A symbol of a civilised society - Even those who do not use the library will normally support its existence. A source of information as well as a provider of reading material and supporter of learning - information will cover all areas of life including social responsibility and the importance of an informed citizenry. Similarly there is evidence to suggest that public libraries particularly support the carers in society and that the personal confidence and self-esteem many individuals gain through library use does often reflect itself positively within the community. Some library services are also trying to actively engage marginalized groups, not only to extend library use but to empower these groups to participate more effectively within society. One group, perhaps not highlighted enough in the Framework, is the elderly.
Libraries are therefore part of the social glue of communities.
We fully support the contention that core services should be adequately funded in deprived neighbourhoods. In addition to those services instanced in the report we would also include the public library service. This is a national service, but locally delivered. The importance the Government attaches to the public library service is shown by the requirement put on local authorities to submit annual library plans to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the set of national standards for the service which are being developed by the Government in collaboration with The Library Association and others. However, in common with other core services, the measurement of outcomes or impact is not sophisticated enough to determine the extent of the library contribution.