Bedale Community Library has reopened after a significant £30,000 refurbishment project designed to create a brighter, more flexible and welcoming space for local residents. The improvements include redecoration, new furnishings and enhancements aimed at supporting a...

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage is continuing his UK‑wide Libraries Tour, offering free readings in libraries across the country as a celebration of the important role libraries play in communities. For the 2027 tour, applications are open to libraries whose name or...

The government has introduced “Culture Priority Places” to help target cultural funding and activity towards areas with the greatest need, based on lower levels of cultural engagement and higher deprivation. This approach will not limit funding only to these areas,...

Our Chair of Trustees, Sue Kerr, recently gave oral evidence to the Education Committee as part of its Reading for Pleasure inquiry. The session brought together experts and stakeholders to help inform the Committee’s understanding of how reading for pleasure can be...

This year marks a major milestone for Blackfen Community Library: 10 years at the heart of the community. We were proud to celebrate this anniversary at the start of Libraries Week and Volunteers’ Week, bringing together volunteers, partners, library users and...

Volunteers’ Week returns from 1–7th June 2026, offering a national opportunity to recognise, celebrate and inspire volunteering across the UK. For community managed libraries, this week is especially significant. Volunteers are not just supporters, they are the...

Volunteers’ Week is an annual opportunity to celebrate the vital contribution of volunteers across the UK. For community managed libraries, it provides a natural moment to recognise the dedication of existing volunteers and highlight the important role they play in...

Corbett Community Library is recruiting a volunteer Company Secretary to join its board of trustees. This role plays an important part in supporting the governance and smooth running of the charity, including organising board meetings, taking minutes and ensuring...

At the end of March we were pleased to host the first Wales mini-conference at the wonderful Taibach Community Library in Port Talbot. CMLs came together for a day of sharing, learning and celebration with presentations from our partners at Digital Inclusion Wales,...

The Great Get Together will take place from 19 to 21 June 2026, marking ten years since the murder of Jo Cox MP. The weekend brings people together across the UK to celebrate what unites us and to strengthen connection, belonging and understanding within communities....

On 24 March, the National Year of Reading (NYR) launched a major UK‑wide advertising campaign designed to excite, engage and mobilise audiences around the transformative power of reading. Running from the end of March and throughout April, the campaign aims to make...

As part of the National Year of Reading 2026, LondonVerse is a city‑wide poetry project inviting people of all ages to share their voices and stories through poetry. Open to submissions in any language and on any theme, the project celebrates the diversity, creativity...

The Government has announced a £150,000 funding boost for public libraries as part of preparations for the National Year of Reading 2026, with investment aimed at widening access to reading and supporting communities most in need. Funding will be directed to 72...

Corbett Community Library has marked a significant milestone with the announcement of an £18,000 donation from Coca‑Cola, made in partnership with Torridon Convenience Store. The news was shared during the library’s recent Thank You event, where volunteers, Friends...

Residents of Enfield Island Village now have a vibrant new place to connect, learn and access support, following the successful launch of the Enfield Island Village (EIV) Hub on 14 February 2026. The Hub was established by a governing board of five local founder...

Fazakerley Community Library celebrates 10 years as a CML this month and they are creating a community artwork as a way to mark this milestone. Congratulations to them and to all other CML’s celebrating landmark dates this year. Do let us know if you are one of them....

World Book Day 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting celebrations yet, landing on Thursday 5 March 2026 and playing a central role in the National Year of Reading. As a proud delivery partner of the national Go All In campaign, World Book Day is offering...

The Community Libraries Network is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the National Lottery Awards for All programme. This funding represents an exciting step forward for our mission to champion, connect, and support community‑managed...

We’re delighted to share wonderful news from Boldon & Cleadon Community Library, who have been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest honour a UK voluntary group can receive. This achievement recognises the library’s exceptional volunteer-led...

All public library staff in England are being invited to complete an online questionnaire reviewing the role of public libraries in addressing the growing issue of mis/disinformation in UK society. The research is funded by Arts Council England and is being undertaken...

As part of Green Libraries Week 2025, a recent blog from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) highlights how libraries especially those rooted in their communities are becoming vital gateways to nature. The initiative, led by Natural England and...

The Reading Agency’s Publisher Roadshow is a free, annual event hosted by The Reading Agency to connect librarians, publishers and teachers across two days in November. The virtual roadshow is an opportunity for you to hear about upcoming book releases, meet...

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed that, from 1 October 2026, the statutory audit threshold for charities in England and Wales will increase from £1 million to £1.5 million. This change follows a recent consultation and is part of a...

A local community-led library trust in Southeast London has been awarded £776,571 across the next five years in National Lottery funding to expand its vital work. The group will use the money to empower local communities through literacy, lifelong learning and health...

Janet Daby, MP for Lewisham East, visited Corbett Community Library on Saturday 23rd October to celebrate its role as a thriving hub for literacy, digital inclusion, and community life. The volunteer-led library, which welcomes more than 5,500 visitors each month,...

Aberafan Maesteg MP Stephen Kinnock made a visit to Taibach Community Library to see the volunteer-run hub at the heart of the community and meet the local people keeping this much-loved service alive. The library is part of the Community Libraries Network, which...

Crofton Park Library turns 120 years old on 31st October 2025! Crofton Park Library in Lewisham offers a wide range of books, digital resources, and study spaces for the local community. Managed by Nikki and supported by a team of dedicated volunteers, the library...

The Pride in Place Programme is the government’s flagship communities programme, providing up to £5 billion of long-term support to up to 250 of the most in-need communities. This was launched in September 2025 at the labour party conference. As part of the fund, 169...

As part of a pilot programme exploring how Community Managed Libraries can engage more effectively with Members of Parliament, Fleckney Community Library recently welcomed South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa. The visit proved to be a shining example of how MPs are...

The Autumn Libraries Digital Inclusion Meet Up focuses on the upcoming Get Online Week 2025 national campaign led by Good Things Foundation. They'll explore how libraries are using this campaign to champion digital inclusion and showcase their services. This session...