Department for Culture Media and Sport
libraries working with communities
Public libraries have been at the heart of their local communities for 150 years, they have always been community spaces designed to support learning, reading and wider community objectives.
Framework for the Future emphasises the important role that libraries should play in the community and encourages library services to do more to engage people in the local area.
While there has been anecdotal evidence of the contribution libraries make to community agendas, there was little hard data to capture it accurately. To rectify this situation, the DCMS and Museums Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) working with the Audit Commission and the libraries sector, have developed a set of public library impact measures which were launched in March 2005.
The impact measures will serve as a qualitative measure of performance, encouraging library services to assess their community profile and tailor services accordingly. They are also an advocacy tool aimed at decision makers outside library services. They demonstrate libraries' contribution to formal education, regeneration and community building.
At their best, libraries are true community hubs that act as catalysts for regeneration and increased economic activity. Library services have a long tradition of engaging with local communities, for example, through the long-established mobile library network, or in the homes of the housebound or other users with particular needs.
Other outreach services can be aimed at particular community groups and locations. Advances in digital technology, coupled with the increasing number of on-line services, means that many users can access their local library "virtually". There are already some good schemes in operation.
The best library services encourage a feeling of ownership and engagement within local people. They consult users on a regular basis and ensure that provision matches local need. Engagement can be encouraged through Library Friends groups and by offering opportunities for people to volunteer. Such engagement should supplement, not replace, existing provision.
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