Editorial

There’s a certain joy to working on a project and seeing it come to fruition. I’m in the happy position of being occasionally able to do this for the library service I am lucky enough to work in. This August, a few of our libraries had a mini-festival with the theme of Space. It included the children’s illustrator Nick Sharratt, the author Kate Pankhurst, actual meteorites and samples from the Moon’s surface, a talk on space from the local university and free talks from the local science laboratory. The whole thing was utterly fantastic with some seriously engaged children and adults and, I think, a few people’s future career choices being changed.

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The things that gave me most pride and satisfaction though is this – it took more than year to organise and it was free. Nick Sharratt took two years and the Borrow the Moon resources took 18 months. Oh, and every part of it was free for the public. Oh, and this was just a part of the Summer Reading Challenge events which led me to go from animal handling in the morning to fun science in the afternoon to a space lecture in the evening is, to be honest, quite amazing enough without seeing all the children come in for their stickers and medals and seeing the library staff encourage each one.

I take immense pride and satisfaction in my job promoting the library service and buying the children’s books for the borough. Seeing the joy of a child who sees a book they want to borrow and knowing that you’re the one who ordered it in the first place never gets old. And promoting such a wonderful thing as a library service, where one gets books for free, means going to work is normally not a chore. But this was something else. People were asking me what we were going to do to top this next time around. And the thing is, I don’t know. But it excites me. Let’s find out.

Changes by local authority

National news

  • ‘Better than a bag of gold’: Know Your Neighbourhood Fund extended for a year – Libraries Connected. “The Know Your Neighbourhood Fund was scheduled to run until March 2025. It has now been extended until March 2026 with an additional up to £4.5 million of government funding. Of the up to £4.5 million, Arts Council England will deliver up to £1.5 million, Historic England will deliver up to £250,000, and UK Community Foundations (UKCF), in partnership with community foundations, will deliver up to £2.6 million.” … focusing on loneliness, increasing volunteering, reducing loneliness stigma and build social cohesion in targeted high-deprivation local authorities.
  • Desert Island Discs – BBC Sounds. Postcards. “Val McDermid on her childhood love of libraries”
  • Ed Jewell reflects on one year as Libraries Connected President – Libraries Connected. “Funding has never been far from the surface in many of the conversations I have had, whether with colleagues on an individual level, in Support Hub meetings or with directors and portfolio holders.”
  • Intellectual freedom leader to fight effects of censorship – Arts Professional. ” (CILIP) has named Dr David McMenemy the inaugural chair of a new Intellectual Freedom Committee as part of its work to help library professionals “counter the disturbing effect of censorship”. The committee will shape and lead an evidence-informed programme that promotes a “strong ethical framework” across the sector, ensuring every citizen is “informed by a wide range of trustworthy information and empowered to use it as they see fit”.”
  • The lamentable decline of reading – Financial Times. ” an extensive US study found that just 16 per cent of people spent any leisure time reading during an average day, down from 28 per cent two decades ago” … “In the UK the Publishers Association reported an encouraging picture for the consumer market last year with a 5 per cent increase in revenues and books sold” … “Attractive and engaging public libraries are essential too, to maintain a healthy level of reading among people of all ages who cannot afford or do not want to buy their own books.”
  • Roll for Adventure: Tabletop Role-Playing Adventures for Your School or Public Library – Facet Publishing. “For librarians, teachers, school staff and parents who want to run a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) but don’t know where to begin, this practical guide includes five tabletop role-playing adventures written so that a first-time Game Master can jump straight in and start playing. “

International news

  • Global Collaboration Key to Future of Libraries, Say IFLA Leaders During Visit to Kazakhstan – Astana Times. IFLA visits quasi-democracy and says ““One of the legacies we look for in coming to a country is the long-term benefit for the profession, the community and society (…) In Kazakhstan, the congress has helped build excitement around a national strategy for libraries,” said McDonald.” … “The 89th World Library and Information Congress of the IFLA is taking place in Astana on Aug. 18-22, marking the first time Central Asia has hosted the world’s largest gathering of library and information professionals. Nearly 1,700 participants from 114 countries are attending, including national library directors, researchers, educators, students, and publishing representatives.”
  • Australia – Libraries a secret weapon against ignorance and isolation – Flinders University. “Beyond the Books celebrates the dynamic relationship between the State Library of South Australia – recently ranked the second most “beautiful” library in the world – and its citizens, their identity and way of life. Despite the initial focus on South Australia, it’s a story that will resonate across Australia and its many cultural bodies.”
  • Canada – Can libraries stop AI slop from flooding their shelves? – CBC. “AI slop is everywhere – and now it’s hitting libraries. AI-generated books are slipping into library catalogues and even landing on physical shelves. Some are so polished that even librarians are fooled. We hear from journalist Emanuel Maiberg on how this industry is exploding, and from Laura Winton, Vice-Chair of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations, and Jennie Rose Halperin, executive director of Library Futures, on how this could erode trust in libraries – and what readers need to look for.”
  • China – History of Chinese libraries, from huge palace collections to public spaces of learning – South China Morning Post. “For the first time in Chinese history, libraries were designed not just as imperial treasuries or a gentleman’s prize collection, but as a public institution. I have greatly benefited from this public institution. I am still an avid reader with a wide and eclectic range of interests, though I frequent bookstores instead of public libraries.”
  • Saudia Arabia – Libraries Commission Partners with Riyadh Municipality to Launch Cultural House Initiative – Saudi Press Agency. “The Cultural House is a modern, multi-purpose library designed to serve diverse community needs. Situated within the Riyadh Oases, it features a library, dedicated spaces for adults and children, shared workspaces, a technology lab, a café, and open courtyards for hosting artistic and cultural events.”
  • USA – Christian Nationalists in this town don’t want people to read certain library books – so they’re stealing them – Americans United. “Leaders of the Reformation Church of Shelbyville say what they’re doing is civil disobedience. In fact, the technical term for it is “stealing” … “They’ve also assailed drag queen events at a local tavern (that has since closed) and tried to shut down a Halloween-themed event sponsored by the local chamber of commerce, where attendees dress as witches to raise money for local charitable causes.”
    • PEN to Put $1.4m Grant Toward Public Libraries – Publishers Weekly. “The Mellon Foundation has awarded PEN America $1.4 million to support its efforts defending the freedom to read. In an announcement August 15, PEN said that the money will be used to support public libraries and librarians, who are “facing escalating threats to their work, safety and core mission.””

Local news by authority

  • Argyll and Bute – Argyll and Bute library closure plan sparks local fury – Herald. Partial paywall. “Controversial plans to close four libraries in Argyll and Bute were pushed through without proper consultation, sparking a furious local backlash and accusations of operating “in the shadows”.”
    • Plan to permanently close four libraries scrapped – BBC. “The sites in Cardross, Tarbert, Tiree and Rosneath were under threat after being omitted from operator Live Argyll’s business plan for 2025 to 2027. But Argyll and Bute Council said it had been advised by the organisation that it no longer planned to shut any libraries.”
  • Barnet – Back to school with Barnet libraries – Barnet Post.
  • Birmingham – Birmingham’s residents back calls to turn a page on library funding – new study reveals – Birmingham World. “Better Libraries reveals overwhelming public support for greater investment in libraries across the UK, with particularly strong backing in Birmingham. The charity social enterprise found that Birmingham has one of the strongest levels of support for libraries in the UK, with 78% of residents wanting more funding to secure their role in communities.” … ” libraries in Birmingham are delivering real value, from saving users an average of £1,472 a year to helping people find jobs, start side hustles, and combat loneliness. The survey also showed that 1 in 3 Brits (34%) say having a nearby library makes a neighbourhood more appealing, beating traditional favourites like local schools (28%) and coming just behind parks (51%) and low crime (50%).”

“In fact, libraries are now viewed as nearly as essential as green spaces and safety, signalling a shift in what people value in their communities. Libraries are also seen as the most valuable free community resource (43%), behind only parks or public green spaces (54%).”