The City Of Leeds is home to many historic sites which people can visit on a regular basis and perhaps learn about the history and culture of the area. Amongst the facilities available, over fifty libraries are located in the city which help to serve the local community with different forms of information and literature which they can use in the daily lives or to help them in their education.
The Libraries In Leeds network is a unique umbrella organisation in which the common feature of it’s members is the geographical location. There are many old and thriving members of the organisations which help to add to the distinguished history of the city and add different elements to it’s history. They often include health, academic, arts and heritage sub- groups in which people can associate with others who are interested in particular topics and build different relationships with new friends or peer groups.
There are many members with in this organisation, some of which are extremely old and add to the history of the area. These include Subscription Library, four universities and a Conservatoire, it is also the home of national records for DHSC, UKHSA and Royal Armouries. The British Library is also working towards establishing a permanent new site in the city centre of Leeds, powered by its existing site at Boston Spa, near Wetherby.
Over the past year or so, the members of the network have been quietly supporting each other in order to help each other survive. One of the reasons this may need to happen more nowadays is that a lot of information can now be found online so people might not see the need to go out to the library when they can just find the information they need online in the comfort of their own homes. They have also been sharing best practice and knowledge.
In an effort to draw more people in to libraries, the organisation will be holding a public festival this Autumn where everyone is warmly welcomed to learn, be inspired, get creative and have their say on the future of public libraries in the city.
With distinguished guests such as Sue Williamson MBE, former director of libraries at Arts Council England, Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford, and Dr Nick Barratt, genealogist and consultant researcher to the popular BBC series “Who Do You Think You Are?”, the talks programme is entertaining, relevant and informative.
There will be an in depth discussion by the Chief Knowledge Officer at NHS Knowledge where people are invited to join in and share their opinions on a variety of topics. This will include what the easiest way is to access reliable, health information and highlighting the dangers of misinformation. People have to be aware that they have to think about everything they read or hear about before they actually put anything in to practice. This will help to ensure that they get the right message across as well as learning accurate facts.
From Monday 4th to Friday 8th September various libraries are offering a number of Backstage Tours, where people can get a sense of a librarian’s working life at some of the city’s libraries and archives. And the launch of a unique exhibition will enable some of the city’s treasures to be viewed side by side in digital collection for the first time.
Saturday 9th September is the day for families with a range of drop-in activities at the Central Library including the special screening of “I Believe in Unicorns”, a stage performance by Danyah Miller of Michael Morpurgo’s much loved story that celebrates the power of books and the sanctuary of libraries. Meanwhile at the Creatorspace at the University of Leeds families can sign up to a two-hour ‘Get Creative’ session and enjoy seeing their ideas become reality. The festival events are either free or listed on Eventbrite as ‘Pay What You Decide’ to encourage maximum accessibility for everyone.
