New Policy Brief: Re-Futuring Community Managed Libraries
A collaboration between Dr Brian Hracs (University of Southampton) and Prof. Robert Communion (Friends of Cobbett Community Library) explores the challenges and opportunities impacting the future of community-managed libraries and provides guidance in their new policy brief. This project was funded by the Centre for the South New Things Fund.
Over the last decade, one quarter of library services have been placed in the hands of community groups, having undergone continuous funding cuts under austerity measures. However, very little has been done to understand this massive shift, including how Community Managed Libraries (CMLs) operate.
Research into the socio-economic and cultural contribution of libraries highlights the often underestimated value of CMLs, many of which have expanded their services to become community hubs. The lack of knowledge, support, and regulation of CMLs also undermines their ability to survive and thrive now and in the future.
This project included a range of creative workshops, events and community reflection with Southampton’s Cobbett Road Library, as well as national CML engagement. A final collaborative event at Corbett Road Library brought together six South Hampshire CMLs. Read more about what this project involved for Cobbett Community Library here.
Through qualitative interviews of key CML stakeholders, a series of research findings and policy recommendations were drawn.
The policy brief provides recommendations for a range of stakeholders in how to support and re-future Community Managed Libraries.
Read the full policy brief below: