ERS was commissioned in 2021 by Arts Council England to conduct a multi-year evaluation of the Libraries Improvement Fund. The Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) is an open access capital fund, focused on enabling library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology so they are better placed to respond to the changing ways people are using them.  LIF sits within the wider Cultural Investment Fund (CIF).

The aims of LIF are to:

• Enable libraries to develop more flexible, more commercial spaces;

• Increase and improve digital access within communities;

• Connect libraries to their communities;

• Increase potential for transformation;

• Increase library use;

• Increase sustainability of libraries.

Under Round 1, the 25 projects that have been allocated grants will benefit 70 libraries across England. ERS has been working collaboratively with each of these libraries services to design bespoke Logic Models for each locality. We have also worked closely with libraries to support them to collect robust baseline data and improve their data collection process, supporting the Fund to further build a legacy of evaluation in the libraries receiving grants. Our team has also consulted staff on the progress and impacts of projects, conducted interviews with partners on their use of new/refurbished facilities and designed surveys for library users. We then conducted both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the vast quantities of data, and synthesised findings into clear recommendations for our interim report.

ERS, by the end of the evaluation, will have captured, quantified and described the full range of economic and social benefits of LIF investments and articulated their importance to all relevant audiences. In so doing, this evaluation has the potential to play a crucial role in guiding future investments in library buildings and services and in securing the funding that will resource those investments.