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Apologies for cross posting ----------------------------- DCMS 264/99 19 October 1999 ALAN HOWARTH GIVES DETAILS OF NEW #3 MILLION PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND TO BOOST READING A new #3 million challenge fund, joint-funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the Culture Department, will be available from next year for programmes which enable public libraries to promote the enjoyment of reading and help build up and promote history book collections. This is a new direction for the DCMS\Wolfson Fund which, in the past, has focused primarily on developing ICT, refurbishing buildings and enhancing reference collections. New funding streams from the National Lottery designed to support the development of ICT in libraries and other learning centres mean that the fund can now be redirected. Speaking at the Public Library Authorities conference in Torquay today, Arts Minister Alan Howarth said: "The DCMS/Wolfson challenge fund has been a huge success since it began in 1997. It has funded 69 pathfinder projects to develop ICT services linking libraries to the National Grid for Learning. "We think it is now time for the fund to re-emphasise the importance of libraries' traditional services - helping to draw in new users and build on the success of the National Year of Reading and the work that is continuing through the Read On campaign. Helping people to the habit of reading and experience the pleasure of reading a good book is, of course, at the heart of what libraries are there to do." The fund for 2000-2001 will be in two parts. The programme for reader development will be backed by #2m from the Culture Department while the Wolfson foundation are providing #1m to support projects providing books and materials relating to history from the 18th century to the present day. Alan Howarth continued: "The Wolfson Foundation's splendid support enables us to celebrate the new millennium not just by looking to the future, but by enhancing libraries' ability to contribute to the nation's understanding and appreciation of its past." Notes to Editors 1. The DCMS/Wolfson Public Libraries Challenge Fund was established in 1997 to provide #3 million a year for three years for projects to enhance library services in England. 2. The scheme initially focussed on projects in three areas: developing IT, refurbishing library buildings and enhancing reference collections. Since 1998, however, it has concentrated in particular on funding IT infrastructure projects in England which support the development of a Public Library IT Network in line with the Government's response to the Library and Information Commission (LIC) report "New Library: the People's Network." 3. Since the commencement of the Fund the Government has committed substantial additional funds to support the development of a Public Library ICT Network. The 1998-99 budget allocated #200 million of National Lottery funding to a programme of Community Access to Lifelong Learning; #20 million for a training programme for all public library staff to develop ICT skills and #50 million for the digitisation of materials to support learning. Libraries will also be eligible for a share of the #470 million Capital Modernisation Fund programme to develop ICT learning centres. 4. In 2000-2001, of the #3 million the DCMS/Wolfson Challenge Fund makes available, #2 million will be allocated to the reader development programme to provide support towards the sort of library projects and activities which have been successful in attracting National Year of Reading Funding [from the Department for Education and Employment]. #1 million of the Fund has been made available to create and enhance history collections in public libraries and to interpret them, in particular, for young people. 5. We expect to provide more detailed information and to invite applications to the 2000-2001 Challenge Fund before the end of 1999. Key Facts about the Public Library Service: 58 per cent of the adult population hold library membership - that's nearly 34 million library tickets. There were 377 million visits made to libraries in 95/96, more than ten times the number who attended league football matches in the same period. 10 million people, drawn from all ages and social groups - use their public library regularly - at least once a fortnight. There are 4,759 libraries in the UK (including 693 mobile libraries), plus 19,136 service points in hospitals, prisons, old people's homes etc. There are 129,612,000 books in the public library service, occupying 3,600 km of shelving, 2.5 times the distance from Land's End to John o'Groats. Visiting the library is the FIFTH most popular pastime in the UK! The first four are - 1. visiting a pub, 2. eating in a restaurant, 3. driving for pleasure and 4. eating in a fast-food restaurant. Internet : http://www.culture.gov.uk **************************** Stuart Brewer Pat Wressell Associates 36 Highbury Jesmond Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 3EA UK Tel: +44 (0) 191 281 3502 Fax: +44 (0) 191 212 0146 [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] **************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%