Helping students to 'study happy'

TLDR: To respond to the changing needs of the 21st century, libraries are changing and must continue to change, so libraries must be brave, innovative and show how they are doing things which really make a difference to their community.

Abstract: Earlier this year, CILIP Update ran a news story about a series of Carnegie UK Trust databases outlining how libraries support their local communities as a social hub, learning hub, economic enabler and cultural centre1 The databases and their attendant publications highlight how ‘public libraries are safe spaces at the heart of our communities, providing completely free access to huge resources of information, knowledge and technology They have dedicated staff and are well linked with other local services’2 They detail how libraries tackle isolation and foster inclusion, provide an arena for creativity and cultural events, and can support both traditional and digital skills development All of this is dynamic, and as the trust points out ‘to respond to the changing needs of the 21st century, libraries are changing and must continue to change Libraries must be brave, innovative and show how they are doing things which really make a difference to their community’