#VoteLibraries Campaign Launches Across UK

A new campaign, led by CILIP, the library and information association, and supported by the EveryLibrary Institute is calling on politicians in the United Kingdom to put local communities at the heart of their election campaigns. The #VoteLibraries campaign enables members of the public to pledge their support for their local library services and put pressure on the candidates in their area to commit to sustainable, long term investment for local library services.

The campaign is supported by the recent joint report from CILIP and The Big Issue; Public Libraries: The case for support, which draws on research and evidence from the British Library, Carnegie UK Trust, CIPFA and others to highlights the positive impact of libraries on their users, communities, locality and local economy.

At VoteLibraries.uk, library supporters across the UK can sign the pledge to #VoteLibraries, download social media elements, posters and campaign materials to use in their local area, and email their local candidates to encourage them to show their support. The campaign is a core component of Libraries Deliver, a joint outreach and advocacy initiative from CILIP and the EveryLibrary Institute, a US-based not-for-profit organisation who have been campaigning for public libraries since 2013.

Click here to join the vote libraries campaign and get involved in supporting our libraries.

Nick Poole, Chief Executive of CILIP, said; “we want to send a strong message to anyone standing the in this election, after years of public sector austerity, the time for investment in our public services is now. Libraries play a vital role at the heart of every community across the country and the public want to see their elected officials standing up for their communities. Although many see this as a ‘one-issue’ election, we are not a one issue country. Whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, the library’s role in promoting inclusive economic growth, supporting local businesses and combatting loneliness and social isolation isn’t going to change and we need a government that recognises and supports that.”

John Chrastka, Executive Director, The EveryLibrary Institute, added; “In the US, the #VoteLibraries campaign has encouraged voters to push for real change and concrete actions from their politicians. This general election is the right time for library supporters to make their wishes heard. Talking to candidates, whether incumbent or challengers, sets the stage for proper library funding in the next government. VoteLibraries.uk creates a message-framework and a set of digital tools that make it easy for voters across the UK – inside and outside the library sector - to make libraries a priority.”

In addition to the public campaign, CILIP will also be engaging directly with the major parties to put pressure on them to include support for libraries in their Manifesto commitments as well as encouraging existing and prospective MPs to pledge to support libraries in their constituencies.

Pledge your support and download the library supporters’ pack at: http://votelibraries.uk

Download Public Libraries: The case for support here: https://www.librariesdeliver.uk/reportnews

Press contact

Gemma Wood
[email protected]

020 7255 0668
07747 219 981

Please note that this release mirrors the official one at https://www.librariesdeliver.uk/votelibraries_launch

Notes and other resources

About CILIP

CILIP, the library and information association, is the leading voice for the information, knowledge management and library profession. Our goal is to put information and library skills and professional values at the heart of a democratic, equal and prosperous society. CILIP is a registered charity, no. 313014. www.cilip.org.uk

About LibrariesDeliver

LibrariesDeliver is dedicated to addressing real challenges to library funding by organizing and focusing support from people across England and the UK. The campaign is a joint initiative from The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the EveryLibrary Institute to raise awareness and make a meaningful, long-term impact on the future of library funding by connecting people from across England and giving them the tools and resources to support their libraries. https://www.librariesdeliver.uk

About The EveryLibrary Institute

The EveryLibrary Institute is a US Based 501c3, non-profit organisation, dedicated to enhancing public and political support for library funding and the visible role of librarians in society. The core work of the EveryLibrary Institute is to advance a research, training, and programmatic agenda that strengthens the public policy and funding framework for libraries and librarians in the future. http://everylibraryinstitute.org

Read the "Public Libraries: The case for support" report

Public Libraries: The Case for Support is a joint report from CILIP and The Big Issue, launched at Parliament last month. The report draws on research and evidence from the British Library, Carnegie UK Trust, CIPFA and others to highlight the transformative impact of public libraries on:

• Place-shaping and inclusive economic growth
• Education, informal learning and skills
• Health, wellbeing and social care
• Digital skills and getting online
• Enterprise and business support
• Poverty prevention, social mobility and social isolation

Download the report here: https://www.librariesdeliver.uk/reportnews