Haringey Council joins The Libraries Consortium

The London Borough of Haringey is pleased to announce that it has joined The Libraries Consortium, a rapidly expanding network of public library authorities in the UK, sharing technology, stock, and expertise.

The Libraries Consortium, chaired by the London Borough of Sutton, currently consisting of 22 local authorities, delivers one of the models defined by the British Library’s recommendations paper, Digital Transformation for UK public libraries: five approaches to a 'Single Digital Presence'.  This paper sets out what a national online platform (or “single digital presence”) would look like. The Libraries Consortium delivers ‘Deep Shared Infrastructure’ – a common, centralised Library Management System, procured at a UK-wide level and run as a single piece of technology serving all libraries. SirsiDynix is the incumbent library management service provider.

Haringey Library members will now have access to millions more items of stock, with a greater diversity of material.  With Haringey Libraries joining, The Libraries Consortium members will equally also have access to Haringey Libraries diverse range of material.  Joining The Libraries Consortium makes us part of a single powerful brand that exists to enrich all our communities.

Haringey Libraries currently offers access to over 250,000 books and over 6,000 eAudio and eBook titles for residents.  By joining The Libraries Consortium, Haringey library members now gain access to nearly 8 million books. Haringey residents can access books and eStock from across the consortium. Residents can borrow from or return books to any of the 300+ libraries including neighbouring boroughs - Waltham Forest, Hackney, and Enfield.

Joining The Libraries Consortium and investing in a new library management system and digital platform, is the continuation of our strong programme of investment in libraries for the benefit of the community and laying the foundation for a more inclusive and accessible library service.  By leveraging our investment in technology and working with key Haringey partners, we hope to ultimately provide a 360° view community hub information portal.

Cllr Julie Davies, Cabinet Member for Communities and Civic Life, said:

As a former teacher I know just how important access to libraries and their book collections is for residents young and old across the borough. Joining The Libraries Consortium is a key part of our work to improve and modernise our library service in Haringey. Once the integration with The Libraries Consortium is completed later this year, residents will have access to millions of books and digital resources from libraries across London and the South East, all from one library membership. It’s a brilliant example of how councils can work together to provide even better services for residents.