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Public libraries and the arts contribute to the personal enrichment of the individual and the cultural development of communities. They broaden the experience of the individual, exciting intellectual and emotional responses to creative work and encouraging greater self-awareness and knowledge. They add not only to the quality of life but also to the self-esteem of individuals. They foster confidence within communities, helping key groups to identify the needs and problems of their neighbourhood and building their confidence to participate in finding the solutions. Together, and individually, libraries and the arts contribute positively to encouraging a culture of lifelong learning, facilitating economic and social regeneration and combating social exclusion.

Now is the time to grasp the opportunity of building on the new found enthusiasm to work together, which has been fostered by imaginative projects in reader development and evidenced in the research report jointly commissioned by The Arts Council of England and CILIP, Public libraries and the Arts: Pathways to Partnerships. The shared aims and objectives of public libraries and the arts need to be recognized and ways found of encouraging imaginative joint projects between organizations in both sectors. These should capitalize on the different but complementary skills and strengths available in both sectors; seek to benefit from the broader cultural agenda that is being promoted by Government; and endeavour to demonstrate the positive impact libraries and arts have on individuals and communities. Action will be required at national, regional and local levels if partnership working between the two sectors is to become embedded and address effectively many of the overarching policy issues such as promoting social inclusion and encouraging creativity and innovation. The signatories to this statement commit themselves to working towards fostering a closer and more productive relationship between the two sectors and to sharing their experiences widely within those sectors.

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT