponsored by Bibliotheca.

CILIP launched the Libraries Change Lives Campaign in June 2024 and collected over 190 case studies based on six themes – sense of place, green and sustainable, stronger communities, health and care, enterprise and creativity and learning and social mobility.

View the full set of case studies

Also speaking at the Event was Florence Eshalomi, Labour MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, and recently elected chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government select committee.

“We will continue to champion you, making sure that we get that vital funding to our local government so that libraries stay open.”

“When I think about libraries I think about my own childhood growing up in Brixton an Brixton library just close to bus stop where I caught the bus to secondary school and hand on heart, without that library I would not have passed my GCSEs and I think about the constituents and young people I represent now, for a number of them sharing rooms, in some cases four or five siblings in one room, and how do we expect that young person to learn?

“And a library provides such a fantastic space for those young people.”