The Culture and Creativity Universal Offer Group have developed a new toolkit to support public libraries to make the most of national events, as part of their work on cultural engagement in libraries.  This year there are many high-profile cultural events taking place from the Jubilee to the Commonwealth Games as well as regular annual events such as the Summer Reading Challenge, so it is a good moment to reflect on best practice and share new ideas. 

Public libraries are an ideal place to celebrate and mark cultural events, and library staff work hard to ensure their communities can engage with national celebrations at a local level. Library staff can use events like the Rugby World Cup or the UEFA Women’s Euro to spark the imagination and inspire curiosity, running themed activities and hosting events that bring to life everything from sporting events to national awareness days. 

With so many events running simultaneously, the calendar can sometimes feel overloaded! We hope this toolkit will help library staff develop strategies to use cultural events to their advantage, supporting delivery through the Universal Library Offer framework, while still celebrating important occasions. Engaging with the cultural calendar gives opportunities to reach new audiences and amplifying existing service offers, so everyone in your community knows the local library is the place to be! 

Making the Most of National Events: A Toolkit for Public Libraries gives an overview of how to successfully engage with cultural events. Drawing on the experience and expertise of members of the Culture and Creativity Offer Group supported by Libraries Connected, the toolkit is full of ideas, top tips and templates for developing strategies and planning event activity. It is an ideal resource to build on learning gained from completing the Libraries Connected Learning Pool Culture and Creativity online training module.