Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. In July I'm taking on something that is a huge challenge to me (if you ever saw me in PE at school you'll understand why). I'll be taking part in Race to the Stones and running 100km (that's 62 miles)! along the Ridgeway. I'll do it over two days, with a night spent camping somewhere around the 31 mile mark. 

This is very much a personal challenge for me; I want to get through it just to prove I can but I also want to take the opportunity to raise money for a cause that I really believe in. Please excuse me while I jump on to my soapbox. Won't be long, I promise.

Libraries probably seems like a slightly strange thing to raise money for. After all, there are plenty of very worthy charities out there and libraries already get public funding. I suppose, given that I’m a librarian and make a living from working in libraries it might seem a little less odd (or even a bit self-indulgent), but let me try to explain why I really think this is worth fundraising for.

There are loads of different types of libraries that serve all sorts of different people. Academic libraries for those who are lucky enough to have access to them, school libraries to support learning in schools, libraries to support healthcare, organisations, governments, law firms and more. And then there’s the best one of all: public libraries. Public libraries are for everyone. No matter who you are, where you live, how much you earn (or don’t), what colour, race, sex or gender you are, you are welcome in a public library and it won’t cost you anything. They are the greatest equaliser I know and that’s only one of their many benefits.

Libraries really are not just about the books, in fact I'd argue the books are really tangential to everything else libraries provide. They are a safe space for all that is free and warm and dry, the importance of which should not be underestimated. They provide free internet access to anyone who needs it (and yes, many people do still need it) and they help ensure people have the digital skills needed to use the internet safely. Increasingly they are becoming the only place where people
without the luxury of home broadband can apply for jobs, benefits and DLA, bus passes and the myriad of other services that require an online application. As we've moved more and more online, the need for libraries to help people navigate this world has increased. They are more relevant now than ever. They need and want to do far more to support their communities in this whilst also continuing to do what they have always done in building communities, supporting literacy in children and adults and generally being pretty damn awesome.

And yet... their funding has been cut drastically so they are not able to provide what the community really needs. Public funding is now barely covering the basics. Please consider donating to the CILIP Library fund so that libraries (all of the great libraries out there, not just the ones in affluent areas) are able to provide additional services that their funding just won't cover. 

If you still aren't convinced, please think about all the people that benefit from libraries that your donation could help in one fell swoop:

Children and babies, teenagers and young adults, students, the unemployed, the elderly, the homeless, people living in poverty, those living with disabilities, lifelong learners, and people who want to improve their digital skills. And of course, people who just want access to completely free and uncensored knowledge and reading material.

If that's not value for money then I don't know what is!

To find out more about the CILIP Library Fund and how the money will be used, please visit: http://www.cilip.org.uk/news/new-cilip-library-fund-launched 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.