Editorial

The £5.5m announced by the Government to aid libraries is welcome but, basically, chickenfeed compared to the funding she announced for the Arts at the same time and, more seriously, the funding needed for the public library sector. Just one example, Lambeth this week is contemplating cutting it’s libraries by a further £1m. To reinstate just that one service to the level it was, even without this further cut, it would need around twice as much as that national grant.

Moreover, this will be not be a grand masterplan. Bids will be, as ever, effectively scattergun if looked at nationally and will inevitably result in lots of time wasted in eventually unsuccessful bids. It’ll also lead to the weird state of affairs where some library services will gain funding for some nice new shiny thing while simultaneously cutting basic services. So, why do it this way? Because of publicity. You see, each one of the successful bidders will gain positive media coverage. And, closer to home for Lisa Nandy, when asked questions in parliament, she will be able to list all these small individual grants, to better portray that the Government is actually doing things for the sector.

A far more positive publicity push can be seen in the shortlisting for the Library of the Year awards. There’s still some weirdness – some councils are happily bidding for one library while cutting others – but it gives a positive way of showing all the good things that the sector is able to be doing. Also positively, but unrelated, there’s a paid PhD up for grabs to survey the library sector since 2010. I’ve been doing this free all that time but I have had an insufficient time to do a good job. I hope whoever gets it can produce something really useful.

Locally, there’s a big cut in Enfield, with the extra twist that they’re looking to make millions back in property sales and maintenance savings. I’ve already mentioned Lambeth. Elsewhere in London, Sutton is touting that it has increased library opening hours at the same time as cutting costs by £400k. It has done this with staff-less technology, leading me to wonder what “library opening hours” actually means. But that’s a topic for another editorial. Moving away from the capital, things continue to look bad in Nottingham and Peterborough but at least the cuts in Moray have been reduced and it looks like the same is happening in Warwickshire. And Staffordshire is leading the good news leader-board this week by announcing £5m for library refurbishment.

Internationally, I’m loving the library publicity around “Ireland Reads Day” and finding similarities in Australia and News Zealand to what is happening here. But then there is the USA. Dear God, the USA. Makes me glad to be British.

Changes by local authority

National news

  • £10m grant for mill library conversion reinstated – BBC. “Funding to convert a Victorian mill in Leeds into a northern outpost of the British Library has been granted despite fears it had been withdrawn. The government has awarded £10m to the project to restore the Grade I-listed Temple Works in the Holbeck area of the city. Last year the Treasury said it was “minded to withdraw” from the scheme in a bid to make savings, but the money has now been confirmed.” see also Woman wins £7,500 after complaining British Library was too noisy to work in – Metro. “She argued that failing to do so clashed with sections of the Equality Act that ask employers to make accommodations for people with disabilities.”
  • All the Libraries in London – Webpage listing all the libraries, of all types, in London, marking which ones have closed.
  • Four libraries in the running for Library of the Year award 2025 – London News Online. “GLL’s South London nominees include St Paul’s Cray Library, in Mickleham Road, Orpington, Eltham Library, in Archery Road, Greenwich, Roehampton Library, in Danebury Avenue, Wandsworth and Wandsworth Town Library in Courthouse Way, Wandsworth.”
  • GLL’s Fantastic Five – GLL. “St Paul’s Cray Library – London Borough of Bromley; Eltham Library – Royal Borough of Greenwich; Roehampton Library – London Borough of Wandsworth; Wandsworth Town Library – London Borough of Wandsworth; Lye Library – Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council”
  • GLL Libraries win prestigious award – GLL. “GLL libraries in Bromley, Dudley, Greenwich, Lincolnshire and Wandsworth have been granted the ‘Technology Excellence in Libraries Award’ (TEiLA) by not-for-profit membership organisation BIC (Book Industries Communication). This accolade acknowledges the libraries’ efforts in using technology to improve customer service and reduce costs.”
  • Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham visits a Warm Welcome Space – Warm Welcome. “Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and broadcaster Gaby Roslin joined guests yesterday (12th February) at Longsight Library and Learning Centre in Manchester. The library is one of more than 5,000 Warm Welcome Spaces across the UK, offering a safe space to keep warm, make friends, and connect with their local community.”
  • The historic and special libraries in Greater Manchester that could soon be hailed as the best in the UK – Manchester Evening News.
  • Library cuts dropped by council as income improves – BBC. “Staffordshire County Council said it was investing an extra £5m into a number of libraries in its area over the next five years. Meanwhile Warwickshire County Council said it was scaling back planned cuts to services after a better than expected public health grant as well as income from business rates.” … “The council’s leaders are expected to ditch plans to reduce Sunday opening hours while scaling back a proposed expansion of a scheme to move more libraries into being taken on by their community.”
  • Library of the Year – BookSeller. List of finalists. “From digital literacy initiatives to inclusive community outreach programmes, these libraries have shown extraordinary creativity in adapting their services to reach new audiences while maintaining their core mission of fostering a love of reading. What particularly stands out is how these libraries have become true community hubs by working so collaboratively with local partners. “
  • Library survey reveals reasons for significant shift towards self-service technology – D-Tech (press release). “Of the 68 respondents, 79% have implemented self-service technology, rating its ease of use and integration with existing systems as its most valued features. One of the standout trends identified is the rising demand for 24/7 access to library services with 63% reporting this as the most important feature of library smart lockers. Smart lockers, allowing for around-the-clock collection and returns, have been used to give access to library resources outside of opening hours, and even offsite at a more accessible location. 
  • Nandy to announce millions in funding for museums, libraries and arts venues – My London. ” a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund to help organisations in urgent need of financial support” … “£5.5 million to improve libraries.”
  • Nationally powered, locally driven: The next chapter in library digital development: A look at the LibraryOn grants programme and its outcomes – LibraryOn. “In total, following panel decisions just under £1.5m was awarded across both rounds. Its strategic purpose was to increase access and usage by enhancing the online presence of public libraries through improvements and increasing discoverability to make it easier for people to digitally access services provided by libraries.”. 77 page report.
  • New PhD Studentship to investigate changes in library service in England – Kings College London. “Between 2010 and 2020 the number of service providers who have reportedly ceased the statutory provision of library services in their area has tripled. This change in the landscape of English libraries has attracted numerous news headlines but has not been researched academically. The closure of local authority libraries and the emergence of community-run libraries is acknowledged, but data remain scarce and disconnected.”
  • Thirty English councils granted exceptional financial support packages – Guardian. “A record 30 English local authorities have been granted effective “bailouts” enabling them to borrow money to avoid bankruptcy, as ministers advised them against selling off prized local assets such as historic buildings, parks and allotments. The councils, all of whom were experiencing “unmanageable” financial pressures, were given the green light by ministers to collectively borrow £1.5bn to plug significant budget gaps caused by underfunding and soaring demand for social care and other services.” … “Six councils who are in special measures after declaring effective bankruptcy in recent years – Birmingham, Croydon, Nottingham, Slough, Thurrock and Woking – have again been granted special financial help.” … “For the first time, the government has imposed conditions preventing councils granted EFS help from selling what it calls “community and heritage assets”, reflecting fears that desperate councils could embark on a fire sale of well loved parks, golf courses, regeneration land and artworks.”
  • Three south east London libraries shortlisted for Library of the Year Award – News Shopper. “Lewisham Library, Eltham Centre Library, and St Paul’s Cray Library are among the seven London finalists vying for the Library of the Year Award at The British Book Awards.”

International news

Canada – Animated video entices readers to visit library

Local news by authority

  • Aberdeenshire – Proposals for future delivery of library services in Aberdeenshire communities agreed – Aberdeenshire Council. “The plans will see some existing local arrangements continue, with some new community partnerships established, and the transfer of some buildings to local groups progressed. Opportunities to enhance provision with support from volunteers will also be explored.”
  • Birmingham – Last-gasp bid to save Birmingham libraries from cuts that would ‘worsen child poverty’ – Birmingham Live. “Campaigners have won the right to question every aspect of Birmingham City Council’s plan to downgrade and potentially close libraries across the city at public meeting”. Rebel and opposition councillors “have successfully combined to get the plans ‘called in’, meaning the leadership now has to justify its proposals at a public council meeting before they can go ahead.”
  • Bromley – Burnt Ash Library to reopen following refurbishment – Bromley Council. “Burnt Ash Library is the latest library to benefit as part of a refurbishment programme, with Beckenham Library also successfully re-opening last month. The upgrade work helps ensure that the borough’s libraries continue to be welcoming places, with the improvements also helping minimise future maintenance costs. The refurbishment work at Burnt Ash included installing new lighting, an accessible public toilet and a new heating system, while also creating an improved children’s library space.”
  • Buckinghamshire – Libraries to share hidden stories of disability – BBC. “An installation, writing workshops and dramatic performances, created by adults with disabilities, will be touring Buckinghamshire libraries this spring.”
Cambridgeshire – “Knitted Mobile Library scene beside The Mobile Library”
  • Cornwall – ‘Over capacity’ St Agnes library could be replaced – BBC. “St Agnes Parish Council took over running the library, in Trelawney Road, from Cornwall Council in 2019. A design and access statement, drawn up for the parish council by building consultancy Desmonde Associates, said the council found the building was “frequently over capacity” due to the area’s growing population. The statement said the council offices were “rapidly becoming unfit for purpose and unsafe as the building deteriorates”.” … “Library manager Andrew Ley said: “The building we are in, although a game-changer in 1997, is now hopelessly inadequate for our growing needs and the needs of the community we serve.”
  • Devon – Three Devon libraries up for national award – BBC. “Bideford Library, Braunton Library and Exeter Library are all 2025 South West finalists “
  • Dudley – Free talk at Sedgley Library shines spotlight on superstitions and their origins – Dudley News.
  • East Renfrewshire – New programme of events and activities taking place at libraries – Barrhead News. “The initiative, in partnership with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), aims to support the East Renfrewshire Clean Air campaign.”
  • Edinburgh – Edinburgh Libraries launch new recycling programme to promote sustainability and digital reuse – Edinburgh Council. “The service secured £23,000 in funding from the Public Library Improvement Fund, awarded by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which supports innovative initiatives in areas such as digital upskilling, sustainability, and inclusivity. This funding will allow Edinburgh Libraries to collaborate with Edinburgh Remakery to introduce Tech Donation Boxes to 15 libraries, these boxes will provide Edinburgh residents with an easy, welcoming, and accessible way to donate their old devices. Donated tech devices will be repaired and reused when possible or responsibly recycled when necessary, contributing to a circular economy and reducing electronic waste.”
  • Enfield – This north London borough is closing seven libraries – Time Out. £500k cut. “The closures follow a city-wide trend. According to creative project All the Libraries in London, which tracks openings and closures, 120 libraries have been axed in the capital in the last 10 years. “. Seven libraries will close “Southgate Library, Winchmore Hill Library, , Bowes Library, Bullsmoor Library, Enfield Highway Library, Enfield Island Library, John Jackson Library, Southgate Library and Winchmore Hill Library” with £3.85 million income from property sales, “and save £4.5 million in maintenance costs over a 10-year period”. 
  • Essex – Librarians could wear body cameras to curb abuse – BBC. “Essex County Council said it was considering the action at Witham Library, where it recently hired a private security guard.” … “new doors were being installed at Colchester Library to combat anti-social behaviour.”
  • Guernsey – Guernsey’s Guille-Alles Library nominated for Library of the Year Award – ITV. “Guille-Alles Library is a finalist for the South West, going up against 34 other libraries across the British Isles.”. Guernsey’s Summer Reading Challenge had “unusually high impact”.
  • Inverclyde – Inverclyde Libraries introduces weekly quiet sessions – Greenock Telegraph. “These sessions include reduced noise levels, sensory tools, and friendly staff to support those who benefit from a quieter environment.”
  • Highlands – New mobile libraries for Highland communities – BBC. “Highland Council has purchased the vans for £332,000 and they will take to the roads across the north and west of the region this summer. These areas have been relying on a temporary delivery service.”
  • Hounslow – Hounslow’s libraries get a digital upgrade – Hounslow Council. “All 11 libraries will now take card payments and the Council’s online library collection has recently been improved. Residents will now find it easier to browse and borrow the 1.2 million eBook and audiobook collection. The improved online platform also boasts seven million books from across London, which residents can reserve and borrow. “
  • Lambeth – Lambeth Council proposes a £1million budget cut for Lambeth Libraries – Brixton Buzz. “Lambeth Unison have called for a protest outside the Cabinet meeting coming up on Monday 24th February.” – see also – Lambeth Council Cabinet plans to slash library budget – leaked – Friends of Carnegie Library. “£1 million is almost 25% of the total library budget of £4.2 million, a figure which amazingly has not changed in 40 years. (With inflation this means the budget has already eroded by about two thirds since 1984.) This in the context of the Council’s £1.47 billion annual gross expenditure (2023-24).”
  • Liverpool – Family fun at Liverpool libraries for half term and beyond – Liverpool Express. “Programmed by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team and made possible thanks to UK Shared Prosperity Funding, the free drop-in activities will kick off in half-term but continue through to March”
  • Monmouthshire – The View from Westminster with Catherine Fookes MP – Monmouthshire Beacon. “In Monmouth, I heard concerns from residents about the proposed relocation of Monmouth Library. I raised these with Monmouthshire County Council and organised a meeting with MCC and Friends of Monmouth Library to confirm the library will remain in Rolls Hall. Libraries are at the heart of our communities, and I will always fight for them.”
  • Moray – Moray libraries won’t close – but some could be moved into schools – Grampian Online. “The local authority met behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the future of seven of its 11 libraries – Fochabers, Lossiemouth, Burghead, Cullen, Dufftown, Keith and Tomintoul. It has subsequently released a statement saying that the proceeds raised from any sales would be ring-fenced for the library service.”
  • Nottingham – Library to close for £17k window replacement work – BBC. “A Nottingham library is set to close for a day for work to replace a large window. The damage to the second floor window of Nottingham Central Library was found on 16 August 2024 and work to make it safe was carried out the following day.”
    • Thousands spent on Sherwood Library as wait for opening drags on – Nottinghamshire Live. “The city council most recently said that all snagging issues have now been resolved, though did not give an exact timeline for the reopening. Councillor Sam Lux, the council’s executive member for culture, previously said: “It’s not going to happen overnight, but we are confident that Sherwood Library is going to open this year.””
  • Perthshire – Iconic Perthshire Library Inspires Contemporary Art Exhibition – Creative Scotland. “presents a site-specific visual art project: Reading Forms. Scotland’s first free public lending Library, Innerpeffray Library in Perthshire, is the location for this Creative Scotland-funded exhibition.”
  • Peterborough – Dementia centre tipped to move into library – BBC. “Plans to move Peterborough’s Dementia Resource Centre into Bretton Library moved a step closer to completion after the city’s council approved a change of use for the building. Library users and people working with those with dementia have raised concerns about the idea.” see also Library dementia centre idea jumps planning hurdle – BBC.
    • Street-cleaning and libraries staff reject pay offer – BBC. “About 80% of GMB Union members at Peterborough Limited, which provides services including street cleaning and libraries, turned down the latest offer. Union regional organiser Gordon White said the salary was less than the Real Living Wage, of £12.60 an hour, and members felt “unloved and unappreciated”.”

“The vote was close but the Council’s budget was passed with libraries now in a state of limbo and in addition Woodston Library, along with three others, remain on the Council’s community assets list of buildings for disposal. These are uncertain and unsettling times … There is already reduced access to books and computers along with minimal library opening hours in Peterborough … “Peterborough has one of the lowest literacy rates in the UK and is ranked the lowest for KS1 reading and with 16% of adults in the UK being functionally illiterate – this is not a time to be closing libraries nor is it a decision that inspires confidence for the City’s future.”

Official statement from the Friends of Woodston Library’s in response to Peterborough City Council’s Full Council Budget meeting
  • Reading – Rainbow Rescue to tour libraries in Reading, Berkshire – Reading Chronicle. “an interactive delight for children aged six and under”
  • Rutland – Ryhall, Rutland Residents Rally to Save Their Library – Oakham and Rutland News. “Ryhall residents are fighting to save their library, as Rutland County Council explores alternative options for library services in the east of the county.  A second drop-in session by the council’s Living Well team on Friday saw protestors create homemade banners and posters, many featuring handprints representing the children who use the facility.  The council had hoped to convert the current building into a new community facility, but rising costs have forced them to reconsider. The future of the library now hangs in the balance, and locals are determined to make their voices heard.”
  • St Helens – Anger at plans to sell off Rainford library building after closure – St Helens Star. “Shock, disappointment, and disgust are some of the words used to describe the reaction to the planned sale of a community library.” … “Following the news that Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust purchased the former Rainhill Library site earlier this month, there has been further upset as it was confirmed that Rainford and Billinge libraries will also be placed on the open market.”
  • Staffordshire – Investment plan for local libraries unveiled by county council – Lichfield Live. “Around £4million will be allocated to sites run directly by Staffordshire County Council – including the facility at Burntwood – while a £1million fund is being made available for 27 community managed libraries, such as the one at Shenstone. The money will be spent on refurbishing and improving public areas.”
  • Live music, guest sports journalists and free children’s books, all at Burton library – Staffordshire Council. “Live music, an audience with popular sports journalists and a free book give away for World Book Day are some of the events running at the library.”
  • Suffolk – Library undergoes biggest refurbishment since 2010 – East Anglian Daily Times. “A major refurbishment project is underway at Bury St Edmunds Library, the largest since 2010. The work, which started this month, is part of a significant initiative to improve the library’s layout and interior. The project is funded by Section 106 developer contributions via Suffolk County Council. The first phase of the project will focus on the ground floor, including the foyer area, children’s library, and the county council family hub.”
  • Sutton – Sutton Council saves £400,000 by extending library hours – Sutton Council. “Yes, you read that right. All eight of Sutton’s libraries are now open 8am to 9pm six days a week (9am to 6pm on Sundays). There are now over 80 community groups – ranging from Tai Chi and calligraphy classes to dementia support, chair yoga, Scrabble and reading groups – all making full use of the spaces and extended opening hours in Sutton’s Libraries. ” … “There was a clear choice last year: we could do what other councils were doing, close our libraries and sell off the buildings; or we could take the brave and bold choice to invest in self-access technology. It has been an outstanding success. All our libraries remain open and are being used more than ever. “
  • Warwickshire – Libraries in Warwickshire chosen as finalists for Library of the Year – Rugby Observer. “finalists for Library of the Year at The British Book Awards 2025.” … “Rugby, Stratford and Alcester libraries are among 36 finalists”
  • West Northamptonshire – This Spring, grow your potential in one of Northamptonshire’s Libraries – West Northamptonshire Council. List of services.
  • West Sussex – Library celebrates a century at the heart of West Sussex – Sussex World.
  • Wirral – ‘Our money is going into a black hole the council used to fill’ – Liverpool Echo. “A community group feels they’re “being set up to fail,” council staff are wondering whether to leave before they’re “forced out,” and potential strike action looms as Wirral Council prepares to cut £25m from its budget.” … ““You can look at the library service which has been whittled down over the years. It makes it difficult for the staff to have confidence that there’s an investment, I don’t mean wholly financial, to provide a quality library service for the borough.””
  • Wokingham – Find the joy of reading aloud – at two libraries – Wokingham Today. “A shared reading group that launched last year in the borough was so successful that a second group was needed.”
  • York – Calls for certainty over York library services ahead of cuts – Press. “Opposition councillors have called for certainty over the future of York library services ahead of planned £600,000 cuts which the council’s deputy leader has defended as necessary.” … “It comes after £300,000 in cuts due to be made this financial year to York Explore’s contract to run libraries were delayed for 2025-6. It means the cuts will have to be made in one year rather than over two as originally planned.”