CILIP has welcomed the publication of the findings of Baroness Sanderson of Welton’s Independent Review of Public Libraries, announced today at an event at the House of Lords attended by our CEO, Nick Poole.

The Independent Review was commissioned at the request of Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay as part of his remit as Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The original remit of the Review was, in the words or Lord Parkinson, “to draw on a range of expertise and best practice to give [libraries] the support they need to keep serving the public so well.”

Although not formally a member of the Advisory Panel convened by Baroness Sanderson, CILIP was pleased to work closely with her and the DCMS team throughout the review to ensure that the views and experiences of our members were represented.

Key findings

• The report of Review addresses a number of ‘key challenges’ that emerged in discussion with library staff, leadership, users and advocates. These included:
• A lack of recognition of and engagement with the value and impact of public libraries across both local and central Government
• Low levels of public awareness of the transformation of the public library offer that has taken place in recent years
• A lack of comprehensive, timely and accurate data about the operation and impact of public library services
• A need for greater clarity and vision from Government in defining what policymakers would like to see from public library services in the years ahead

CILIP recognises and endorses the view that public libraries would benefit from improved recognition and engagement by both local and central Government. We work to support Heads of Library service and library staff in securing this.

CILIP’s ‘impact statement’ sets out our commitment to changing lives by improving education, literacy and prosperity for all. We see a strong and thriving public library sector as a key pillar in fulfilling this ambition.

Recommendations

Baroness Sanderson has set out eight recommendations designed to address the challenges identified through the workshop discussions with library users, staff, leadership and sector bodies. These are:

1. The establishment of a national data hub
2. A national branding campaign
3. Engagement with the British Library
4. Expanded library membership
5. Stronger volunteer network
6. Creation of a Libraries Minister
7. Establishment of a Libraries Laureate
8. Changing the timing of Libraries Week

It should be emphasised that the Government is not obliged to implement these recommendations – they are intended as a contribution to Government thinking and will help inform the development of a Library Strategy supported by DCMS.

Comment – The CILIP View

We welcome the publication of the outcomes of Baroness Sanderson’s review and the recognition it contains of the creativity, impact and resilience of the UK’s public library services.

Baroness Sanderson’s report differs from other recent initiatives in that she has taken the time to engage widely with a range of stakeholders and to reflect deeply on the challenges and opportunities ahead for these vital local services. We greatly appreciate the time, expertise and energy that she has personally brought to the Review.

It is important to be conscious of what this report is, and what it is not. The report is a detailed and thoughtful response to the issues that were raised by the sector with Baroness Sanderson. It is not the Government’s position, nor is there any guarantee that the recommendations will be implemented, or to what extent. We need to await the Government’s response and any resulting strategy from DCMS for that.

It is also important to acknowledge that the Report does not address, nor could it ever have addressed, the fundamental challenge to library services arising from Government policy in recent years.

In common with most local services, public libraries have been starved of resources through the combined impact of devolution, austerity and short-term decision-making. It is a testament to their resilience, leadership and commitment that they have continued to deliver exceptional, life-changing services despite this.

Baroness Sanderson’s recommendations in themselves will not reverse the damage of years of austerity. However, we do believe that part of the solution to securing a brighter future for public libraries does involve raising them up the political agenda, and several of her recommendations – if implemented – will contribute significantly to this.

Nor does CILIP endorse or support all of the recommendations. Of necessity with a Review with such an ambitious scope, there are elements that we believe will make a positive contribution and others which we think would either be difficult to implement or are not necessarily the right answer to the question.

We appreciate the Baroness’s commentary on the need to avoid job substitution and de-professionalisation in public libraries, “There is a valid concern that in an era of difficult financial constraints, volunteers have often been seen as a way of replacing trained staff, rather than being used to bring important, additional, value to a service.

Job substitution will lead to services becoming unsustainable over time, and the CILIP position is that, where possible, volunteers should only be used to support experienced, qualified staff.

As noted in our own policy, there is a vital and positive role for volunteers in enhancing and extending professionally-run library services, but volunteers cannot and must not be used to substitute for paid professional roles.

We also welcome the acknowledgement of the work that the British Library has done to build partnerships with the public library network through initiatives such as the Business and IP Centres and the Living Knowledge Network.

It is important, however, to note that the fragmented landscape of public library provision, which Baroness Sanderson references, needs to be addressed through a collaborative effort including all of the sector development bodies.

Ultimately, everything hinges on whether these recommendations will be taken forward into the next Parliament, in what form and with what financial and political support, both locally and centrally.

CILIP will continue to liaise with our colleagues at DCMS, within the library sector and at the Department for Levelling UP, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Local Government Association to make the case for more targeted intervention and support for public libraries under the next Parliament and to ensure that the implementation of the recommendations is informed by librarians and information professionals.

Future Libraries

Thanks to the support of Arts Council England, CILIP will shortly be launching ‘Future Libraries’ – a new programme designed to help public library staff and leaders (as well as leaders in other sectors) develop strategies for success.

Future Libraries will comprise a suite of resources including:

• A foresight and trend report highlighting the main trends that are likely to impact on demand for library services
• Data and visualisations highlighting changing demand for libraries
• A Future Libraries Toolkit, tested ‘in real life’ with several leading Library Authorities, designed to help library staff develop their strategic skills

To find out when Future Libraries will launch, sign up to our email list

Download the full Report