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<p>While the taskforce formally ended on 31 March 2020, the Department for Digital,
Culture, Media and Sport provided a further year of funding for the team based at
Arts Council England to manage the ongoing work funded through it, to convene a core
group of library stakeholders, and to assist in the delivery of in upcoming strategic
development opportunities. (Arts Council England is the national development agency
for public libraries in England.)</p><p>Local authorities have a statutory duty to
provide a comprehensive and efficient library service and to think long-term and strategically
as they plan and transform their library services. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021/libraries-deliver-ambition-for-public-libraries-in-england-2016-to-2021"
target="_blank">Libraries Deliver: Ambition for Public Libraries in England 2016 to
2021</a>, together with other <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/longer-term-evidence-based-sustainable-planning-toolkit/longer-term-evidence-based-sustainable-planning-toolkit"
target="_blank">strategic planning toolkits</a> previously published by the taskforce,
remain relevant guidance documents to assist local authorities in delivering this
duty.</p><p>In September 2022, the Government appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton
as chairman of a new advisory panel to help develop a new strategy to make sure that
public libraries are providing the best possible service for their communities. More
detail can be found <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/baroness-sanderson-to-help-develop-new-public-libraries-strategy"
target="_blank">here</a>. To date she has had numerous meetings with organisations
with an interest in public libraries work, and has led two roundtable sessions. The
first, on 13 January in Nottinghamshire, focused on the contribution public libraries
make to cultural and creative enrichment and the second, on 27 January in Suffolk,
discussed their contribution to health and wellbeing. A further seven roundtables
will be held between February and May, in libraries across England, each focusing
on a specific theme, based on the seven Strategic Outcomes in Libraries Deliver: Ambition
for Public Libraries in England 2016 to 2021, plus sessions on governance and innovation.</p>
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