Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prioritise libraries for early re-opening as lockdown restrictions are lifted; and what discussions they have had with the Local Government Association on this issue.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Although physical library locations have closed, library services continue to provide and deliver services to its users. This includes online services such as access to e-books and e-audiobooks, where there has been a significant increase in demand, as well as developing innovative and exciting digital ways to provide services such as Rhyme Time and Storytimes, often reaching far more people than before.
Ministers and officials have held regular calls with public library stakeholders, including the Local Government Association (LGA) since the announcement on 23 March that libraries were to close. These now include discussions related to the re-opening of library services and how this can be achieved in a safe way for both staff and users.
DCMS is working with the library sector and the LGA to identify issues, and to develop guidance, around the measures that public libraries will need to take to enable physical library buildings to reopen and for services to begin to be restored in a phased manner in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to assist libraries to loan more audio books and e-books during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what conversations, if any, they have had with the publishing industry about that issue.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Libraries across England have responded swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to meet their users’ needs. Although the physical doors are closed, library services have developed innovative and exciting digital ways to continue to provide services. This has included repurposing stock budgets to meet the increase in demand for e-books and e-audiobooks.
Arts Council England has provided £151,000 (around £1,000 per library authority) to supplement existing e-book funding. Publishers and aggregators have also responded positively. Two aggregators have offered to match the ACE investment where money is spent on e-audio items. Through conversations with the sector we also know that publishers are lifting restrictions to enable remote storytelling so that library Rhyme Times can continue online.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion, and what amount, of the £250 million Culture Investment Fund will be allocated specifically to libraries
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Over £125m of this new funding will be invested in regional museums and libraries around the country over five years from 2020/21. The funding will be used to upgrade buildings and technology so public libraries across England are better placed to respond to the changing ways people are using them. Details of investment plans will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they intend to provide to the Libraries Taskforce, now that Arts Council England has assumed responsibility for its work, and given that its current funding arrangements will end in March 2020.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Government funding for the Libraries Taskforce is currently confirmed until March 2020. Arts Council England receives funding for the work streams that it is leading on behalf of the Taskforce.
Decisions about the Taskforce’s future are yet to be made, and as with all government spending, funding beyond this period will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.