By James Powell | 9 December, 2025
Suffolk Community Libraries is delighted to join the new national Libraries Development Framework.
Suffolk is one of a select number of library services across the UK which Arts Council England has accepted to the new framework. The Libraries Development Framework aims to strengthen library services and give them a collective voice.
Membership of the Libraries Development Framework shows a library service has a commitment to innovation and development. Arts Council England, who are administering the scheme, assessed Suffolk Community Libraries’ application as ‘met strong’ showing it fully met the criteria with examples of the impact it makes in the community.
Members of the Framework can more effectively advocate for their library service at local and national levels, with community partners, national stakeholders, and local decision-makers. It also helps to demonstrate the library service’s commitment to:
- ongoing improvement, innovation, and best practice
- local and national policy alignment
- cross-sectoral working
- staff development.
Krystal Vittles, Head of Library Service at Suffolk Community Libraries, said:
“We’re delighted to gain this accreditation which highlights the vital work our staff do in so many important areas across Suffolk, improving people’s wellbeing and giving them opportunities to connect and come together. Being a member of this new national framework will give us a stronger voice and help us to continue making a difference.”
Nadia Cenci, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said
“Congratulations to everyone involved in running our wonderful library service. Suffolk Community Libraries offers an amazing range of services and it’s fantastic it has this recognition, showing the role our libraries play in making our county a great place to live.”
Suffolk Community Libraries submitted a detailed application to join the network which highlighted many of the examples of how Suffolk’s library service makes life-changing impacts across the county. Examples include:
The hundreds of library activities and services for children and families which provide opportunities for learning, literacy and socialising. They play a vital role in rural and isolated communities and can make a difference to the most vulnerable families in the county.
Partnership working with organisations like Suffolk Artlink, Magic Acorns and Britten Pears Art have helped to create activities and projects which engage with families who may not traditionally experience cultural activity. This includes ‘Little Beats’ creative storytelling and music sessions which have taken place in Lowestoft and Great Cornard.
The successful Blank Page Holiday Activity Fund creative workshops had 3,000 bookings in 2024 with an 89% attendance rate. This demonstrates fantastic engagement with children and young people aged 10–16 and attracted new users to the library.
Suffolk Community Libraries is reaching older adults and carers and helping to tackle loneliness and improve wellbeing. A pilot project recently run with The Reading Agency created volunteer-led reading groups for people living with dementia and their carers. There is also a cancer support group at Chantry Library.
Libraries host regular inclusive groups such as Men Can Talk and LGBTQIA+ meet ups which saw over 4,000 attendances in 2024/25. These initiatives help to reduce stigma and create safe, welcoming spaces.
Supporting people affected by the cost-of-living and who are digitally excluded is an important role of libraries. In 2024/25 there were 170k public computer sessions with more than 200 people benefiting from specific digital support sessions. All libraries are designated warm spaces during the winter.
Over the past decade Suffolk’s library service has delivered over 91,000 activities with 1.3 million attendances. More than 25 million items have been borrowed which equates to 33 items per Suffolk resident. There have been over 6 million eLibrary downloads in this period.