More than one million people visited Brighton’s Jubilee Library last year securing its place as the top performing library in the region and second most popular in the country.
Last year the service attracted 17,000 new members and a survey concluded that library staff are the second most trusted profession after doctors.
Despite these successes, the council intends to improve and enhancing the service to meet the growing needs of library users.
The Library Service has produced the plan Broadening Horizons, Improving Lives, which sets out its priorities for the next 18 months following widespread consultation with library users and looks set to be endorsed by members of the Economic Development and Culture Committee.
The plan itself demonstrates the value of public libraries and how they contribute to health and well-being, reading and literacy, learning, supporting elderly and vulnerable people and providing important, safe and trusted community spaces in local neighbourhoods.
Cllr Geoffrey “Pride is not a sacred cow” Bowden, chair of the Economic Development and Culture Committee, said: “It’s wonderful to see how our libraries have evolved from places to borrow books to providing a doorway to the World Wide Web.
“They continue to enrich people’s lives in so many ways, providing a safe, welcoming and stimulating environment for everyone – from the very young, through to the ‘Silver Surfers.’
“Against a national climate when the news so often is of local authorities closing libraries, our neighbourhood libraries continue to have a strong community focus, bringing people together while housebound and vulnerable residents are reached through our delivery service. Most importantly, all our libraries remain open!
“And all this for around 32p per week per person – less than a pint of milk!”
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