Digital standards agreed for public libraries

Digital standards agreed for public libraries

The Society of Chief Librarians agrees minimum standards for online services offered by public libraries across the UK

The heads of more than 4,000 public libraries across the UK have agreed to national digital standards, which include providing free internet access in every library, and the ability to join a library and renew and reserve items online.

The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) said that National Digital Promise will set the minimum standard for online services provided by public libraries in Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

The SCL expects every library to offer:

€Â¢ Clear and accessible online information about library services.

€Â¢ Staff trained to help users access digital information.

€Â¢ 24/7 access to services through a virtual library presence.

€Â¢ The ability to be contacted online or via email for answers to user enquiries.

The SCL is working with other organisations to help deliver a single point of digital contact for all public libraries in the UK, a portal or landing page for common access to national digital services and a national catalogue of resources for loan.

It also wants to create a single standard of library user authentication, which will be adopted nationally to allow collaborative access to digital resources.

Nicky Parker, president of SCL, said: "With this digital promise we hope to expand and improve the standard of online resources in libraries both now and for the future."