Library On
An initiative being developed to connect library services with people, co-designed with library services, which is funded by Arts Council England and powered by the British Library.
The ethos is to celebrate libraries and improve their perception, share what libraries have to offer and increase libraries’ digital and physical footfall.
Development is ongoing with beta testing launching from Spring. At this stage, CMLs can benefit from grants of between £10k-£70k, but expressions of interest MUST be made by local authority library services.
Please do get in touch with us if you would like to be involved and require support.
We will continue to communicate with the LibraryOn team following the beta testing phase to understand better how CMLs can get involved.
Libraries Strategy
The Network Manager recently attended Baroness Sanderson’s deep dive roundtable, focussed on ‘Strengthening Communities’, in Coventry. This was a good opportunity to feed into to the wider libraries strategy review, representing the importance of Community Libraries in ongoing development plans, particularly around recognising volunteers and trustees, co-ordinating mutually beneficial partnerships and enabling CMLs to access additional funding sources, more easily.
London Regional Conference
We will shortly be announcing the date and venue for the first Regional Conference, being held in London in early summer this year.
We will be holding regional conferences in the North/N. Midlands area, and in the South-West, later in the year. However the London conference will be open to anyone who wishes to attend from CMLs across England & Wales. Please get in touch for more information, otherwise we hope to open up registration for the event in the next few weeks.
We have already confirmed a range of partners and services who will available for clinics, questions and information; we will also be running workshops to discuss and develop specific strategic thinking on the day. Lastly, it will be a great opportunity to meet other CML representatives, and as it will be held in a Community Library, a chance to visit and explore a CML as well.
CML Map
The CML map has recently been updated with some additional contact and demographic information. We are continuing to add to the dataset so please do get in touch if you feel that anything is incorrect or requires clarifying.
We’re aiming to add more data on the types of services offered at each CML over the coming months. In the meantime, it is a really useful tool to help connect with other CMLs, both locally and from further afield.
VIEW THE MAP
Regional Networks
These are starting to develop and grow in particular areas of the country. We are linking CMLs across London and strengthening links between CMLs in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & the North-West.
This has already encouraged a lot of exciting collaborative working, particularly around signposting and advice services and collective fundraising.
If you would like to get more involved with this collaboration, and with helping develop regional networks in your area please do get in touch to discuss further with Chris: chris.neath@communitylibrariesnetwork.org or Paul: paul.kelly@communitylibrariesnetwork.org