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<p>Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and
Museums Act 1964 (1964 Act) to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.
Under the 1964 Act, the Secretary of State has a duty to superintend, and promote
the improvement of, the public library service provided by local authorities in England,
and to secure the proper discharge by local authorities of their library authority
functions.</p><p> </p><p>The Libraries Taskforce, jointly established by DCMS and
the Local Government Association to provide leadership and help to reinvigorate the
public library network in England, published a guidance document “Libraries as a statutory
service” on GOV.UK in December 2015 to help guide local authorities about the legislative
framework for library services.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, information and good practice
about library service provision is available to local authorities through the Libraries
Taskforce toolkits and regular blogs. Many of these provide innovative ideas and case
studies from library services across England to share options and good practice. Furthermore,
library authorities considering changing their library service are encouraged to inform
DCMS about their proposals prior to public engagement.</p><p> </p>
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