Three and a half years ago this week, I first spoke in Parliament on the subject of our much loved community libraries in a Westminster Hall debate on their future. As the former Lead Member for Leisure, Recreation & Culture, which included libraries, on Swindon Borough Council, it was with exceptional pride that the first debate I called in Parliament should was on libraries.
Even since then, I have been a champion in Parliament of protecting and enhancing library services. Having been a former local Councillor for ten years prior to entering Parliament I also know just how important our local libraries are to fellow local residents. Indeed, my wife and I are avid users of the North Swindon and Rodbourne Cheney & Moredon Libraries, often walking to them with Susie our dog to pick an armful of books to keep us going.
There is a lot of talk about the future of libraries and with budgets under pressure, some local Councils have decided to close the doors. Swindon, however, has shown how a library service can evolve to embrace new challenges like e-books, ensuring that our libraries remain at the heart of our local communities.
Whilst Lead Member, we opened the brand new £10m Central Library that has proven so popular in the Town Centre. The cafe is thriving, the safe space for young people is always buzzing and the information available impressive. Libraries are not just about books anymore and I would like to see the Central Library incorporated more into the cultural quarter once Regent Circus opens, showing off Swindon’s art collection and getting local schools in to display their cultural creativity.
Creativity is key to securing the future of libraries. Having been Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Libraries for three years, I have seen the very best from librarians and publishers on how to get more people reading and more people using libraries.
Tomorrow is National Libraries Day and it is worth taking the opportunity to celebrate Swindon Libraries’ recent initiatives to get people reading. Two weeks ago we saw the launch of the Six Book Challenge targeted at increasing adult literacy, following on from the very successful Summer Reading Challenge aimed at children that saw over three thousand local children take part.
Literacy is extremely important and it seems that increasingly, libraries have a role to play beyond simply providing books, encouraging people to read more and develop their language skills. It is crucial services like this that are set to keep libraries at the heart of local communities and define their role in an increasingly digital world. Libraries no longer just lend, they are a social, learning and creative space and I wholeheartedly welcome that.
