Local authority award
Winner: London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Idea Stores Project
London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ Idea Stores combine the best of traditional library and information services with first class lifelong learning opportunities in stimulating and accessible surroundings.
Local residents were consulted through London’s most comprehensive opinion survey about libraries. The response was stark and simple: people wanted high-quality, modern libraries, offering a far greater range of services and activities.
Tower Hamlets responded by developing the Idea Store concept, launched in 1999, to create a network of adult education, library and information services, in seven state-of-the-art buildings, all located in local shopping centres. The Whitechapel Road Idea Store, the third facility to be established, opened in 2005. It is an outstanding building which has won major awards from the Royal Insitute of British Architects and Civic Trust.
The Idea Stores are designed to bring the community together and empower individuals to help themselves, whether it is learning to read, pursuing hobbies, expanding their knowledge or seeking a job.
On top of traditional libraries of books, CDs and DVDs, the stores provide more than 900 day, evening and weekend courses for a wide range of interests and abilities, career support and training, and access to extensive reference and information sources, including online resources and a local studies and archives collection.
Consequently, Tower Hamlets has become a major provider of Skills for Life initiatives and the London 2012 skills programme, delivering courses in catering, hospitality and pre-training for 2012 volunteers.
The Idea Stores are playing a significant role in the cultural regeneration of Tower Hamlets, encouraging use from traditionally under-represented groups, for example, young people. Since opening the stores have shown a 270 percent increase in visits per month compared to other libraries in the borough.
Category Sponsor
The Improvement & Development Agency
