IsobelHunter

175 years after their creation, public libraries are still vital When Charles Dickens gave a rousing speech at the opening of Manchester Free Library in September 1852, he expressed his ‘earnest hope that the books thus made available...

📚 175 years after their creation, public libraries are still vital

Our CEO @ih1968.bsky.social reflects in The MJ on the enduring power of libraries, 175 years after the first Public Libraries Act was passed.

🔗 www.themj.co.uk/175-creation...

The stained glass inside Manchester Central Library.

Our Chief Executive @ih1968.bsky.social MBE introduces our Libraries 175 event at Manchester Central #Library.

Public #Libraries, Isobel reminds us, are one of the most effective tools we have to bring people together when divisions threaten the fabric of our society.

@dcmsgovuk.bsky.social

Library Country Ukraine Director Lyusyena Shum stands in front of a mobile library with her family.

Last month our Chief Executive @ih1968.bsky.social attended the Lviv International Library Conference to express our ongoing support for Ukraine's #Libraries.

Isobel has written about the five most notable things she has learnt from our twinning work.

www.librariesconnected.org.uk/news/five-th...

Three people smiling in the street in London

Valuable meeting with Baroness Twycross, Libraries Minister, today.

Great to be alongside Isobel ( @ih1968.bsky.social ), @louiscoiffait-gunn.bsky.social and sector partners to talk all things libraries - including the magic for children and young people and the opportunities ahead.

Over the last weeks I have been testing Bluesky and LinkedIn alongside X by posting to all three.

I’ve decided to move myself to LinkedIn as that’s where I find the most useful content and connections, with an informed and interested community.

So hopefully see you there!

Over the last weeks I have been testing Bluesky and LinkedIn alongside X by posting to all three.

I’ve decided to move myself to LinkedIn as that’s where I find the most useful content and connections, with an informed and interested community.

So hopefully see you there!

Thank you to all the Libraries Connected Trustees for a very productive Board meeting last week where we talked about our plans for next year and navigating complex messaging

Staff conference people listening

A packed room at the @LibrariesUnLtd staff conference in Exeter. It’s great to be here and to listen to how this service is firing on all cylinders with some really innovative projects to connect with community across @DevonCC and @Torbay_Council

The London Book Fair | Defining the Future of Creative Content The London Book Fair is the global marketplace for the publishing industry. Discover LBF, the UK's No.1 book fair defining the future of creative content.

My first visit to @LondonBookFair yesterday where I hosted a panel about library futures. It’s a massive event!

It reinforced my belief in the essential role libraries play in the bookosphere to build audiences of readers and grow new authors

A librarian talks to a group of people. Behind her are stacked library shelves.

Do you want to see public #Libraries move up the political agenda? We are seeking a Policy, External Affairs and Research Director to advocate for the #Library sector at national and regional levels of government. Apply by midnight on 6 April. www.librariesconnected.org.uk/jobs-and-opp...

Wonderful meeting yesterday with the inspirational Steve Potash the CEO at Overdrive. Steve has been doing this for donkey’s years but is bursting with enthusiasm, new ideas and a hunger to promote libraries. Steve says “I’m an optimist”!

On #InternationalWomensDay I think about the millions of women who don’t have the rights I do and can’t choose to be educated, whether to have children, to work, to drive, to ride a bike, or what to wear, to travel ….

I am gathering examples of what digital inclusion work libraries can do when they are provided with funded roles. Libraries make the funding go so far! One junior member of staff took library support out into 28 locations all across her county! Send me your examples!!

Looking sooooo good at 60! I’m at the event to celebrate Swiss Cottage Library - visibly spectacular thanks to the architect Basil Spence. And equally spectacular for the services the building holds

buff.ly/Cfh2Qlg

"Having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card!" Happy #WorldBookDay! In school, I've dressed up as cartoon Arthur and the library card song!

A survey found that 4 in 10 adults hadn't read a single book in the past year. Why do you think so many adults don't read for pleasure?

#Reading

Policy, External Affairs and Research Director | Libraries Connected | CharityJob Apply now for Policy, External Affairs and Research Director. , c. £70,000 per year, find a career with meaning today

Come and work with us!

This is a unique opportunity to establish a new team to turbocharge our work advocating for the library sector, influencing policy, delivering research and shaping the national conversation around public libraries.

Happy #WorldBookDay!!!

And thank you to all the libraries taking part to make it a roaring success and giving children the gift of choice - being able to choose from thousands of books what they want to read and enjoy

Beautiful day here in Westminster and I’m here to attend the All Party Parliamentary Group for town centres. Half of all high streets in England have a library - and we’re a very important presence as town centres shift from retail to experience and community use

“Libraries changed my life. The team here is brilliant”. The local MP and Health Secretary making a heartfelt speech at the reopening of Fulwell Cross Library today

A treat for all mid century architect fans! I’m at the opening of the refurbished Fulwell Cross Library in Redbridge. A beautiful light filled casket, where visitors are embraced by curving shelves of books. buff.ly/3ciRVBb

Thank you to all my Trustees for a super productive workshop yesterday where we looked at how we can support the growth and greater impact of Libraries Connected over the next few years. It’s a very turbulent period - so lots for us to do to support library services!

Wonderful day yesterday with a joint team meeting with Libraries Connected and ASCEL staff. Exploring joint working across advocacy, leadership, children and young people, evidence and so much more.

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Today is 3 years since the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Over 2,000 cultural sites have been destroyed and millions of books. To mark the sad occasion we’ve created a film of Ukrainian poems in English with our partner Library Country Ukraine.

We submitted evidence to the local government finance enquiry. I’m pleased to see the financial plight of libraries was also raised by others including CILIP, CIPFA, CCN, NAVCA, Tony Travers, Norfolk and Hampshire Councils, Reform Think Tank et al

https://buff.ly/3EI0asP

Thank you to all the members of our Advisory Committee. We are meeting today to discuss our policy work to raise the urgency of libraries with government, the innovation work of our regional networks, plans for funding bids and more!

I had a wonderful visit to the beautiful library in the centre of Stratford upon Avon to meet our Past President @atubkhan786. The library staff are amazing - patient, gentle and kind and fielding a vast range of enquiries as people wander in!

Lovely to represent libraries at today’s inaugural Jennie Lee lecture and to hear Lisa Nandy’s speech about how essential and arts are. I was pleased to ask a question about how the government will support libraries

Lovely to be at Burgess Hill library to celebrate the centenary of the West Sussex Library Service. Celebrating the service’s heritage and being wowed by their futuristic VR activities

Report: cheaper ebooks for libraries could "revolutionise the promotion of reading" | Libraries Connected Publishers could open up important new promotional and reader development opportunities by making ebooks cheaper and more accessible to public libraries, according to a new report funded by Arts…

I am thrilled that we have published our landmark report into ELicensing for public libraries, which shows that cheaper eBooks for libraries could revolutionise the promotion of reading. The interests of publishers, authors, libraries and readers align!

OverDrive to sponsor Libraries Connected Awards for fourth year running | Libraries Connected OverDrive is creator of the award-winning library reading app Libby.

Our library staff awards have had a record number of entries this year - and it’s amazing to see so much innovation and dedication. We are very grateful to OverDrive for sponsoring the Awards for fourth year running @OverDriveInc