Culture Secretary Chris Smith announced June 18 that the British government planned to issue the first-ever set of standards for the nation’s public libraries, setting minimum targets for opening hours, money spent on books, and access to new technology.
The government is working with the Library Association and the Local Government Association to develop the standards, which will be published next spring. Although local councils are required by law to provide a “comprehensive and efficient library service,” this will be the first time the government has spelled out what this should be, according to a press release from the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.
Calling each library a “streetcorner university,” Smith said, “It is essential that local councils, and the millions of people who visit their library every week, have a clear idea of the level of service a modern library system can be expected to provide.”
Posted June 28, 1999.