Ayub Khan: Where next for libraries?

Libraries have been in the limelight recently as local authority austerity measures have accelerated many changes to library services. Library visits and loans may be falling over all, but use of online library services has been rising rapidly. In Warwickshire virtual visits increased nearly fivefold in four years. And children's book borrowing is actually rising nationally.

Nothing could be more important for their future, or the nation's. According to the National Literacy Trust, children who use libraries are twice as likely to be above-average readers but that one in three children don't own a book.

The benefits of reading for learning and pleasure throughout life are obvious, but there's all kinds of evidence emerging that it has positive therapeutic powers and is good for general health and well-being. Not to mention that libraries are social glue, places where all sorts of people and all ages are equally welcome and can comfortably interact. We have an increasingly diverse and ageing population; loneliness and isolation are big issues and libraries are a 'lifeline' for many older people.

Early in my career, when I was an assistant librarian in Birmingham, I was involved in the pilot project for Bookstart and I've taken a keen interest ever since. I believe it's vital to get children into books to give them the best possible start in life.

All too soon children become young adults. A couple of years ago I visited a colleague who worked as a prison librarian at Winson Green in Birmingham. I was struck by the high number of young inmates and the correlation between illiteracy and crime. Not the only factor, I'm sure, but I cannot imagine how anyone unable to read could feel like a 'stakeholder' in modern society.

I could go on and on listing reasons why libraries are so important. A bit like Post Offices, they are even valued by people who rarely if ever use them, as part of the fabric of society. And the threat of library closures has certainly made people think. The high-profile debate about their worth and future continues - libraries are headline news and there's no harm in that.

But where do we go from here? For a start we have to take a long hard look at what library services spend money on. Neighbouring authorities are already exploring ways to share the costs of common functions across borders - such as stock, management services and mobile libraries. At local level, libraries increasingly share premises with other organisations. This not only makes financial sense but gives customers the convenience of a wider range of services under one roof.

We have to make the most of technology to improve both real and online library services. That means self-service equipment for quick and easy loans, and maybe vending-style machines offering books to borrow in non-library public places. It's also about expanding online services and making them more responsive to customer needs 24/7. Free e-book downloads are just one recent example but the future could take us almost anywhere - from instant translation equipment to welcome and guide visitors in any language, to Rhyme Time sessions available to pre-school children on TV in their own homes. So, actually, the future for library services could be really exciting.

There's no denying that life, for many, is increasingly online. More of us did our Christmas shopping online last year, even if we ordered over the internet and collected in store. We apply for jobs online, pay our bills online, and check out all kinds of information without moving from our keyboards.

But - and it's a big but - there are still millions of people who have never used the internet, many of whom are what society politely calls 'disadvantaged'. Around 23% of households don't have an internet connection. For the unconnected, real libraries -  with their free internet access and helpful, knowledgeable staff - are a way of joining the digital world and not feeling so left behind.

National Libraries Day on February 4 is an opportunity for us all to celebrate what libraries do and how important they are to so many people - of all ages and right across the social spectrum. Libraries have been enhancing lives for 150 years so let's big them up!

I consider myself really fortunate in the opportunities I've had, and libraries have always been a big part of my life. I want to make sure we give new generations the same opportunities to read, enjoy, learn from, and be inspired by the wonderful world of books.

Ayub Khan

Head of Libraries (Strategic) for Warwickshire County Council and Chair of the West Midlands Society of Chief Librarians