Libraries Connected has responded to the government’s confirmation that a new strategy for English public libraries will be published later this year.

Isobel Hunter MBE, chief executive of Libraries Connected, said:

"It’s fitting that a new libraries strategy will emerge during the National Year of Reading, which has underlined the vital role libraries play in their communities. The last national strategy expired in 2021, and an ambitious, government wide plan is urgently needed - one that goes beyond DCMS’s statutory duties and recognises libraries as a national network supporting priorities across departments."

"To be successful the new strategy must challenge outdated perceptions of libraries, include other council-run library services such as those in schools and prisons, and focus not only on what libraries deliver but on the conditions that make this possible. Above all, it must set out how government will ensure modern, accessible library buildings, a properly supported and fairly rewarded workforce, and sustainable long term funding so libraries can adapt to their communities’ changing needs. Full consultation with library leaders, frontline staff and the public is essential."