British authors including Kate Mosse, Richard Osman, and Philip Pullman have backed a plan from think tank, The Cultural Policy Unit, which proposed automatic library cards be given to newborn babies. The cards would be linked to birth registrations so they would be ready at local libraries, providing almost instant access to library materials and services. At present, parents have to sign their children up online or in person and bring proof of address or an ID to a library. The proposal would include a National Library Card for UK-wide access.
According to the latest research from the National Literacy Agency, 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 to 18 say they do not have a book of their own at home, and ‘Children born into communities with the most serious literacy challenges have some of the lowest life expectancies in England’.
Libraries Connected chief executive, Isobel Hunter said: “libraries support children and families from birth and work with maternity teams, early years settings, health visitors, family hubs and schools.”
The Cultural Policy Unit estimated annual costs for the proposal would be between £14m to £22m, which should be funded by both the Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
“A lot of people still feel that [libraries are] not for them,” Author Kate Mosse told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, but said automatically giving out cards could show that “every single young child that’s born is welcome”.
She added: “I take my grandchildren, who are three and six months, to the local library for story time. It helps with isolation, it will make an enormous difference to young parents who maybe don’t have a support network near them.”
Louie Stowell, author of the Loki children’s series and British Book Awards winner, also agreed that the proposal was a “fantastic idea”.
“It also normalises library use and, even if the admin involved in getting a library card isn’t vast, it’s one more thing to do when you’re juggling nappies and sleepless nights.”
However, she also stressed that the scheme would need funding for libraries, adding: “There’s no point signing babies up for libraries that don’t exist.”
When asked to comment on the proposal, a spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Public libraries are funded and run by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for determining how best to meet the needs of its communities.
“We encourage library services to promote their services to families from the earliest stages of a child’s life.”
