Keeping the Heart of the Community Beating: Why Libraries Still Matter in an Age of Austerity

Public libraries sit at the heart of community life, yet local authorities across the UK are grappling with unprecedented financial pressures that threaten their survival. What was once considered a cornerstone of civic infrastructure is now routinely placed on the list of “non‑essential” services when budgets tighten. This blog explores why libraries matter, what is lost when they close, and the practical steps councils can take to protect and modernise their services in a fiscally constrained world. At a time when councils are being forced to make increasingly stark choices, the future of library provision has become a litmus test for how we value community wellbeing, social equity, and long‑term public good.

The Challenge: Libraries in a Squeezed Financial Landscape

Local authorities have faced more than a decade of tightening budgets, and library services have been among the most visible casualties. Since 2010, councils have absorbed rising demand for statutory services, particularly adult social care, children’s services, and homelessness support, while core funding has fallen sharply. In this environment, discretionary services such as libraries, culture, and youth provision have been repeatedly squeezed, often despite strong public opposition. Between 2009/10 and 2022/23, council spending on public libraries in England fell by almost half in real terms. This is not a marginal trimming of budgets; it represents a structural contraction of a service that once formed a universal part of the social fabric.

CIPFA data illustrates the scale and pace of this contraction:

• The number of statutory public libraries open more than 10 hours per week fell from 4,138 in 2011/12 to 3,064 in 2021/22 – a loss of 681 branches, many of them in communities with limited alternative public spaces.

• Annual library visits dropped from 299 million to 100 million over the same period – a 59% decline, influenced by closures, reduced opening hours, and the lingering effects of the pandemic.

• Print book issues fell by 40%, although this was partially offset by a surge in e‑book and audio borrowing as digital services expanded.

• Total operating funds fell by 18%, and staff costs by 11%, reflecting both budget cuts and a shift towards volunteer‑supported models.

These figures reflect both financial strain and shifting patterns of use. Yet they mask a crucial truth: many libraries remain heavily used, deeply valued, and capable of delivering extraordinary social and economic returns. In fact, the decline in visits often correlates directly with reduced access, shorter hours, fewer staff, and the closure of local branches, rather than a fall in public appetite for library services.

What the headline numbers cannot capture is the quiet, consistent reliance that millions of people still place on their local library: the parent seeking a warm, safe space for their child; the jobseeker completing an online application; the older resident attending a social group to combat loneliness; the student who has nowhere else to study. Even in the most financially challenged authorities, libraries continue to act as anchors of community resilience.

The paradox is stark: at the very moment when libraries are most needed, amid rising inequality, digital exclusion, and social isolation, they are also most at risk. And yet, where councils have invested strategically, libraries have demonstrated remarkable adaptability, evolving into multi‑purpose community hubs that deliver far more than books.

Why Libraries Matter: Societal Benefits and Economic Value

Public libraries are far more than repositories of books; they are engines of social value, economic resilience, and community wellbeing. Their impact stretches across education, health, digital inclusion, and local economic development. When councils invest in libraries, they are not funding a “nice‑to‑have” cultural amenity, they are strengthening the foundational infrastructure that allows communities to thrive.

1. Economic Value Far Exceeding Cost

The economic case for libraries is now unequivocal. A landmark 2023 analysis by the University of East Anglia found that England’s public libraries generate at least £3.4 billion in value each year, representing a six‑to‑one return on investment. This means that for every £1 spent on library services, society receives £6 in measurable benefit, an extraordinary ratio in public service terms.

A typical branch library generates around £1 million in annual value, derived from a wide range of activities that reduce pressure on other public services and support local economic participation. These include:

• Digital inclusion support, enabling residents to access online services, apply for jobs, complete benefit applications, and develop essential digital skills.

• Children’s literacy programmes, which improve school readiness, raise attainment, and reduce long‑term educational inequalities.

• Health and wellbeing interventions, from social prescribing to community health workshops, which reduce demand on primary and acute care.

As Professor John Gordon, Director for Creative UEA, put it:

“Our holistic methods demonstrate the very significant economic value of library services… even with a conservative figure.”

This is a crucial point. The £3.4 billion estimate is intentionally cautious. It does not fully capture the long‑term benefits of improved literacy, reduced loneliness, or enhanced digital capability, areas where libraries have a profound and lasting impact. In other words, the true value is almost certainly higher.

2. Health and Wellbeing

Libraries are increasingly recognised as frontline health and wellbeing assets. They provide safe, non‑stigmatising spaces where people can connect, learn, and access support. In many communities, the library is the only public building where residents can spend time without needing to spend money.

Evidence from across the country demonstrates the scale of their impact:

• A Hertfordshire falls‑prevention scheme delivered through libraries generated £8,000 in annual value for just 10 participants, by reducing hospital admissions and improving mobility.

• A Norfolk men’s mental health project delivered through library spaces generated £60,000 of value per participant, reflecting improved wellbeing, reduced isolation, and lower demand on health services.

• Community groups such as “Knit and Natter”, reading circles, and parent‑and‑baby groups consistently report reductions in loneliness and improvements in mental health.

Libraries also serve as warm, safe spaces during winter months, an increasingly vital function as energy costs rise and more households struggle with fuel poverty. For many older residents, the library is a lifeline: a place to stay warm, connect with others, and access trusted information.

3. Social Cohesion and Inclusion

Libraries are one of the last truly universal public services, open to everyone, free at the point of use, and rooted in the principle of equitable access. Their role in strengthening social cohesion is difficult to overstate.

They act as:

• Warm banks during winter, offering comfort, safety, and human connection.

• Study spaces for young people, particularly those without quiet space or reliable internet at home.

• Business support hubs, providing resources for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and start‑ups.

• Digital access points, ensuring residents without home connectivity can participate in modern life.

In many towns, the library is the only remaining civic space where people from different backgrounds mix. This makes libraries powerful tools for social integration, community resilience, and democratic participation.

As the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism noted in 2024:

“Libraries matter to people. They provide inspiration, education, entertainment and a safe haven for many thousands every week.”

This sentiment reflects what communities consistently tell councils: libraries are not optional extras, they are essential social infrastructure.

4. Literacy and Lifelong Learning

Libraries play a critical role in supporting literacy, learning, and educational attainment across all age groups. Despite budget pressures, children’s book issues remain high, and library‑led literacy programmes continue to deliver exceptional value.

Suffolk’s teenage literacy programme, for example, generated £300,000 in value for 650 participants, demonstrating the long‑term economic and social benefits of improved reading confidence and educational engagement.

Libraries support learning at every stage of life:

• Early years programmes such as Rhymetime and Storytime build language skills and school readiness.

• Homework clubs and study spaces support pupils who lack resources at home.

• Adult learning courses, from ESOL to digital skills, help residents access employment and participate fully in society.

• Reading groups and cultural events foster lifelong learning and intellectual curiosity.

In an era of widening educational inequality, libraries remain one of the most effective tools councils have for levelling the playing field.

What Happens When Libraries Close?

The consequences of library closures ripple far beyond the loss of books. When a library shuts its doors, a community loses a vital piece of its social infrastructure, often quietly, sometimes irreversibly. The impact is rarely immediate or dramatic; instead, it unfolds slowly, showing up in widening inequalities, declining wellbeing, and rising pressure on already overstretched public services. Libraries are preventative assets, and when they disappear, the costs reappear elsewhere in the system.

1. Increased Inequality

Library closures disproportionately affect those who rely on them most. While some residents can replace library services with private alternatives, home broadband, bookshops, paid co‑working spaces, many cannot. The groups most affected include:

• Low‑income families, who lose free access to books, study space, and digital resources.

• Older residents, for whom the library may be the only accessible, safe, and welcoming public space.

• Disabled people, who depend on accessible facilities, specialist equipment, and staff support.

• Those without digital access, who rely on library computers to complete job applications, access benefits, and manage essential online tasks.

Without libraries, these groups lose access to the very services designed to reduce inequality. The digital divide widens. Jobseekers face new barriers. Families struggle to support children’s learning. The absence of a library is not neutral, it actively compounds disadvantage.

2. Decline in Literacy and Educational Outcomes

Reduced access to books and study spaces has a direct, measurable impact on literacy and educational attainment. This is especially acute in areas of deprivation, where children are less likely to have books at home or quiet places to study.

Libraries provide:

• Free access to thousands of books

• Early years literacy programmes

• Homework clubs and study support

• Safe, supervised environments for young people

When these disappear, the effects show up in lower reading levels, reduced school readiness, and widening attainment gaps. Teachers often report increased pressure as pupils lose access to the informal learning support that libraries quietly provide. Over time, this contributes to lower educational outcomes and reduced life chances, outcomes that are far more expensive to address later.

3. Loss of Community Infrastructure

Libraries are often the last remaining civic space in many towns, a place where people can gather without needing to spend money. Their closure accelerates a broader pattern of community decline.

The loss of a library contributes to:

• Social isolation, particularly among older people and new parents.

• Decline in high streets, as footfall drops and fewer people visit town centres.

• Reduced community cohesion, as opportunities for connection, volunteering, and shared activity diminish.

In some areas, the library is the only place where residents can access local information, attend community events, or simply feel part of something larger than themselves. When it goes, the social fabric thins. Communities become more fragmented, less resilient, and more vulnerable to crisis.

4. Higher Long‑Term Public Costs

Cuts to libraries often shift costs elsewhere in the system, a classic example of short‑term savings leading to long‑term expense. When preventative services disappear, demand rises in more acute, more costly areas.

The knock‑on effects include:

• Increased demand for health and social care, as loneliness, poor mental health, and digital exclusion worsen.

• Higher unemployment support, as jobseekers lose access to digital tools and employment resources.

• Greater pressure on schools, which must compensate for reduced literacy support and fewer safe study spaces.

• More strain on voluntary services, which are already stretched and cannot replicate the scale or consistency of library provision.

As Arts Council England’s evidence review concluded:

“Measuring libraries’ short‑term economic impact provides only a very thin, diminished account of their true value.”

This is the heart of the issue. Libraries save money, just not always on the balance sheet of the department that funds them. When they close, the costs do not disappear; they simply migrate to other parts of the public sector, where they are harder to manage and far more expensive to resolve.

What Happens When Libraries Stay?

When protected, invested in, and modernised, libraries become engines of local renewal. They are not passive cultural amenities but active contributors to the missions that central and local government care most about: digital inclusion, health and wellbeing, educational attainment, economic growth, and community resilience. In a landscape where councils are under pressure to demonstrate value for money, libraries consistently prove that modest investment can unlock significant social and economic returns.

Libraries that remain open, and are supported to evolve, do far more than maintain the status quo. They become catalysts for regeneration, hubs of civic participation, and anchors of local identity.

Supporting Government Missions

Modern libraries align directly with national priorities. They deliver:

• Digital inclusion, helping residents navigate online services, develop digital skills, and access essential information.

• Health and wellbeing programmes, from social prescribing to mental health support groups.

• Educational support, including early years literacy, homework clubs, and adult learning.

• Economic growth, through business support, co‑working spaces, and job‑seeking assistance.

In many areas, libraries are already delivering outcomes that other services struggle to reach. They are trusted, familiar, and non‑stigmatising, qualities that make them uniquely effective at engaging people who might avoid formal institutions.

Anchoring Community Regeneration

Libraries often act as the beating heart of regeneration efforts. When high streets decline and civic buildings close, the library becomes a stabilising force, a place that draws footfall, hosts community events, and signals that a town or neighbourhood is still invested in its future.

A well‑run library can:

• Increase footfall to nearby shops and services

• Provide a base for community organisations and local partnerships

• Support cultural programming that revitalises local identity

• Act as a gateway to wider public services

In regeneration terms, libraries offer something rare: a space that is both deeply local and universally accessible.

Providing Trusted, Non‑Commercial Public Space

In an era where many public spaces have been commercialised, privatised, or lost altogether, libraries remain one of the few places where people can exist without needing to spend money. This matters profoundly.

Libraries provide:

• A safe, warm environment

• A place to meet others

• A venue for civic participation

• A neutral, trusted setting for advice and support

For young people, they offer supervised study space. For older residents, they offer companionship and routine. For families, they offer free activities and early years support. For those experiencing hardship, they offer dignity.

The value of this non‑commercial space is difficult to quantify, yet communities feel its absence immediately when it is gone.

Government Recognition and Investment

The government’s 2025 Annual Libraries Report underscored the strategic importance of libraries, highlighting their role in delivering national missions and supporting local resilience. The report reaffirmed a commitment of £5.5 million to the Libraries Improvement Fund, aimed at helping services modernise, innovate, and thrive. While the funding is modest relative to need, it signals a growing recognition that libraries are not relics of the past but essential infrastructure for the future. Councils that protect and modernise their library services position themselves to leverage national investment, strengthen local partnerships, and deliver measurable outcomes across multiple policy areas.

How Local Authorities Can Optimise and Modernise Library Services

Local authorities face difficult choices, but there are proven strategies that protect provision while improving efficiency. The most successful councils treat libraries not as legacy assets to be managed down, but as adaptable, multi‑purpose community hubs capable of delivering high‑value outcomes across multiple policy areas. Optimisation is not about hollowing out the service; it is about aligning it with contemporary needs, using evidence intelligently, and designing for long‑term sustainability.

1. Adopt a Strategic, Data‑Driven Approach

High‑performing library services share common traits: forward‑thinking leadership, political support, and a willingness to innovate. They use data not simply to justify cuts, but to understand patterns of use, identify unmet need, and target investment where it will have the greatest impact.

Councils should:

• Use robust data, including the Libraries Taskforce Core Dataset, CIPFA returns, and local demographic analysis, to understand who uses libraries, how, and why.

• Identify “trend‑bucker” branches, libraries where footfall, digital use, or programme participation is rising, and replicate their practices across the estate.

• Map community assets to avoid duplication, strengthen partnerships, and ensure libraries complement rather than compete with other local services.

A strategic approach enables councils to make informed decisions about opening hours, staffing, programming, and capital investment. It also strengthens the case for external funding by demonstrating clear need and measurable outcomes.

2. Diversify Services and Income Streams

Modern libraries are multi‑functional spaces. By diversifying their offer, they can generate revenue, reduce operating costs, and increase footfall, all without compromising their core mission.

Libraries can:

• Host co‑located services, such as health clinics, employment support, advice centres, and community safety teams.

• Rent meeting rooms and co‑working spaces, providing affordable alternatives to commercial venues.

• Partner with local businesses and charities, creating mutually beneficial programmes and sponsorship opportunities.

• Expand digital services and online events, reaching residents who cannot attend in person.

Diversification is not about commercialisation for its own sake; it is about ensuring libraries remain relevant, resilient, and financially sustainable.

3. Invest in Digital Inclusion

Digital access is now a core statutory function of public libraries. As more public services move online, libraries have become essential gateways to digital participation.

Councils should:

• Maintain free WiFi and public PCs, ensuring equitable access for all residents.

• Offer digital skills training, from basic IT support to more advanced courses.

• Provide assisted digital support for government services, helping residents navigate Universal Credit applications, NHS services, and local authority portals.

Digital inclusion is not a “nice‑to‑have”, it is a fundamental enabler of economic participation, health access, and social mobility.

4. Modernise Staffing Models

Efficiency does not have to mean cuts. The most resilient library services use staffing models that balance professional expertise with community engagement.

Councils can:

• Use mixed staffing models, combining qualified librarians with trained community staff who support events, digital access, and customer service.

• Invest in staff development, equipping teams to deliver new service areas such as health literacy, digital skills, and community outreach.

• Deploy volunteers strategically, enhancing capacity without replacing skilled staff or undermining professional roles.

A modern staffing model recognises that libraries are people‑centred services. Skilled staff are essential to delivering high‑quality outcomes.

5. Rationalise the Estate Without Hollowing Out the Service

Where estate rationalisation is unavoidable, councils must ensure that access, quality, and statutory compliance are not compromised.

Options include:

• Community‑managed models, supported by the council with training, governance frameworks, and ongoing professional oversight.

• Mobile libraries, which maintain reach in rural or underserved areas.

• Multi‑use hubs, where libraries share space with other services while retaining their identity, expertise, and statutory function.

Rationalisation should be a strategic process, not a reactive one. Poorly planned closures can undermine long‑term savings by increasing demand elsewhere in the system.

6. Strengthen Partnerships

Libraries thrive when embedded in wider systems. Strong partnerships amplify impact, reduce duplication, and unlock new funding opportunities.

Key partners include:

• Schools and early years providers, supporting literacy, homework clubs, and family learning.

• Health and social care teams, delivering social prescribing, wellbeing programmes, and preventative interventions.

• Local businesses and enterprise networks, supporting entrepreneurship, skills development, and employment pathways.

• Arts and cultural organisations, enriching programming and strengthening community identity.

Partnerships transform libraries from standalone services into integrated community assets.

7. Communicate Value Clearly

In a challenging financial climate, councils must articulate the value of libraries with clarity and confidence. The evidence is compelling:

• £3.4 billion annual value generated by public libraries in England.

• Six‑to‑one return on investment, even using conservative estimates.

• Tangible savings to health, education, and social care budgets.

As Isobel Hunter MBE, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected, said:

“This research should be a game changer… The evidence is clear: investing in libraries brings huge returns for local communities and the public purse.”

Effective communication helps build political support, attract external funding, and strengthen public trust.

Conclusion: Libraries Are Not a Luxury, They Are Infrastructure

In a challenging financial landscape, it is tempting to see libraries as optional, a cultural extra that can be trimmed when budgets tighten. The evidence shows the opposite. Libraries are not a discretionary add‑on; they are a core component of the social infrastructure that keeps communities functioning, connected, and resilient. When councils invest in libraries, they are investing in prevention, inclusion, and long‑term public value.

Libraries:

• Save money, by reducing demand on health, social care, and crisis services.

• Strengthen communities, offering safe, trusted spaces where people can connect and belong.

• Improve health, through social prescribing, wellbeing programmes, and warm, welcoming environments.

• Boost literacy, supporting children, families, and adult learners at every stage of life.

• Support economic growth, helping residents find work, develop skills, and start businesses.

Local authorities that protect and modernise their library services are not indulging nostalgia, they are making a strategic, evidence‑based investment in resilient, thriving communities. Libraries deliver outcomes that align directly with national missions on digital inclusion, health, education, and economic participation. They are one of the few public services that reach across generations, income levels, and life circumstances with equal impact.

If councils want to deliver on their statutory duty to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” service, the path forward is clear: innovate, collaborate, and champion the extraordinary value libraries bring to public life. The challenge is real, but so is the opportunity. With the right leadership, libraries can continue to evolve, adapt, and serve as the beating heart of local communities for decades to come.