The beloved local library, once a cornerstone of communities across the United Kingdom, is increasingly becoming a relic of the past. A distressing trend of closures and significant cuts to services has swept across the nation, driven by a confluence of factors including budget austerity, evolving reading habits, and the ubiquitous rise of digital alternatives. Since 2016 alone, nearly 200 council-run libraries have either shuttered their doors permanently or transitioned to volunteer management, fundamentally altering the landscape of public access to literature and vital community resources. This decimation, as described by former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen, is particularly acute in the most deprived areas, which are four times more likely to have lost a local facility than their more affluent counterparts. Beyond outright closures, almost 950 surviving libraries have seen their opening hours reduced, further diminishing their accessibility and impact.
Behind the stacks: The reasons for decline
The narrative of library decline is complex, interwoven with financial pressures and a shift in societal engagement with reading. Local councils, grappling with severe budget cuts, often view libraries as an accessible target for savings, despite their statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Spending on libraries has plummeted by almost half in real terms since 2009-10. This financial squeeze impacts not only staffing, with over 2,000 jobs lost since 2016, but also the quality and variety of book stock, and the ability to offer diverse community programmes.
Parallel to these fiscal challenges is the changing nature of readership. While book sales remain surprisingly robust, the traditional act of reading for pleasure, particularly among adults and younger generations, has seen a decline. The increasing trend of e-books and digital content, while offering convenience, presents a challenge for libraries struggling with prohibitive licensing costs and restricted availability from publishers. As Aasha Chauhan, founder of 'A Box of Stories', notes, "As more libraries close due to funding cuts and shifting usage patterns, the need for alternative spaces of discovery, imagination, and connection becomes urgent."
Chauhan highlights a paradoxical situation: "While adult reading for pleasure has declined, particularly among men, younger adults, and working-class communities, children’s reading enjoyment and frequency are also at historic lows. Yet, book sales remain surprisingly strong, and print continues to dominate across age groups."
Her initiative, 'A Box of Stories', aims to make reading not go towards extinction, operating as strong supporters of traditional libraries rather than replacements. "At A Box of Stories, our mission is to democratise access to great stories, especially books that may never reach readers due to market oversupply or limited visibility," she explains. Chauhan's work focuses on actively building and nurturing online communities where readers can connect, share, and discuss books, essentially creating "a modern, decentralised version of the communal experience libraries once offered." She stresses the powerful role of storytelling in keeping people connected in a time when public, shared spaces are disappearing.
Way to look forward: Preserving cultural capital
The implications of vanishing libraries extend far beyond simply losing access to books. They represent a significant loss of cultural capital and vital community hubs. Bijal Shah, a bibliotherapist and founder of Book Therapy, highlights the broader challenge stating "Authors and Publications are competing with screens. Decrease in reading is a cross-generational issue; when parents are not following the reading trend, you can't expect children to read." Shah advocates for ‘book therapy’ as a solution, promoting the unconscious healing and therapeutic value of reading to bring back awareness, as detailed in her book 'Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading'. Through her initiative, she attempts to bring awareness to people that books have a therapeutic value.
Libraries historically serve as egalitarian spaces, providing universal access to knowledge and fostering a sense of belonging. Author Vaseem Khan vividly recalls his formative years: "I knew I wanted to be an author when I was young. But we had little money in our house. It was in my local library in east London where I found books that I wanted to read, books that encouraged me to write my first novel, aged 17." He powerfully states that "losing libraries takes away many such points of engagement." Khan emphasises their role as gathering places, reducing urban anonymity through diverse events from yoga to children's activities. “To lose libraries would cost us cultural capital at a time when we can least afford to lose it," he warns.
The battle to save these institutions requires active participation from communities. As Khan suggests, preserving libraries demands that we visit them, borrow books, attend events, and fight for them. While digital advancements and innovative literary initiatives offer supplementary avenues for reading and connection, they cannot fully replicate the multifaceted role of a physical library, a place of quiet contemplation, communal gathering, and democratic access to a world of stories, truly a vital pillar of British society.
