Member surveys are an important part of helping us to understand our membership and receive your feedback on how we can improve the Library. Earlier this year we sent out our regular survey online and received over 1,300 responses, almost 20% of our membership. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey.

We were delighted to hear that 88% of members are satisfied with their membership and half are strongly satisfied. This is identical to the results received in our last survey in 2022. The survey showed that 77% agree the Library membership is good value for money, which is also similar to 2022 and is particularly reassuring in these challenging economic times.

Satisfaction with the collection is also very high, with 89% of members reporting being either highly or very highly satisfied with the physical collection, and 82% satisfied with the online material.

We note that almost a third of members (29%) would like us to acquire more fiction (rising to 48% amongst newer members). Other suggestions were also made and we are keen to respond where possible. We are making selective additional purchases in new areas to test levels of demand for different types of material.

Members requested more information about acquired books (42%) and book recommendations in various forms would also be welcomed, particularly by newer members (40%). We shall therefore be developing a new newsletter that will be with you this autumn and will allow us to shine a light on the new books we add to the collection.

It is very pleasing to see that both the number of visits to the Library and loans from the collection have increased and are almost back to pre-Covid levels. 34% of members felt that additional support in navigating the collection, such as signage, would be helpful and we are therefore working on ways to improve this. We also note that beyond the more obvious services we provide, members are less aware of the wide range of membership benefits, for example, our help with research enquiries by email and our book fetching service. We shall do more to bring these to members’ attention, including publicising the help available via our making the most of your membership section of our website. 

We also asked for your views on our communications and were pleased to see that members are frequent readers of the newsletter and magazine (80% and 82% respectively). Members also agreed that the tone of the Library’s communications suits the organisation and that the Library is true to its values; Inspiring, Independent, Welcoming and Excellent. We will continue to use the newsletter and magazine to keep members informed and present useful and interesting articles, helping members enjoy the Library to its fullest.

Part of what makes The London Library special is its sense of community. Our member survey revealed that 45% of members associate the Library with a sense of belonging, and a further 13% hope to discover a sense of belonging in the future. 20% of members would like to find networking opportunities at the Library and 16% hope to find peer support for their writing.  We hope to further foster this spirit of community through various initiatives, such as our regular member events (48% of members said they were interested in our events programme) and our plans for the Library building.

Finally, our membership is getting slightly younger, which has met one of the aims of our Library strategy. 16% of our members are now aged 16-34 (14% 2022). 38% are 35-54 (39% in 2022) and 46% are aged 65 or over (the same as in 2022). 

Thank you again for your support in answering our survey. Without your responses, our understanding of the member experience would be diminished, and we appreciate the time taken to give us your feedback. All responses are read and analysed and inform the way we develop the Library.

You can also share your feedback with us at any time via the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In August, the Library bid a fond farewell to Gill Turner, Head of Acquisitions, who has left the Library after 30 years. We thank Gill for her ceaseless dedication to the Library, ensuring that the print and online collections have continued to develop, meeting the changing reading tastes and research interests of our members.
 
Following a long handover from Gill, the Bibliographic Services and Acquisitions teams have subsequently been amalgamated to create a new team of Acquisitions and Discovery Librarians, led by Fay Harris, Head of Collections and Discovery. This has enabled us to centralise and delegate knowledge of acquisitions across a greater number of staff, each of whom is responsible for developing specific areas of the collection. This brings a team-based approach to stock selection and the management of online resources and donations.
 
The Acquisitions and Discovery Librarians, most of whom have worked at the Library for more than 20 years, will build on the existing strengths of the collection, as well as explore and extend into other areas of collection development in response to member feedback about our holdings.
 
If you have a book suggestion or would like to donate items to the collection, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Perfect for transporting London Library books!

£15.00 

We are very excited to share that our best-loved London Library book bag is back, available to buy from Reception and our online shop.

The bag is made from sustainable 100% organic cotton, with long sturdy woven handles. Available in natural or black colour with London Library printed on front and back, complete with a small interior pocket for mobile phone and re-inforced base for durability. 

Shop now 

The pre-planning consultation for the Building Connections campaign has now closed. We are very grateful to those members who gave us their feedback via our survey, by writing to us and at our consultation events. 

Building Connections will deliver on our long-term vision to improve access to the collection and create more spaces for members and Library partners to read, write and connect. The project will enable us to support the needs of our growing membership, ensure our long-term sustainability for the Library and increase our public impact, while maintaining the Library’s unique and much-loved atmosphere and character.

As part of the communication for the project emailed to all members on 8 May, we shared a survey, reminders in our newsletters and the brochure was posted to all members. We received 147 responses to the feedback survey, of which 59% had a positive overall impression of the plans and the majority of those were very positive. Of the 29% who were not positive (12% were neutral) about the proposals the majority did see merit in some elements of the plans. Members are keenly supportive of the 6th floor plans, especially the café and roof terrace, whether it was to meet other members or simply to buy lunch without leaving the Library.

Respondents were happy to see the inclusion of a second lift. We have heard, understandably that members are concerned about the disruption and we, our architects and construction partners will do all we can to keep this to a minimum. We thank all respondents for taking the time to give their feedback and for their constructive comments.

The feedback we have received will be useful as we continue the project over the next four to five years and we will continue to keep members updated as plans progress including at the AGM this autumn.

The project website remains live and we will be updating the information, plans, illustrations and FAQs as the project progresses. The Trustees have decided to go forward with the Phase One plans to be submitted to Westminster Council for planning permission with Phase Two plans to follow in due course.

Click the link below to find out more, share feedback and learn how you can get involved in The London Library Capital Campaign: Building Connections.

Find out more

  1. A Mad Tea Party
  2. The London Library Royal Patronage
  3. Emerging Writers Programme 2024/25 Cohort
  4. Lift repairs 
  5. Reminder: Basement Collections

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