Digital fast becoming Lincolnshire's 16th 'core library'

A report due before councillors reveals it has essentially become the county’s 16th core library, with the shift towards digital lending adding a new dimension to library services, rather than merely transitioning from physical to digital.

The report, to Lincolnshire Council’s public protection and communities scrutiny committee, underscores the coronavirus pandemic’s significant impact on library services.

It notes: “The strong return of physical issues, alongside digital issues, and active use of ePlatforms remaining at higher levels than pre-pandemic, seemed to indicate the pandemic had not resulted in a simple shift from physical to digital.”

This data, showing a 65 per cent increase in visits and a 95 per cent increase in public network use compared with 2021/22, suggests digital lending has complemented, not replaced, physical libraries.

Lincolnshire’s library service includes 15 core libraries – including Gainsborough Library – mobile library services and provisions like home library services. It also supports community hubs, renewing at least 4,000 books for each community library.

The report highlights the service’s commitment to social value, the monetised net value an organisation provides to society. In 2022/23, the libraries generated £24.4 million in social value, with public network use contributing £2.7m and physical stock borrowing £21.7m.

The calculation of social value relies on core impact indicators, such as improved quality of life, increased educational attainment and reduced medical service use.

As library services recover from the pandemic, the report notes a 57 per cent increase in participation in the summer reading challenge compared with 2021 and 6 per cent on 2019.