Grants
Round 1
LibraryOn's first grants round gave £1.09m to public libraries in England.
Information for Round 1 grantees
Overview
We received 68 applications in total, representing just under 70% of all library services in England. Of the initial 68, 43 were invited to submit a full application. 27 of those applicants received funding.
Our decision-making process had two stages. The first presented our 68 Expressions of Interest to a panel which included an Arts Council England representative and the Digital Lead for Libraries Connected. Applications included upgrading existing websites or creating new ones, digital marketing activities and the purchase of new software. The total value of these applications came to just under £1.09m.
In the second decision-making phase, we assembled a panel of sector experts, including voices from CILIP, the Good Things Foundation and former heads of library services. All full applications were considered and discussed in detail to ensure a good geographical spread and range of activities.
Grants recipients
The panel awarded funding to 27 projects with a total value of £1,080,846:
- In the North, eleven projects were funded, including a new website for Sunderland Libraries to revitalise customer experience; a digital advertising campaign in Sefton; an animation and VR project working with young people in North Lincolnshire; a new library app in Kirklees and upgraded events booking for Gateshead.
- The Midlands received funding for two applications, including a website refresh, virtual floor plan, photography and library app for Stoke-on-Trent; and a library app for Leicester Libraries.
- London had five successful applications. They included a collaboration between the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) and Camden Libraries; an online discoverable catalogue in Lambeth; and an interactive website for five projects for Newham.
- The South East received funding for five. They included creation of online assets such as photography, film and animation for West Sussex; virtual tours and photography in Surrey; and Suffolk reimagining its website’s user experience.
- In the South West, four projects were supported, including online space booking for Libraries Unlimited; a new website in Gloucestershire; and an online history and archive project for Southampton.
Awards were also given to three consortiums, accounting for 20 services around the country. Activities include:
- Ask for a Book - a website providing personalised book recommendations from librarians.
- A film and photography project - reflecting findings from user research, where people said they would be more likely to visit a library if they could see what the spaces and events looked like.
- Website upgrades which will help local libraries link up with LibraryOn.
Awarded projects
Leeds Libraries
The project will transform Leeds Libraries' website into an innovative hub for learning, exploration, and engagement, incorporating state-of-the-art features and technologies to provide our library users with seamless access to services, from registration, searching across service offers, booking events, through to the delivery of high-quality tailored customer contact.
Leeds Libraries - Consortium
Our project seeks to take the new digital service Ask for a Book (ASK) to the next level. The project has developed a successful cross-service website and is in soft launch stage. The LibraryOn grant will enable specific developments to improve user engagement based on staff and customer feedback.
To introduce an online booking system, giving users access to all available spaces across the region: from hot-desking to conference and community rooms, catering to online seminar capabilities. We will highlight the range of services we offer, allowing easy functionality for bookings, including photographs & online tours of the facilities.
Libraries Unlimited
Online Odyssey is a bolt-on set of digital activities to accompany our existing Secret Book Quest which inspires 5–12-year-olds to read and seeks to reduce the literacy gap exacerbated by the Pandemic. Children will play online quizzes and puzzles with unlockable content to encourage sustained reading.
Lincs Inspire Libraries
Animated Inspirations is an innovative project that uses quality animation production and Augmented Reality (AR) technology to showcase, highlight and celebrate the resources and services that are available for children and families within our libraries.
Timeline
- 1 March 2023Fund launched and opened for Expressions of Interest
- 15 May 2023Deadline for full applications closed
- 12 June 2023Project delivery period began
- 22 December 2023Project delivery period ends