Recommendation 22

HM Government Acknowledged

As noted above, we are pleased to see that the Select Committee recognises the value of public libraries and the important role that they play as part of local community infrastructure, both through what they provide themselves, and in their capacity as an important platform for civil society and other public services to reach out into communities. We agree that public libraries provide a unique service in helping people to help themselves and improve their opportunities. As well as bringing people together, libraries provide practical support such as digital skills and inclusion, as well as support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, a wide range of reading and reference material, and the provision of highly trusted objective and accurate information and guidance. Public libraries can also extend cultural engagement because of their position within communities, hosting and delivering cultural and creative activities themselves such as theatre, music and dance performances, and also pointing people - locals and visitors alike - to wider cultural activities and encouraging them to explore different experiences. A growing number of library services are also establishing dedicated workspace facilities for individuals or businesses in addition to the general facilities they provide for people to drop in to use space, WiFi and facilities such as public PCs and printing facilities. DCMS funded the provision of free WiFi for all libraries in England in 2015; and the Libraries Improvement Fund referenced above provides capital funding for public libraries to undertake building or digital enhancements to allow them to better meet the changing needs of library users. The delivery of public library services is a statutory responsibility of local government. However, DCMS takes its superintendence duties (to ensure local councils continue to provide ‘comprehensive and efficient’ services which meet local need) very seriously. The Committee’s report also references that libraries can be ‘engines for entrepreneurship, economic growth and job creation’ (Paragraph 107), including through the British Library’s Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) network which we fully endorse. Run in partnership with public libraries with 20 Centres across England, BIPCs provide accessible business support, help and guidance, including mentoring, workshops, and advice on Intellectual Property (IP). Not only does the programme return £6.95 for every £1 invested41, it also demonstrably reaches people otherwise under-represented in business: of BIPC users who started a new business, 55% were women, 31% from a Black or Asian Minority Ethnic background and 17% were disabled. Beyond the BIPC network, public libraries offer resources for everyone to learn new skills, helping people to help themselves and improve their opportunities, including those workingbin local cultural, heritage, and creative ecosystems. Public libraries play an important role in enabling access for the digitally excluded, supporting digital skills learning from foundation to more advanced skills, building confidence and improving employability and capacity locally. 41 Democratising Entrepreneurship | Arts Council England