Between 2010 and 2020 the number of service providers who have reportedly ceased the statutory provision of library services in their area has tripled. This dramatic change in the landscape of English libraries has attracted numerous news headlines but has not been researched academically. The closure of numerous local authority libraries and the emergence of new subjects aiming at delivering library services, like community-run libraries, is acknowledged, but data remain scarce and disconnected. Despite this, recent evidence shows a sustained engagement with libraries across England, questioning the lack of funding and reduced provision forecasted in current policy and financial circles. Existing studies have variously highlighted the role of libraries in promoting individual and community empowerment, alongside investigating the diversity of services provided. However, such evidence, either stemming from nationwide surveys of individual engagement with libraries or focusing on specific case studies, fails to provide us with a systemic and robust perspective on the contribution of libraries within the communities they operate, as well as nuanced answers to the changes in the provision of library services that have taken place in the last decade and are still taking place. A major limitation in this respect comes from the lack (or fragmented availability ) of high-quality data mapping library presence with individual and area level outcomes, as also stressed in a recent review of English public libraries led by Baroness Elizabeth Sanderson.
Aiming to fill this knowledge gap, this would be the first academic project addressing these policy changes and would provide novel evidence on the provision of library services in England. It will provide: 1) an updated mapping of current provision across geographies; 2) a systematic analysis of models adopted (connected to funding and geographies); 3) an understanding of the connection between library services provision and the socio-economic context where libraries are located. Throughout the project, the research will be enhanced by the collaboration with the Arts Council England (ACE) and the wider English Public Library Strategic Working Group (EPL). As development agency for libraries in England, ACE has been working towards establishing data-based evidence for the sector, including through the collection of information spanning the population of library services providers across England. In this respect, the collaboration will benefit from and contribute to the existing data infrastructure, with the dual purpose of producing new research shedding light on English libraries and setting the scope for wider research questions to be answered in the future, including enhanced data availability. Engaging with ACE and EPL, the project has the potential to inform future policy making on library provision for the benefit of communities across England.
How to apply:
- Details on how to apply can be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy/funding/phd-studentship-on-changes-in-library-service-provision-in-england-policy-funding-and-impact-on-communities-2010-2024
- Applicants should also complete the online LISS-DTP Diversity Monitoring Form
- The closing date for applications is: 14 March 2025
- Interviews will be held on: to be confirmed
- This project is offered as full-time only
- For any queries contact salvatore.dinovo@kcl.ac.uk