LGA report sets out future for libraries as legal actions rumble on

The future for libraries could lie in community groups, private sector funding and self-service book borrowing points in shops and village halls, a report has said.

In a joint study, the Local Government Association and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council have set out how libraries can continue to operate in times of severe public spending cuts.

Future Libraries: Change, options and how to get there, suggests the main option will be:

• running libraries in partnership with the private sector, charities and other councils.
• integrating library services with other community facilities like churches, shops and village halls and providing public services such as health centres and the police surgeries in existing libraries.
• sharing back offices services and mobile libraries between neighbouring local authorities.
• giving users the ability to play a more active role in running library services.

Chris White, chair of the LGA’s culture, tourism and sport board, said: “Public libraries are among the most valued services provided by councils. The best libraries are at the heart of councils' approaches to everything from lifelong learning to wellbeing, job seeking, volunteering, education and encouraging more people to get online.”

The MLAC will be abolished in October and its responsibilities will pass to the Arts Council whose chief executive Alan Davey said: “I believe that working more collaboratively with museums and arts will open up exciting opportunities for libraries to develop the important role they play in our communities.”

Culture minister Ed Vaizey said library services should learn from the Future Libraries Programme, which was set up a year ago with 36 councils supported in testing library innovations.

Among these have been Bradford City Council piloting self-service book borrowing points in shops, Northumberland and Durham County Councils signing up Age UK and Sure Start Centres to evaluate the benefits of e-books for old and young readers and six south-east London boroughs estimating they could save £615,000 a year by sharing a home library and mobile library service.

Library closures are often highly contentious and lead to legal challenges. Isle of Wight Council fought off a judicial review in July after a High Court judge ruled that the case was brought out of time. Judgment has been reserved in a case involving the London Borough of Brent, while there will be a joint hearing in September about closures in Somerset and Gloucestershire. 

Vaizey was meanwhile challenged in March by the Campaign for the Book, which argued that library cuts were contrary to the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.