CILIP and The Big Issue call on the Secretaries of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Communities, Housing and Local Government (MCHLG) to bring an end to 10 years of library austerity and to work together to invest in the future of our towns and communities by reinstating revenue funding for libraries to its pre-austerity level in the forthcoming Budget.
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Great libraries and professional librarians build stronger communities. They provide anchor institutions on the High Street, providing access to literacy and skills (including digital skills), fantastic activities and experiences as well as a wide range of Council and other services such as support for Universal Credit applicants. Used by more than 225m people are year, public libraries provide an unparalleled inclusive “social infrastructure” across the nation.
Great libraries strengthen people’s sense of pride in the place where they live, act as ‘anchor institutions’ on the High Street and promote inclusive economic growth as well as a demonstrable social ROI.
According to the joint CILIP/Big Issue report Public Libraries: The Case for Support, revenue funding for libraries has been cut by £243m per year in real terms since 2010. While many Councils have worked hard to protect library budgets, if libraries are going to transform towns and communities across the whole of the UK, we need to see revenue funding through Local Authorities restored to its pre-2010 level at or near £1bn per annum.
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On the 27th February, CILIP and Library Champion Bobby Seagull will be taking our petition to End Library Austerity to No 10 Downing Street. Please sign our petition TODAY to send a message to Government that it is time to end library austerity!
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