One stop shop community resources – By Anita van Mil

My tweet yesterday evening about an article by John Harris in the Guardian generated a few comments on my Linkedin page. I said that is was a good reflection of my observations last week when I was visiting community libraries in the Greater Manchester area. My old friend and colleague Manus Brinkman was wondering about the need for a physical environment to provide library services and Jerry Hurst made some very valuable points about moving on, being strategic, clever and embracing change.

I do agree with Jerry that libraries need a physical space for what they do. To make the Big Society or local socialism work we probably need even more community spaces, and libraries are excellent resources to build on. Strengthening the social bonds in a society does not happen online only. Read to relax groups for people with mental health issues are a life line for vulnerable citizens who would live in complete isolation without them. Secondary school children attending homework clubs in local libraries complete their work to a higher standard than they would do at home where they might live in cramped conditions or lack support from an adult. And also, let’s not forget that the UK has embarked on the Race Online 2012 because 9 million adults in this country alone are not accessing online services: 4 million of those are among the most disadvantaged; 39% are over 65; 38% are unemployed; 19% are families with children.

In my opinion it’s about embracing change without losing what’s at the very heart of what public libraries were set up to do. Local Authorities who are successfully doing this are not reducing their library service but expanding it. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is currently developing its 6th Idea Store!

Shouldn’t we be looking at running libraries as social enterprises, generating income from trade building on what circulating libraries used to do in the 19th century? Or reigning philanthropists back in rather than expecting wonders from volunteers?

Join us in this debate on 2nd of February at Creating Capacity’s event: Future proofing your organisation