Blackburn with Darwen’s library service marks its 50th anniversary this year, a milestone celebrated for community involvement and volunteer contribution. Yet the service also illustrates the wider, complex reality of modern public libraries. While the Local Authority has promoted extended opening hours and the removal of fees in press statements, the details behind these claims are unclear. Blackburn’s libraries exist within a national trend of volunteer-managed services, which experts describe as largely unmonitored and highly variable.
North West Bylines asked The Library Campaign to explain a few things about volunteer-led community libraries.
Volunteer-led libraries: a growing national trend
Across England, councils increasingly rely on Community Managed Libraries (CMLs) to maintain public services under budget constraints. Blackburn with Darwen is one of many authorities adopting this model, though the precise number of volunteer-run libraries nationwide is uncertain. Estimates vary between 530 and 621 CMLs out of under 3,000 public libraries in England.
The Library Campaign, a national advocacy group, notes that CMLs operate along a spectrum of council support, professional staff involvement, and volunteer management. This variability makes it difficult to measure performance, and the lack of standardised national statistics further complicates assessment.
Councils report data to the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountability (CIPFA), but only an estimated 40% of authorities currently provide comprehensive submissions. As a result, journalists and the public have limited means to verify claims about extended hours, fee removal, or service quality.
What do volunteers actually do?
Volunteers in Blackburn’s libraries can take on significant responsibilities, including managing book lending, running community events, and supervising children’s activities. The Library Campaign warns that volunteers often assume roles traditionally performed by trained librarians, such as information retrieval, ethical data handling, and general service management. While volunteer involvement strengthens connections between libraries and local communities, it cannot replace professional expertise.
Key skills such as copyright compliance, IT support, safeguarding, and user confidentiality require formal training. The Library Campaign emphasises that volunteers can supplement but not replace professional staff without compromising service quality.
Safeguarding is a critical area. There are no formal national requirements for volunteer training, and DBS checks are not specifically mandated for CMLs, although local practice may vary. Volunteers’ ability to deliver safe and inclusive services depends heavily on the level of council support, training, and supervision provided.
Extending hours and removing fees
Blackburn with Darwen Council has highlighted “extended opening hours” and “the removal of fees” in its promotional material. However, The Library Campaign cautions that such claims are difficult to verify without precise operational data. Extended opening hours may differ across branches, and while many fees have been removed, charges for reservations, replacement items, or specialist services may still apply.
To understand the impact, local performance should be compared against historical benchmarks. The Library Campaign also stresses the importance of context. Even where fees have been abolished, volunteers may now be performing functions previously handled by trained librarians, which can mean a lower level of service in some areas.
English public libraries have faced repeated periods of austerity or cuts since 1979. Both central and local government funding have been restricted, forcing councils to make tough choices about staffing and service provision. Councils have responded in various ways: reducing professional staff numbers, increasing reliance on volunteers, or delegating full operational responsibility to local communities.
The Library Campaign observes that volunteer-led services often survive under financial pressure, but their effectiveness as full-service libraries can be reduced. Blackburn with Darwen, with only five library branches, faces significant uncertainties in maintaining service quality while incorporating volunteer-led models.
Services in volunteer-led libraries vary greatly
Volunteer-led libraries raise questions of accountability. With no standardised requirements for staffing, stock, or operational quality, councils can publicise achievements such as increased hours or free access without independent verification. The absence of reliable national statistics limits oversight and makes it difficult for the public or journalists to hold local authorities accountable.
In Blackburn, the role of volunteers adds an extra layer of variability, complicating any assessment of whether library resources are being used effectively.
The Library Campaign describes the proliferation of CMLs as “a huge, completely uncontrolled experiment” in public service delivery. Local groups may assume responsibilities ranging from building maintenance to program management.
Some libraries operate with minimal council support, while others receive partial guidance or resources. This diversity reflects communities stepping in to maintain access to public services amid financial pressures. Yet the experiment is largely unmonitored. There is no national framework assessing whether volunteer-led libraries function effectively as libraries rather than as general community hubs.
Despite these challenges, there is guidance for councils implementing volunteer-led libraries. The Library Campaign emphasises that professional staff should remain in overall control, with volunteers supplementing service delivery. Successful mixed-model libraries balance community engagement with expertise in information management, safeguarding, and ethical service provision. Key indicators include book stock quality, access to IT resources, inclusion of all local population groups, and professional oversight of programming.
Volunteer-led services – necessary but risky?
Volunteer-led libraries in Blackburn demonstrate community commitment to preserving public resources. However, the absence of national standards and independent oversight introduces significant risk. Volunteers can enhance engagement and access, but cannot substitute for professional knowledge, ethical obligations, and safeguarding expertise.
The lack of comprehensive national statistics makes it difficult to assess the effectiveness of library services. Councils may publicise successes such as free access or extended hours, but the absence of comparable data prevents the public from evaluating service quality. The variability inherent in volunteer-led models further complicates this issue.
What might the future hold
Blackburn’s libraries, now half a century old, provide a lens into the wider state of English libraries. Volunteer-led models are likely to continue expanding under ongoing financial pressure, yet their sustainability and effectiveness remain uncertain. Councils and communities must balance cost-saving strategies with the need for professional standards and oversight, ensuring that libraries remain accessible, accountable, and capable of meeting diverse local needs.
Half a decade on, Blackburn’s libraries stand as both a testament to community commitment and a cautionary example of the challenges facing volunteer-led services. While volunteers enhance accessibility and engagement, and there is help and advice available for them, the lack of national standards, incomplete data, and funding pressures mean that sustaining quality public libraries is an ongoing challenge. Understanding the real impact behind council claims is essential for safeguarding the future of these vital public institutions.
