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<p>We will be publishing a refreshed Government strategy for public libraries later
this year, informed by the independent review of English public libraries conducted
by Baroness Sanderson of Welton which engaged with a wide range of interested parties,
including through the series of roundtable meetings she held across the country.</p><p>One
of the recommendations of Baroness Sanderson’s review was that Libraries Week be moved
from October, which often clashes with the party conference season, to a time in the
year when MPs and peers can more easily engage with it and promote the work of libraries
in their local area. We are delighted that, from this year, Libraries Week will take
place at the end of June (this year, 24–30 June).</p><p>The forthcoming strategy will
set out our plans to ensure that people across the country can benefit from excellent
library services, and HM Government will explore opportunities to increase library
use and engagement especially by children in line with Baroness Sanderson’s independent
review recommendations.</p><p>In addition, the £20.5 million, DCMS-funded Libraries
Improvement Fund is supporting public library services across England. The fund is
supporting 95 projects to enable library services to upgrade their buildings and improve
digital infrastructure, increasing their potential to develop more flexible spaces
and improving digital access, thereby increasing library access and use.</p><p> </p>
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