Shropshire Library Strategy going to Cabinet meeting next week

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet is being asked to approve a fresh approach to the way the county’s libraries are run and the services they provide.

The Shropshire Library Strategy 2022/27 proposes changes to enhance the way the libraries deliver services to ensure every location is providing efficient and cost-effective services that meets people’s needs.

The priorities will be vital to helping tackle inequalities and rural isolation, offering support for health and wellbeing, offering opportunities for lifelong learning and business support, supporting digital skills and innovation, offering information on climate change and nature recovery, and signposting people to other council or wider community services.

The report will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 14 December 2022.

Rob Gittins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for culture and digital, said:-

“Put simply, our vision is for library services in Shropshire to be at the heart of our communities making connections to enhance and improve people’s lives.

“We are making it our mission to provide physical and digital library services and spaces that inspire people’s learning, imagination and discovery, to connect and fulfil an individual’s potential, health and wellbeing, and articulate the value of library services to our communities.”

The plan will see libraries working in partnership to:

• Improve opportunities for reading, literacy, culture and creativity
• Improve health and wellbeing of communities
• Promote economic recovery and growth
• Support communities that are resilient and inclusive
• Offer more innovative and sustainable services
• Enable discovery of the digital world.

Public consultation on the strategy saw 176 responses to the online survey and a small number of written responses.

Comments expressed the need for services in rural areas, and the need to support people on low incomes or people who are more likely to experience challenges in rural areas, the importance of libraries to children and families, and referenced the particular importance for families on lower incomes.

A few comments complimented current library services, and a few supported looking to the future and thinking differently about library services.

One comment included was: “I think the libraries have huge potential and agree that they are essential to a modern, vibrant and thriving community”.

Rob Gittins added:-

“Our library service always seek new opportunities to support the council’s wider ambitions to build resilient and prosperous communities; reflecting how we are all living and our developing community partnerships.

“It responds well to changing situations, and is currently moving to help in stimulating economic growth, together with local community access to learning, knowledge, health and wellbeing. Libraries are integral to ensuring, inclusive, collaborative community voices.”

Shropshire Council’s library service currently operates through a network of 21 static libraries, a prison library and three mobile libraries, and while the mix of provision will continue, each location will be reviewed individually to maximise their potential.

Opportunities for co-location, where libraries will share space within other community locations, will also be considered to allow them to meet community need.

The report can be found here, and Shropshire Council’s Cabinet meeting can be viewed here from 10.30am on Wednesday 14 December 2022.