Over the weekend, Suffolk’s library service moved back into the council and began operating under the new name Suffolk Community Libraries.
For residents, the most important message is this: nothing has changed. The libraries that people know and love remain the same - same staff, same buildings, same services, same welcoming spaces. From regular groups and events, to book borrowing and access to digital services, everything continues as before.
This continuity reflects a carefully managed transition, made possible through close working with Suffolk Libraries and their dedicated staff. I want to thank everyone involved, helping to make the transition run smoothly.
We know how highly Suffolk residents value their libraries. These are much more than buildings filled with books; they are trusted community spaces, places of learning and creativity, and safe, inclusive environments that bring people together.
But while the service remains unchanged on the surface, this move opens up new opportunities to build on the excellent foundation already in place.
Suffolk Community Libraries will now be able to align more closely with other council services and priorities. That means thinking about how we can support residents more holistically, from helping people find work, to providing access to health and wellbeing support, to connecting families with early years’ services.
Libraries already do much of this in informal ways, but we want to strengthen their role as local hubs where people can easily access the help they need, when they need it. These trusted spaces can play an even bigger part in tackling loneliness, supporting lifelong learning, and improving access to public services across Suffolk.
This is a natural step forward, preserving what works well and creating space to enhance and strengthen the service over time.
The service’s new name and branding, Suffolk Community Libraries, reflect this wider ambition. A new website is now live at www.suffolkcommunitylibraries.co.uk, providing all of the important information about your local library, events and activities and access to the library catalogue.
We are very pleased to welcome library staff as Suffolk County Council employees. Their knowledge, passion and deep understanding of their communities are at the core of everything libraries do, and we’re looking forward to working even more closely with them to develop the service further.
We’re also incredibly grateful to the many volunteers who are continuing to give their time and energy to support libraries across Suffolk; their contribution remains vital to service we all value and we look forward to working with them as part of this next chapter.
So, whether you’re a regular user or haven’t stepped inside for a while, this is a great moment to reconnect with your local library. You’ll find the same friendly faces and trusted services and, over time, even more opportunities to learn, connect and thrive.
