A group of MPs have called for the MLA to be stripped of its responsibilities for libraries.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on libraries claims that there is too much confusion amongst various bodies with responsibilities for library governance and leadership. It wants the government to establish a Library Development Agency for England with a remit to champion libraries, share good practice and provide leadership. It also wants to end the split between government funding for libraries and functional responsibility which is currently shared by two government departments, the DCLG and the DCMS. A single government department should have both responsibilities, says the group.

The move follows an by the all party group, which was funded by the National Literacy Trust and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, which has a history of clashes with the MLA.
Roy Clare, chief executive of the MLA said:

“The MLA has a job to do and is clear about its remit as the government’s lead agency for developing and improving England’s museums, libraries and archives. We are seeing daily evidence of the advantages of integrating library, museum and archive services with each other – and also with other forms of local service delivery. We see this convergence as both cost-effective and offering better quality services. We doubt that there is wisdom now in forcing libraries backwards into silos.”
The DCMS is due to report on the results of its own review on library services later this year.