Newham Council is asking residents for their thoughts about the future of the borough’s award-winning Library Service.
Residents are being asked to share their views through a ten-part questionnaire, available online or in libraries, on how they want the service to develop in the future.
Newham has 134,000 registered library users, and the ten library buildings in the borough receive 1.4 million visits each year. The service issues 1.1 million books each year – enough to fill a single bookshelf 20 miles long.
Like all contemporary Library Services, Newham Libraries is home to a range of digital services. 100,000 residents were helped to access digital forms and services through libraries last year, and 10,000 residents attended digital skills sessions.
Over 50,000 people attended cultural activities at libraries, with 38,000 children taking part in the annual summer reading challenge.
Councillor Charlene McLean, Newham Council’s Cabinet Member for Resident Engagement and Resident Experience, said: “We know our libraries are hugely popular in Newham.
“Libraries are central to the well-being of many, many residents, and are popular with residents of all ages and backgrounds. They are at the heart of Opportunity Newham and our ambition to build a thriving and inclusive borough.
“Obviously, you make any change to a popular service at your peril. But we can’t stand still, and we’ve seen libraries transformed in recent years with a much stronger emphasis on digital services.
“We want to build on our success, but I want to know that any changes we may propose reflect residents' hopes and ambitions for the service.”
Over the past two years Newham Libraries has won the Information and Digital award from Libraries Connected, was a finalist in the British Book Award Library of the year, was runner up in the Libraries Connected Children’s Promise Award. Newham Libraries was awarded Library of Sanctuary status this year.
You can fill in the questionnaire at any Newham Library or online at www.newham.gov.uk/librarysurvey
The engagement runs until 28 September.
