APRIL 2026  Welcome to our round up of April’s UK libraries news! LIBRARIES ALLIANCE  Last year we reported the formation, by some of the leading library bodies (CILIP, Libraries Connected, Bodleian Library and others, of the Library Alliance. Things went quiet until this month when we were pleased to be invited to the formal launch of the Alliance. It was addressed by people from many library sectors (public, prison, academy, health libraries) as well as Lord David Blunkett (the leader of Sheffield City Council when library staff there called the conference which led to the formation of the Library Campaign), and Jeanette Winterson (picture). It also had Baroness Twycross, the current minister responsible for libraries, who talked in part about the imminent public library strategy which she is working on – and to which the Library Campaign will contribute evidence The Alliance has the laudable aim of wanting to advocate for the value of libraries across sectors with government and decision makers as well as promoting what they can do to respond to threats to freedom of knowledge in library collections and spaces, and positively promote the values of democratic exchange of ideas and inclusivity in our institutions and communities. They also intend to do work on data collection and use and on workforce development. They have already published an academic paper entitled The Impact and Value of Public Libraries in the UK: A Systematic Review, written by three early career librarians from Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The event, which also had some useful networking time, was very upbeat and people were enthusiastic about the opportunity that the Alliance may have to influence policy and bring the different parts of the library sector together. The Library Campaign is not (yet) part of the Alliance but we will be following it with interest.  FUN WITH BOOKS Libraries have been great venues for the annual Fun Palace event (2-4 October this year). This is when communities get together to do – well, anything they fancy, to meet other people, share skills, try out new ideas, and generally have fun. The principle is just to have a go – “everyone’s an artist, everyone’s a scientist”! The format is casual. But the website is a treasure-chest of ideas, stories, tips on organising, downloadable posters – and even print-out bunting! You can get a weekly newsletter, attend online or in-person workshops, see videos, meet others planning a Fun Palace and more. You don’t have to be definitely planning a Fun Palace to open an account and get the goodies Special for this year is a toolkit of ideas around books and reading, for the National Year of Reading. Time to have a go? LAMBETH CELEBRATION  There was laughter and there was tears and much to celebrate. We did it. We defended the ten. Ten years ago the Lambeth Council was talking seriously about closing libraries in its network and running some of them without librarians. That didn’t happen. We still have ten libraries in Lambeth and they are all staffed by professional librarians. It was the “Occupation” wot done it, becoming for almost two weeks a focal point for local, national and even international news cycles. But the Carnegie Library Library is still here, there are still ten libraries in Lambeth, we still have a very talented team of professional librarians working for us, and the Council can be in no doubt of the importance of local libraries to the community. On Saturday we also remembered Rachel Heywood, who could not be with us but sent a moving message that was read out. Rachel was the only councillor in the ruling party who acknowledged the community support for the libraries in opposition to proposed cuts. She spoke out on numerous occasions and she was there in front of the Brixton Library, speaking to and for the two thousand people reportedly who marched from the Carnegie Library to Windrush Square when the occupation ended. This ended her career in Lambeth politics. More at the website for the Friends of Carnegie Library QUEEN’S READING ROOM MEDAL Liz Waterland, proponent of Library friends groups and champion of reading has won the inaugural Local Hero Queen’s Reading Room Medal. Waterland has spent many decades fighting against funding cuts to her local libraries and faced up to the challenge of her library transitioning into being community lead. Recently she has promoted the summer reading challenge in local schools, supported elderly readers by getting a grant for a bus to library service, and continues her library volunteering. She is known as being the driving force behind her local library hence her receipt of this award. Shortlisted for her efforts to rescue her local library and for her volunteering work there, she has also endeavoured to inspire a love of reading in young people with her lectures and writing classes, and through the books that she’s written. Deepings Community Library in Lincolnshire would have been in serious trouble without the organisational efforts of campaigners such as Waterland who helped in various ways including securing 8,000 signatures on a petition when the library faced closure. Waterland said: “I was shocked when I found out I had won, but also very proud to be given such a prestigious award. This award is not just about me, it recognises all the teachers, friends, and library colleagues that I have worked with and who have supported reading and literacy for people of all ages, both at work and as volunteers.” Queen Camilla’s award was created to respond to declining literacy rates and reading in general across the UK. You can find out more about Waterland and the award here. FRIENDS CONTRACTS WITH LIBRARY SERVICES We have been contacted by a Friends Group whose library service want to change the arrangement they have about using the library for their events. The main bone of contention is that service wants a share of any takings – up to 40% – depending on the timing of the event. There also suggestions about a limit on the number of events before VAT is charged. We would be interested to hear from other friends groups about the agreement / contract you have and whether the proposals above are a one off or something others have been living with for a while. DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY Time for some enjoyable arguments in your crime book group? The longlist has been announced for this year’s Dagger in the Library award from the Crime Writers Association. This is for a writer whose work is popular with library users, and who in turn supports libraries and borrowers.  It is for a body of work – reflecting how libraries and readers help budding writers build up a following over time – so it is open only to people who have published at least four books. Nominations come from librarians, drawing on readers’ views. This year’s list is: Ben Aaronovitch, Damien Boyd, the Reverend Richard Coles, Rhys Dylan, Paula Hawkins, JD Kirk, Clare Mackintosh, Freida McFadden, Abir Mukherjee, Tim Sullivan, Robert Thorogood. The shortlist will be published on 29 May, and the winners at an event in July. Note: entries are now open for the 2027 Dagger. Find out more here The CWA website has a lot of enjoyable content for crime fans. GROWING THROUGH LIBRARIES We have been intrigued to see two initiatives at opposite ends of the country which try to get people involved in new activities though libraries, In North Yorkshire, a voluntary group called GROW has started ‘seed hubs’ in three (soon four) libraries. People or groups (schools etc) can pick up seed packets from the libraries and there is also the opportunity to swap them. The scheme started in Scarborough in 2024 and more than 2200 packets have already been given away there. GROW’s founder is quoted as saying “by helping communities across Scarborough, Filey and Whitby to do something as simple and powerful as sharing and saving seeds, we’re building real food security, seed sovereignty and climate resilience from the ground up.” Meanwhile in Carmarthenshire, families are being offered free ‘activity bags’ aimed at younger children, encouraging parents, carers and siblings to get active together through fun, simple activities that can be done anywhere, including at home, in the garden or outdoors. Each bag contains a selection of sports equipment alongside a resource booklet packed with activity cards, game ideas, coaching tips and suggestions for alternative household items that can be used if equipment isn’t available. Again this has started at three libraries with more in the pipeline. The bags came from the Council’s Actif Communities Team which has also introduced a new ‘Skill of the Month’ initiative aimed primarily at pre-school and Foundation Phase children. Each month, a short video focuses on a different physical skill, offering simple coaching tips and ideas to adapt activities. FACEBOOKROUND UP  Rutland’s Friends of Ryhall Library are in the process of becoming a charity and have been posting their progress updates on this regarding this on their Facebook page. They have been seeking people in their community to advise on the suggested annual membership donation of £10 per year, as well as organising a board of trustees. They will also be holding an AGM to decide on trustees for 2027, and all this is around summer clubs for the school holidays and other friends group events. North Northamptonshire’s Wellingborough Library friends group this week celebrated World Book Night (April 23rd). This group used it as an opportunity to promote their library service’s up-and-running BorrowBox service. Both audio and ebooks are available from this service. At the end of last month, Buckinghamshire’s Friends of Burnham Library hosted the author of the ‘Next Thursday’ novels Lancashire’s Friends of Heysham Library posted their recommendations on Wednesday of this week for Earth Day. They included a link to the BorrowBox page for Earth Day, which features hundreds of titles on the theme, such as books about geography, animals, mountaineering, natural history, gardening, climate change, and traveling, amongst many others. Also in Lancashire, the Friends of Fleetwood Library reposted a graphic from the group ‘We are teachers’ on the topic of National Libraries Week. They suggest scheduling a library visit and reminding friends of the benefits of local library membership. And if you go down to the Isle of Wight, on a Tuesday, Friends of Lord Louis Library will be hosting their Teddy Bear Tales – a weekly event including stories read aloud and a chance for children to bring their own teddies along. We’d love to hear what kind of events your friends group is planning or indeed any challenges you may be facing and wanting to make others aware of so please do get in touch and ask for your Friends group to be featured! AND FINALLY… LOCAL HERO  Do you have a member who is doing great work on local history? They might win an Alice Lock Memorial Volunteer Award from CILIP’s Local Studies Group. Nominate via your librarian. The group seeks “a volunteer who has developed their owns skills significantly, has shared their skills with others or has made an impact on the service offered by their volunteering location”. They must have volunteered during 2025, There are two categories: under-25s and over-25s. Each winner will get £100 in book tokens. The deadline is 15 May. For more information, visit https://localstudieslibrarians.org/local-studies-volunteer-award. The picture is of Alice Lock who was a Local Studies specialist at Tameside libraries.Please get in touch with us if your local library is under threat, you have a Friends group that you wish to promote or you would like advice about how to start a Friends group for your local library – currently under threat or not. Feel free to ask any questions about what Friends groups get up to. We have now created an archive of our previous newsletters, which you can view here – check it out if you haven’t already and share the link as it’s also a place for new subscribers to sign up. If you are new to getting our monthly newsletter this is a way to see what we’ve been getting across since we started this newsletter in Autumn 2022. |
