Whichever party forms our next government, we at CILIP, the library and information association have a simple pledge, to them and to the public – trust libraries.
Not only are librarians the third most trusted profession according to the annual Ipsos Veracity Report, but they and other information and knowledge professionals are vital to MPs delivering every single political pledge in their manifestos – including how to help the one in five people living in poverty, as highlighted in Big Issue’s Blueprint for Change.
The core services that this profession provides underpin any politician’s ability to deliver on their promises, even if they don’t always realise it. We deliver information that politicians, the public, business and public sector leaders, and everyone else can actually trust.
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That trustworthy information reinforces an individual’s decision-making – whether that’s how to assess which party to vote for, which course a learner should study, which business start-up idea is most promising, or which policy is most likely to be effective to tackle the hardest issues of our times.
Libraries and library staff champion your right to read whatever you want, and the intellectual freedom to make your own mind up about it. This profession is guided by a strong ethical framework, not by personal preferences. It’s not our job to defend a particular book, but to defend your ability to read it if you want.
Librarians also enable learning for people of all ages at the heart of our communities and institutions, from high streets to online, from prisons to schools, and from universities to colleges.
