Free libraries must not be cut

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Free libraries have been hard fought for in the UK – we must not allow them to disappear, says Lisa Nandy MP.

In the devastating cuts to local authorities’ budgets, council leaders will be forced to make tough decisions on the benefits and services they cut to local users.

My own local council in Wigan has faced over £55m in cuts to its budget and, because these cuts are frontloaded, the Council will have no choice but to pass on these cuts to my constituents. There are only so many 'backroom functions' that can be scaled down in a matter of months before staff and services are slashed.

It is because of this that I have called for an adjournment debate today on the future of library services, not only in Wigan but across the country. The Government argues it is Councils’ responsibility to provide library services but with such huge cuts to resources, I believe this is not an adequate response.

In my own Wigan constituency the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, the body responsible for library provision, has made a concerted effort over recent years to invest in libraries and provide a good quality service. Visits have bucked the national trend and increased by 17 per cent over the last six years, whilst user satisfaction is at an impressive 91 per cent.

There is no denying that library usage has declined nationally, but this example shows that this does not have to be the case and that libraries can still be valued services at the heart of local communities.

This debate could not be more important in the current economic time, since it is not just books that libraries provide. I have been contacted by a number of my constituents who have concerns that these cuts will mean libraries will no longer be able to provide free internet access, a scheme that was established in Labour's first term and has been vital for introducing people of all age groups to the internet.

1 in 5 people do not have access to the internet at home and yet the government has recently decided 'not to constrain local authorities' spending decisions by pursuing the commitment to deliver entirely free internet access in all public libraries'.

A number of my constituents currently rely on library internet access to search for jobs; with six people chasing every job in Wigan that could not be more important. The DCLG itself has highlighted the benefits for vulnerable social groups to go online as including: enhanced self-sufficiency, increased access to better public services, improved education and life/work chances and yet now they are taking this access away from them.

I also have particular concerns about the attitude from government ministers that volunteer-run libraries can replace government funding as a free or cheaper option. In Wigan, we are rightly proud of our volunteer-run services in Abram and Hope, which not only provide excellent community facilities but also training and skills for their volunteers.

These libraries receive book stock, computers and local authority support, as any other library does. In the minister's eyes these cheaper services may just be a room with books in it but that is not a library; to deliver a good quality service, there is a cost.

There is a statutory duty on all local authorities to 'provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof', I will be putting it to the minister today that the cuts that local authorities such as Wigan are facing will mean that statutory duty is nigh on impossible to follow. Free libraries have been hard fought for in the UK – we must not allow them to disappear.

Lisa Nandy was elected as Labour MP for Wigan in 2010.

Throughout recess, ePolitix.com will be focusing on a different policy theme each week. This week we are featuring MP articles with a focus on the public sector and government cuts.

This article was first featured on January 25 2011 ahead of Lisa Nandy MP's Westminster Hall debate on library services.

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