Contents

Introduction to the libraries strategy

Storytime at Welling Library
In 2022, we launched the Bexley Plan to Make Bexley Even Better. This included a commitment to supporting residents to live the best lives possible and to reach their potential.
People using a workspace in a library
Our libraries are core to this plan and our communities, providing welcoming warm spaces, supporting reading and literacy, enabling creativity and much more.

The Library Strategy sets out the direction of travel over the next five years for Bexley Libraries, ensuring that the service is helping residents and businesses to navigate a rapidly changing society.

Libraries are recognised nationally as providing a significant role to communities in delivering a broad range of outcomes, including increasing wellbeing, literacy targets and community cohesion. In addition, their role as a service located within communities provides a rich selection of resources and materials locally and can offer a venue that facilitates a social space, events and shared working in creative and innovative ways.

Chess Club
Libraries are uniquely situated, as a trusted and valued service, to work with local communities in responding to changing needs and neighbourhood priorities.

Bexley is a vibrant, creative borough and its residents have many ideas about how best to use their local community assets – we need to capitalise on this wave of enthusiasm and explore the boundaries of what is currently available.

This strategy sets out what you told us, and what we will be prioritising over the coming five years. We are making commitments to our customers, underpinned by four priorities.