No central library coordination results in ‘postcode lottery’ services
Responding to new research suggesting far more libraries have closed since 2010 than official government estimates claim, Helen Milner, Chief Executive of Tinder Foundation said:
"Libraries have a key role to play at the heart of communities opening up access to a broad range of learning opportunity - including the digital skills and access that people need to do some of the essentials such as apply for work and saving money.
"We support libraries and community centres across England to deliver high quality, user-centred, beginner level learning on how to use the internet. We help them to work together so that local people can get the support they need, helping libraries to broaden their services and their reach.
"Currently, people are suffering from a postcode lottery, as each Council has their own approach to making cost savings through reduced library provision, meaning it really depends on where you live on how much you'll be affected. Some of the libraries that have been closed are now being run as volunteer-led libraries and we're very happy to support many of these too. However, there's no central coordination for them which means that although some volunteer-led libraries are excellent, others are still finding their feet."
