Libraries Resources
Webinars
Including Libraries in a speech and language pathway
This webinar explores the unique role libraries can play in supporting children, young people and families, and highlights the opportunities for stronger partnership working between libraries, Family Hubs and wider community services. Through practical examples and shared learning, it demonstrates how libraries can help improve access to support, strengthen early intervention and create more connected local services. Slides can be accessed via our Knowledge Hub Home - LGA National Centre for Family Hubs - Knowledge Hub
Power of Book Sharing
This webinar explores the importance of sharing books with babies and young children, highlighting the positive impact that reading together can have on language development, communication skills, wellbeing and parent–child relationships. It provides practical insights into how libraries and partners can encourage book sharing as a simple but powerful way to support children's development and family engagement. Slides can be accessed via our Knowledge Hub Home - LGA National Centre for Family Hubs - Knowledge Hub
Libraries , Early Years and Family Hubs Webinar
This webinar explores the important role libraries play in supporting families during the early years and demonstrates how libraries can contribute to Family Hub priorities through literacy, language development, family engagement and early intervention activities. It showcases examples of partnership working and highlights how libraries can help create accessible, community-based support for children and families. Slides can be accessed via our Knowledge Hub Home - LGA National Centre for Family Hubs - Knowledge Hub
Working in Partnership with Libraries
This webinar explores how libraries can work alongside local authority services, Family Hubs and community partners to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Through practical examples and shared learning, it highlights the unique strengths of libraries as trusted community spaces and demonstrates how effective partnership working can support early intervention, family engagement and joined-up service delivery. based on the webinar title and transcript excerpt shown in the image. Slides can be accessed via our Knowledge Hub Home - LGA National Centre for Family Hubs - Knowledge Hub
Access code 267-cb89!
Tools and Templates
The section below provides an integrated set of operational tools designed to cement the collaboration between libraries and Family Hubs. These practical templates serve as the structural engine of the partnership, transforming shared strategic visions into daily, coordinated action. By utilizing these resources, both services can formalize governance, exchange vital information safely, optimise local community assets, and robustly measure their collective impact on families.
Checklist
- Bring your Head of Libraries and Children, Young People and Families library lead into partnership meetings early.
- Get to know what your library service offers and how it fits with the ambitions of your Family Hubs plans
- Work with your library service to understand what more they can do, with investment in space, staffing and training
- Work with your library service to engage with the children’s workforce – understand knowledge gaps or what negative perceptions they have of libraries that could be addressed
- Work with your library service to engage local children, young people and families to understand and navigate barriers there are to access – this could include awareness raising, improved referral across services or perceptions about ‘library fines’ which may not be a reality in your area.
- Work with libraries on referral and reporting frameworks to ensure they are relevant and realistic.
- Include library staff in your training plan
Documents/Templates
- Partnership Agreements Template
- Data Sharing Agreement Template
- Service Mapping Tools
- Communications Plan Template
- Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks
Links to Organisations and Reports
How council library services can support children and families in the earliest years
In the spring of 2022, the Local Government Association commissioned consultant peers to review library services in eight councils, specifically with regard to how they worked to enhance the local early years offer and, in particular, support for speech, language and communication development.
Every Child a Library Member (ECALM)
The ECALM programme offers a simple, consistent, and nationally branded approach to children’s library membership in Scotland’s public libraries. It will establish simplified joining processes at birth registration, nursery, and primary school enrolment, to ensure that every child in Scotland has access to the valuable learning resources available in public libraries.
Jersey Children to get library membership from birth
Parents and carers visiting the Superintendent Registrar to register the birth of their baby, will be given a membership to the library.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp4we74gg1do
The Cultural Policy Unit Report 2025
The National Library Card A Birthright to Library Membership
https://the-cpu.org/api/assets/3e20dd09-3e2f-4039-bed5-52818a1e1ae9
Arts Council
Libraries as community Hubs: case studies and learning
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/Libraries-CommunityHubs-Renaisi.pdf
Guidance for Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy babies
Libraries Rising
Libraries Rising is the national network for leaders in children’s public, and Schools Library Services. They believe children and young people need safe, welcoming spaces and real-life connections to support the demands of modern life. Together, they are creating libraries for today's world, where children and young people feel understood, empowered, and inspired. Libraries Rising is the working name of Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (formerly known as ASCEL). You can find out more about Libraries Rising
https://librariesrising.org.uk/
Libraries Connected
Libraries Connected are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Their work is driven and led by their membership, which includes almost every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man).
https://www.librariesconnected.org.uk
Libraries Alliance
A partnership of library bodies working to strengthen and champion libraries of all kinds.
They are committed to building the skills of library professionals, raising the public profile of libraries, campaigning for better policy-making around libraries, and improving collaboration across the library sector.
https://librariesalliance.org.uk/
The Reading Agency
The Reading Agency is a UK charity that inspires social and personal change through the proven power of reading. They work with individuals of all ages, communities and trusted partners to share the transformative benefits of reading for happy, healthy and thriving lives.
BookTrust
BookTrust is the UK's largest children's reading charity with a history that stretches back over 100 years. Their focus is on helping children in the key developmental years from birth to the first years of primary school. They do this because of the strong evidence base which shows that reading with children from the earliest age and establishing a regular reading habit impacts on a wide range of outcomes both in the short term and later in life
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/
Suffolk Libraries A Predictive Impact Analysis September 2019
For every £1 invested into the Suffolk Libraries programmes, £8.04 is returned in social value created. That is to say that after investment costs are taken away the social value return is over eight times the amount of investment. This is an impressive level of return and indicates that Suffolk Libraries is creating substantial impact in its local community for a wide range of stakeholders.
Community Managed Libraries, Peer Network, Report: Community-managed Libraries as community hubs
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 gives local authorities a statutory duty “…to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make
use thereof”. As public sector budgets have been repeatedly cut, many local authorities
have been unable to maintain their existing network of libraries and explored other
ways of providing the service, using community-managed models.
Sparkspace
A learning module and toolkit, co-developed with children and young people with diverse lived experiences, exploring what it really means to create safe, inclusive and youth-led library spaces. It is free to access and is for anyone working with children and young people in libraries to:
- Create inclusive, safe library environments.
- Make resources accessible for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
- Communicate clearly and effectively with children and young people.
- Motivate their participation.
- Ensure their voices are heard, both online and in person.
SparkSpace Course Intro - LibrariesRising
Book Talk Guide
Through books, children can explore their thoughts and opinions and develop skills in self-expression and analysis. They can develop empathy and understanding of the world around them as they consider characters and situations. Informal chats about books are also fun and improve mental wellbeing.
Libraries Rising and Empathy Lab have partnered to create a guide and practical tips to help engage children and young people in book talk in the library.
Book Talk Guide - LibrariesRising
Libraries Connected Calendar
Their Universal Library Offer calendar brings together key national campaigns, festivals and celebrations through which libraries can develop and promote the Universal Library Offers.
Universal Library Offers calendar | Libraries Connected
Case studies
Libraries Rising have produced a number of case studies:
- Suffolk Community Libraries and Family Hubs
- Sefton Libraries and Family Hubs
- Harrow Libraries and Family Hubs
- Reading Libraries and Family Hubs
- North Tyneside and Family Hubs
Bradford Libraries Rhyme Challenge
Bradford Libraries Rhyme Challenge started in 2017 from an idea originating from BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. The challenge is simple. Parents and children are asked to five rhymes together to receive a certificate. In Bradford, the library service produces the challenge and encourages take up with childcare settings, toddler groups and libraries across the district. Rhymes are chosen in collaboration with early years groups and then packs are designed, printed and distributed usually from Sept-March. The challenge is currently funded by Children’s Services Early Help & Prevention.
Bradford School Readiness Plan
The Bradford Libraries School Readiness Plan was produced in July 2021. It was developed to meet the needs of the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment 2019 which is aimed at ensuring children arrive at school, ready to learn, flourish and achieve, in order to get the most benefit from education the plan will be implemented by Bradford Library Services on a yearly basis. The plan sets out the libraries services for Universal, 1001 Critical Days Targeted and Pre-School and Beyond Targeted offers.
Dorset - Toddler Time and Talk
Libraries across Dorset host a range of early years programmes such as Rhyme Times, Library Gets Lively and Story Times to support early language development and a love of books and reading. Following a Rhyme Time session at Portland Library, staff identified a need to develop their sessions in response to the requirements of some of their families. The isolation of some parents who found it difficult to break into established groups, or who were new to the area and had not developed relationships with other parents. The solution was to introduce Toddler Time and Talk, commencing with a Rhyme Time session families could stay to have refreshments, make friends and engage with professionals in information sharing and chat sessions.
The Story Buses were initially launched in January 2020. The buses arose from the need to replace the library vehicle fleet and resulted in two Story Buses, named Sam and Nelly by the children, with exciting exterior designs by illustrator Nick Sharratt and interiors with well-designed spaces to sit and read.
Leeds - Reception Reading Stars
Reception Reading Stars is a reading activity to help foster a love of books and reading targeted at parents/carers of children about to enter reception class in September.
Rhymetimes in Reading ‘took off’ pretty much straightaway as parents, carers and other family members identified benefits of attending. Rapid expansion to all libraries across Reading led to 17 Rhyme Time sessions a week at their peak.
The Start Well Wheel is a tool for parents and carers to track all appointments and key milestones in their child’s life. It is a visual record that covers all key partners, from health visitors to education to community provision such as library services. It enables a family to see what is coming next or access something they have missed. It is easy to use. Parents and carers can highlight sections that indicate the services the child has received.
Little Troopers is a cross-agency partnership between Swindon Libraries and Information Service, Family Nurse Partnership, Housing, and Care Leavers teams to support young, vulnerable families. The open, drop-in group is for parents up to 25 years, with the average age around 20, and their children up to age three. Some parents are care-leavers, single parents, or have vulnerabilities. The group meet weekly for 90 minutes at the Everleigh Centre, Penhill, Swindon. The play and stay group includes sensory-based craft activities, messy play, Rhyme Time, and a free snack and drink. An average of 10 families attend, with about eight attending regularly.
Tameside Story Makers began in 2017 with weekly interactive, performance-based storytelling sessions targeted at preschool-aged children. An annual theme is chosen and developed with a professional storyteller for up to 28 weeks and supplemented by an author and illustrator working with participants to create a themed picture book. This is then published and gifted to all participants and partner organisations and, is also made available in all Tameside libraries. The Story Makers project, originally funded by the Arts Council England, is currently funded by the Tameside Community Safety Partnership.
Wakefield: Family hubs and libraries working in partnership to pilot BookTrust’s Storytime Prize
Library and family hub staff engaged families in the impact of storytelling and books with young children by modelling storytelling and discussion of the new books. Parents began to acknowledge and show pleasure in seeing theirs and others babies and children respond, sit and listen to stories and books.
Early Years friendly Nottingham Central Library
Nottingham’s new central library opened in November 2023. The redevelopment of the site enabled an immersive early years space to be created, alongside a craft/activity room, exhibition space and engaging children’s library.
Cheshire East – Storytime training
From Winter 2021 to Spring 2022, Cheshire East Libraries undertook a review of Storytime session provision across all libraries in the authority. The return to in-person activities post COVID-19 made this an excellent time to look at Storytime sessions.
Baby Babble is a programme for parents/carers and their babies. It aims to support early language and communication using stories, rhymes, baby signing and sensory experiences. Originally developed by speech and language professionals, it is now delivered by trained library staff over a series of five sessions, and it continues to be in high demand across the county.
Kent County Council – Playground
Artists are working in libraries and children’s centres to develop their creative practice for babies and their families.
This is the second case study in One Public Estate's 'Unlocking the value in public sector assets', published in 2017.
Norfolk – Connecting Communities
Norfolk has a well-established Healthy Libraries scheme that is having a significant impact on social isolation and loneliness. The library service runs a range of initiatives from singing and colouring groups to a reading project aimed at people who are housebound. They have played a vital role in keeping people living in the large rural county connected both before and during the pandemic.
The idea of reading to a dog originated in America. Alison Tutill had seen some research carried out by BookTrust and thought it would be something we could offer in libraries.
This programme aims to tackle holiday hunger, isolation, and inactivity during the school holidays. It focuses on children aged 5 to 11 years old who are eligible for free school meals. Children are referred to the programme by their schools and other agencies. This case study is part of the achieving efficiencies section of our online culture hub.
St Helens – Books and Language Unite St Helens (BLUSH)
St Helens Library Service works in partnership across the Council and beyond to ensure children and young people have a positive start in life, through the provision of quality books and activities that strengthen speech, language and communication. This case study forms part of the Value of culture - learning and development section of our online Culture Hub.
Soundpots - Stoke Libraries using music to support children’s early language development
Stoke were wanting to increase children’s early language and communication skills through a variety of interventions. One was to support early years practitioners to deliver more effective music sessions through a programme of training. They also wanted to use the music sessions to support parents’ engagement with their children and enhance their home learning environment.
Suffolk – providing wellbeing support
Libraries in Suffolk provide a comprehensive range of mental health and wellbeing help situated in the hearts of towns and villages across the county.
Library Case Studies - Different delivery models
As part of the LGA/Arts Council England cultural improvement programme libraries work strand, the LGA with financial support from Arts Council England have developed a small number of case studies showcasing different service delivery models and approaches taken as libraries reposition as part of a place's wider cultural offer.
Barnsley Council and BookTrust: Reading Together for a Brighter Future in The Dearne
BookTrust and Barnsley Council’s Public Health and Communities Directorate partnered on a pilot in The Dearne to provide families in high-deprivation areas with increased access to shared reading support.
Wirral Borough Council has embedded Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library within Early Childhood Services, leading to improved communication and language outcomes and reduced inequality.
'Communication is everybody's business' - the vital role of libraries in supporting communication and language at a universal level
This webinar highlights the role of libraries as supportive community hubs for families in the critical early years. The tiered model of support is explained, and the part that libraries can play at a non-specialist, universal level. Small key messages presented at this level can have a big impact on a child's life! The challenges librarians may face and potential solutions are considered, including lack of confidence around knowledge of communication development and starting conversations with families.Thu, 9 Jul 2026 09:30 - 11:00 (UTC+00:00) Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London
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