How Suffolk's libraries went from doomed to flourishing thanks to 'utterly amazing' staff
Just over a decade ago the future looked bleak for Suffolk’s libraries. Plans to cut off almost three quarters of them from county council support meant if their local communities could not take them on they were doomed to close.
Today, the picture is very different. Not only are all 44 still flourishing but another has been added, some have moved into better premises, and the services on offer have massively increased.
They are now run on behalf of the county council by Suffolk Libraries – set up after a tidal wave of public anger forced a change of heart. This year it celebrates its 10th anniversary.
And those who lead the organisation are in no doubt who should take a huge amount of credit for developing the libraries into ever-more relevant community hubs ... their ‘utterly amazing’ staff.
With books still the bedrock of their service, they now support their communities in ways that range from combating social isolation to loaning sports equipment.
When the council announced its downsizing plan in 2011 a band of fiercely loyal supporters sprang into action, among them Sylvia Knights.
“I basically said ‘over my dead body’ and got involved with the campaign to save the libraries,” said Sylvia, who has been vice-chair of Suffolk Libraries since the start.
She moved to Bungay with her husband Roger in 2004 when they both took early retirement.
“I’ve always been a library lover and user. Because of that the local library was one of the first places I went to.
“Then when the county council announced their ‘consultation’ they designated 29 of the libraries as community libraries, and if the community didn’t take them over they would close.
“I made contact with a number of people across the county who were like-minded. The attitude we took was to directly challenge the county council with their plans.
“We formed a group and whenever the council were having any meetings to discuss the situation we attended. They did back pedal fairly quickly.”
Suffolk Libraries was set up as an Industrial Provident Society with a central organisation supported by a fund-raising friends group in every library. It also became a charity.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without funding from the friends groups,” Sylvia said.
Alison Wheeler, with more than 30 years of library experience, was appointed manager, and later CEO, remaining at the helm until retiring in 2018, when her service earned her an MBE.
An interim board, including Sylvia, was appointed in February 2012 to get the project started. “I can remember that first meeting,” she said.
“We were incredibly lucky with the people we had because they had such a good range of knowledge and experience, but we sat there with a blank sheet of paper. No-one had used this model before so there was no blueprint.
“At first I was told it would be a half day or one day’s work a week. I worked full time for 18 months when we were getting the service set up. It was a privilege but hard work at times.
“In August 2012 we opened as Suffolk Libraries ... it went down to the wire. But we had a vision of what our libraries should become and it was a community hub.
“The first board election was in September 2013 and by that stage we had miraculously got friends groups set up in almost all the libraries.”
Having started with no road map to follow they effectively wrote the blueprint, now adopted by a number of other counties, and they are still asked for advice.
William Sieghart, who led an independent review of library services for the government published in 2014, told the BBC’s Today programme that Suffolk represented the gold standard. “We have become a flag bearer,” Sylvia says.
The county council is still the major funder for Suffolk Libraries, which also brings in extra cash by running prison libraries across the country.
Bruce Leeke took over as chief executive in 2018. “One of the biggest successes is that we now do a lot more with less,” he says. “We have dozens more services. Our total opening hours have increased
“When the council ran the library service in 2011 it was costing nearly £9 million a year, and now we run it for £6 million.”
Suffolk Libraries employs around 440 people in full or part-time posts.
“The key thing that gets overlooked is that everything happens as a result of the amazing staff,” said Bruce, who has previously worked for major charities. “They get to know the local community needs.
“Working in a library is more than just a role – for most of our people it is a vocation.
“I have never worked anywhere where people are so passionate about what they do and care so deeply.
“It’s because these people live in these communities and know the people. You don’t do the job to earn a fortune but because you care about people.
“Colleagues have made us more relevant to all parts of the community. We empower them to do what they believe is the right thing.
Books are still the bedrock of what we do. We’ve loaned 25 million books since 2012, and there have been six million digital downloads.
“But we have diversified. Libraries are the centre of the community, and the heartbeat of the locality.”
Promoting wellbeing is now a mainstay with a wide range of services to enhance mental and physical health, provide information, and ease loneliness.
Libraries are comfortable places for people not needing – or not ready to seek – more formal help, and can even save the NHS money by preventing more serious issues developing.
“They are the last free accessible space where people can go ... the ultimate neutral, non-stigmatised place,” said Bruce.
“People engage and have feelings of social connectedness. Social assurance also increases.
“We have been on a bit of a mission for the last five years to show the value of what we do. Our social value is put at £8 for every £1 we spend.
“We play a massive role in community resilience, helping people to self-support.
“Recently we did a research project with the University of Suffolk and asked people attending library activities to say how it changed their mood. It showed that libraries do help improve wellbeing, and help with contentedness.”
Information is another important service and anyone needing good advice on issues like finance can be pointed in the right direction.
Free use of computers and wifi, networking groups and entertainment events across the year are among other benefits for library users.
Encouraging fitness became more vital during Covid and the initiative has expanded with online sessions including yoga, Pilates, and armchair exercise. A sports equipment loan scheme has also started in some libraries.
And with the cost of living crisis, services like community fridges and selling bags of reasonably-priced fruit and vegetables are also appearing, targeted where they are most needed.
“We focus on the needs of the time,” said Bruce.
That’s why offering a warm space for people who can’t afford to heat their homes this winter will also be a priority, and retailers are being consulted about providing hot drinks.
Sylvia said: “Each library is looking at the best way to support their own community.
“We’re part of the ‘warm banks’ initiative, somewhere people can go if they cannot afford to heat their own home, and are looking to have rails of donated winter clothes in libraries.
“We are aware of the huge challenges our communities are facing.
“Our wellbeing and health support facilities have been crucially important over the last three years, and are going to become more so.
“Our frontline staff are utterly amazing. At my local library in Bungay, everyone who walks through the door gets a smile and a hello.
“Most of the staff in libraries know their customers and talk to them and know what their circumstances are. If they haven’t seen someone for a while they will make a phone call to check if they’re okay.
“We can be fleet of foot in responding to situations, like getting a telephone support service up-and-running very quickly in the pandemic, because the staff in the libraries knew who might need it.
“Suffolk is a big county and a diverse area – some parts are quite affluent, others not.
“We have so much focus on identifying what individual communities need, and it’s where we have been so successful.”
Library staff are supported by 1,200 active volunteers, who get involved with things like the summer reading challenge.
Home library volunteers go to care homes and into people’s homes delivering books to people who are housebound or might be lonely.
“I believe we are an enormous service for the county council because we are providing so many support services,” said Sylvia.
Suffolk Libraries’ contract to run the service will run out in 2024, having been extended by two years because of the pandemic. The county council will be obliged to go out to tender to decide who will take it forward.
“I’m incredibly proud of what has been achieved,” said Sylvia. “I do feel not everyone at the county council necessarily understands or realises what Suffolk Libraries is providing for the county.
“One of our aims going forward is advocacy to make them aware.”
