Sheffield’s libraries are no longer just places to read and borrow books – they have become vital hubs for the community, offering services to everyone from babies to the elderly. These libraries now provide facilities for schools and young people, low-cost groceries for families in need, fitness classes, and table tennis.
In September, Park Library Centre hosted a 10-year celebration event for the many dedicated volunteers across the city. Speeches and personal stories were shared, as well as a heartfelt video that thanked the staff for all the important work they do.
Sheffield libraries: from crisis to community
In 2014, the 16 volunteer-run libraries were threatened with closure after the council cut £1.6mn from the budget. When this news reached the community, campaigners took to the town hall in protest. For many, these libraries were not just buildings with books – they were the heart of the community.
Following the protests, the council agreed to retain 11 libraries and the Central Library. The plan also eventually allowed volunteers to run the remaining 16, five of which are being co-delivered alongside Sheffield City Council. Burngreave library was transferred in 2015, and the library in Tinsley was the last to be transferred to volunteers after the lease to the building expired in 2016.
Today, the libraries are continuing to thrive, running numerous schemes and activities to benefit their local areas. New volunteers are continuing to sign up, working alongside staff who have volunteered there for as long as a decade.
10 years on
Steve Bodey, chair of trustees at Jordanthorpe Library, which serves the Batemoor and Jordanthorpe areas, introduced the speeches at the event. Sharing a personal story, he said: “Someone came up to me last year and he said ‘You probably don’t know this but the simple fact that you kept the library open sent a huge message to this community. That we weren’t neglected, we weren’t forgotten, we were still valued.’ And I’ve never thought about it that way before, and it was just a passing conversation.”
“We are part of the holiday activities food programme that the council runs, and over the summer we were handing out recipe packs and activities each week to 70 families. And those families, some of them said ‘We don’t know how we would’ve survived financially this summer if it weren’t for you doing this’. It shouldn’t have to be that way should it? But the fact [is] that we can be there for people in need.”
Library volunteers
Judith Pitchforth, chair of Broomhill Community Trust which oversees the running of the library, also shared her own experiences of being a library volunteer. She said: “There is loneliness and bereavement in every community, regardless of whether you live in S2 or S10, and we know we can play a small part in easing that. And offering a free tea or coffee and somewhere warm to read the newspaper go a long way. Talking to people goes a long way.”
Victoria Bowden and her husband John Bowden are Trustees of Friends of Ecclesfield Library, a non-profit voluntary organisation which strives to improve social welfare for the public in Ecclesfield. Their library, entirely volunteer-run, hosts services including a knit-and-natter group, chairobics classes, and a weekly mother and toddler group.
John Bowden said: “Looking around, we know several people from other libraries here. I mean, the work of our volunteers, and volunteers everywhere, is really invaluable because otherwise their libraries would have shut like other ones.”
Anything you can imagine: we help people with it
Pippa Line is one of around 50 volunteers at Park Library, having been there for almost 10 years, and describes the demographics in the area as “really interesting”.
“Where Park Library is situated, we’ve got a lot of social deprivations, but we’ve also got a few more affluent areas. We’ve got a lot of diversity of ethnicity and backgrounds. We’ve got young families who’ve moved into the area for their first home. We’ve got the people who’ve lived there all their lives, and I think that mixture makes it a really dynamic neighbourhood to be in.”
Park Library is co-delivered with and joined into a community centre run by Park Community Action (PCA). PCA also operates a café and youth club, with aims to advance education and re-invigorate the community.
Line says: “It very much feels like a web around here, which is what we want to be, because we’re acutely aware that in an area like this there are plenty of people who don’t have internet access, who aren’t computer comfortable, who might not have Wi-Fi at home.”
“We know that we are that link that helps prevent complete social isolation for other people, that helps prevent people maybe drifting out of society a bit more. And I think even if we’re not used every single day by every single person, we’re still valuable in that way, and I’m grateful for being part of that.”
Your local library needs you
Interested in volunteering? Libraries are still looking for passionate people to arrange and shelve books, plan events, get involved with their many services, and more. Whether you have experience or not, visit your local library or their website to find out more about the opportunities they offer and how you can help.
Editors note: This article has been updated to include details on Burngreave and Tinsley libraries which didn’t figure as part of the original plan to transfer operations to the voluntary sector.
