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February 25, 2016 by Gary Price

New Research Briefing on “Public Libraries in England” Published by House of Commons Library

February 25, 2016 by Gary Price

The following research briefing was published earlier today by the UK House of Commons Library.
Summary

2016-02-25_10-12-52This Commons Briefing Paper on public libraries summarises the statutory duties of library authorities, the role of the Secretary of State, and concerns about service provision and closures.
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires local authorities in England to “provide a comprehensive and efficient library service”.
“Comprehensive and efficient” are not defined. It is the responsibility of each library authority to determine how to deliver public library services in the context of local need. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport can order an inquiry where there is concern that a local authority is not fulfilling its duties under the Act. This has not happened since 2009 when an inquiry looked at the library services provided by Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
Concerns about the impact of funding cuts on library services are ongoing and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals has launched a “My Library By Right” campaign. This is calling for the public’s “rights to libraries to be recognised and respected” and for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to carry out its duties under the 1964 Act.
The issue of library closures has also been contentious. The DCMS has said that it does not “commission specific information” on how many have closed. However, it has estimated that 110 static public libraries closed in England between January 2010 and January 2016 while at least 77 new public libraries had opened.

Direct to Complete Research Briefing (17 pages; PDF)

Filed under: Funding, Journal Articles, Libraries, News, Public Libraries

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About Gary Price

Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com. Gary is also the co-founder of infoDJ an innovation research consultancy supporting corporate product and business model teams with just-in-time fact and insight finding.

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