Celebrating vital role libraries play in transforming lives & strengthening communities 

Libraries Week: Libraries Change Lives 2025, runs from Monday 2 June to Sunday 8 June, and celebrates the vital role libraries play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. 

Libraries Change Lives is an advocacy campaign capturing and celebrating the impact of libraries, putting the sector on a public platform where libraries, library staff and library users can showcase the value of their service – both locally and nationally. 

This year’s theme, Libraries Week: Libraries Change Lives by sustaining economic growth highlights how library services can help to build a sustainable economy – whether that is through improving health outcomes in NHS; helping new businesses get off the ground; delivering support for users looking to get into work or education, or in accessing benefits; supporting people in education at schools, colleges and universities; or growing the economy directly by helping businesses make the right, evidence-based decisions.  

The case studies below demonstrate how information professionals and knowledge managers are at the heart of delivering economic growth for their local and national communities in Wales.

Shared Reading in Conwy Libraries

Library assistant Steve Stratford is one of nine staff at Conwy Libraries in North Wales who have been trained to run Shared Reading groups by national charity The Reader. He describes how it has made a huge difference in boosting the confidence of group members – and his own.

‘Libraries have moved on considerably – they are no longer places where you’re expected to be quiet’

Ex-journalist Steve Stratford has been a Library Assistant at Conwy Library for eight years.  Two years ago he was one of nine colleagues at Conwy Libraries trained as ‘Reader Leaders’ with the UK’s largest Shared Reading charity The Reader as part of their work.

Weekly and fortnightly groups are now held across the county at Area Libraries in Abergele, Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Llanrwst.  Groups are free and open to everyone offering a welcoming, inclusive and non-judgmental space where local people can connect and share experiences using stories and poems. There is no pressure to talk or read aloud.  

Steve’s group is based in the historic harbourside town of Conwy, famous for its medieval fortress, Conwy Castle. 

Steve said: “Many of the participants are of retirement age and they get on like a house on fire. It’s a lovely group; they are friends through Shared Reading. There is a lot of joking and laughter.  We’ve had a couple of men come to the group, including a gentleman who was blind. He had moved from Manchester and had heard of Shared Reading. He enjoyed listening to the stories.  I love doing it – it’s so fantastic connecting with people through books. We read a bit of text and then stop and start, share our feelings and have a cup of tea. You get to know people – that’s the joy of literature.”

The former reporter and editor, who previously worked on the region’s regional newspaper, said he has always loved words and books. As both a library assistant and group leader it was rewarding for him to see people grow in confidence through Shared Reading.

Sharon Morgan, Interim Section Head for Culture, Information and Libraries, Conwy, said: “Shared Reading is a well-established part of Conwy Library Service’s reading offer. The shared understanding and trust developed by reading and discussion has created a sense of belonging within each group and contributed towards the participants’ wider support networks and friendships. It is a magical blend of amazing texts and heartfelt contributions.”

For further information visit The Reader’s Shared Reading in Communities and to find out more about Shared Reading at Conwy Library Service visit Conwy Libraries or call 01492 576139.

Photos by courtesy of The Reader.

Awen Libraries 21 Book Challenge

Awen Libraries was recently selected as Welsh Library of the Year in The British Book Awards 2025 for the success of its first-ever 21 Book Challenge, which has encouraged adults to explore new book titles and authors, discover a variety of new genres and expand their reading horizons.

Since its launch in mid-2024, over 600 adults have recorded their reads using a 21 Book Challenge bingo sheet and collected prizes, including bespoke bookmarks, travel mugs, tote bags, tea towels, along the way. The first person to complete the challenge received a hand-crafted wooden bookend.

Richard Hughes, Chief Executive of Awen Cultural Trust, said:

“We are very proud that The British Book Awards’ judging panel have chosen Awen Libraries as their regional and country winner for Wales. This recognition is testament to the ongoing hard work by our library colleagues, who are committed to finding new and innovative ways of engaging with people within our local communities who may not regularly read for pleasure or visit our libraries.

“When we launched the challenge, which was kindly supported by UK Government funding in partnership with Bridgend County Borough Council, we hoped, but certainly didn’t expect so many people to get involved. We have been delighted by how many of these have told us how enjoyable they have found the experience of reading books they would not have usually picked up.

Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, Cllr John Spanswick, said: “What a tremendous accolade to have received Welsh Library of the Year in the British Book Awards 2025, and now to be in the running for the pinnacle of the awards, the title of Library of the Year.

“Reaching out to the community in a bid to expand and develop their reading habits is no easy feat.  However, the success of the 21 Book Challenge demonstrates the innovation, creativity and dedication of library staff across the county borough.

The number of residents involved in the challenge also highlights how libraries continue to be one of the foundations of a community, with people being receptive to engage and come together, using reading and their local libraries as a means to do this.

Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The Reading Agency said:

“This year’s applications for Library of the Year have been exceptional, showcasing the ingenuity and innovation which libraries harness every day to reach new audiences. However, the regional and country winners stood out for their creativity and impact. From large-scale authority-wide events, programming with diverse local partners, to careful and targeted initiatives like a book club for adults with Down syndrome, these winners exemplify the power of libraries to engage communities in meaningful ways. As community anchor organisations, the crucial role of libraries’ local partners in delivering these activities shone through, and the shortlisted libraries showed what the lasting legacy of their projects would look like locally.”

Stars of the Shelves Author Visits Helping Children Connect with Literacy

“Stars of the Shelves” is the latest project run by The Book Council of Wales and funded by Welsh Government.

The purpose of the project is to invite authors to hold workshops for school children in libraries throughout Wales. The project runs until the end of March 2025 and over 25 authors from Wales will have had the chance to hold sessions to approx 4,500 children in 75 different libraries across Wales.

One of the recent author visits was by Mari Lovgreen to Machynlleth Library in Powys with Ysgol Bro Hyddgen, where she presented her new book, Llyfr Sgrap Macs Sion.

According to the recent National Literacy Trust research report,

“More children and young people who had experienced an author visit said that they enjoyed reading in their free time compared with their peers who hadn’t had a visit (58.6% vs. 39.3%).”

This highlights how important author visits can be in helping children connect with literacy.

 The response has been magnificent, and children have thoroughly enjoyed meeting these authors in the flesh and being inspired by them. It has also been a great opportunity for these children to visit their local library which they will hopefully continue to do so in the future.

Libraries’ Warm Welcome Saluted with National Honour

 Swansea’s much-loved local library service was honoured in 2024 for offering a warm welcome to people seeking sanctuary.

The network of libraries, run by Swansea Council, has become the first in Wales to be awarded Library of Sanctuary status. 

Libraries of Sanctuary is a network of librarians, library staff, community groups and book lovers who are raising awareness of the issues facing people that seek refuge, offering support and participation opportunities, and contributing to a culture of welcome in the wider community.

The Library of Sanctuary award recognises and celebrates the libraries that go above and beyond to show solidarity and welcome, and any library can apply for the award.

Council cabinet member Elliott King said:

“Our libraries offer a warm welcome to everybody, including those coming here to live for a variety of reasons. The service has a large selection of foreign language books and offers an ongoing programme of activities for people of all ages. This activity – right at the heart of their communities across the city and county – complements Swansea’s proud status as a City of Sanctuary.”

To secure Library of Sanctuary status, Swansea underwent an accreditation process.

Swansea Council has 17 libraries across local communities and offers a delivery service for customers who are unable to access their local library. Librarians offer a number of digital services to members. The programme of events offered this summer included a Refugee Day at Swansea Central Library.

Council staff run the Swansea Prison library as part of their network – and it’s the first time a prison library has been included in a Library of Sanctuary award.

Swansea Libraries were also shortlisted for the Libraries Connected Award 2024 in the Culture and Creativity Category. Judges in the Libraries Connected Awards were impressed by the valuable work carried out by Bethan Lee (Principal Librarian), Jennifer Dorrian (Programme and Events officer) and Zoe Thomas (Library Assistant), showing initiative to create new activities and develop resources to enable Swansea Central Library to welcome new people settling in and near the city.

Keep in touch

Keep in touch with the Libraries Change Lives campaign and get updates on case studies, the press and social media campaign, participating libraries and the impact the campaign makes on the CILIP website.