Stuart Anderson MP Calls for Library Support on World Book Day
Stuart Anderson MP is calling for a book-reading revolution. He is proudly supporting World Book Day, an annual event which is this year being marked on Thursday, 6th March 2025. The campaign celebrates reading as an entertaining, social, and fun thing for all generations to engage in.
It comes as a survey from the National Literacy Trust of 76,131 young people aged 5 to 18 found just one in three now enjoy reading for fun - the lowest level since 2005. In the UK, almost 1 million children do not have a book of their own. This represents 1 in 8 children receiving free school meals.
To buck this trend, Stuart is calling on Ministers to empower public libraries to expand their outreach work in local communities. It follows an independent review undertaken by Baroness Sanderson, which found that libraries in rural areas are a "lifeline" to communities.
The previous government had committed to publishing a new public libraries strategy for England in 2024 which, among other things, would have covered library provision in rural areas including digital inclusion. Due to the General Election, the strategy was not published. Stuart has now called on Ministers to continue this vital work.
The campaign is part of Stuart's long-term plan to enhance public services in South Shropshire. As part of this, he wants to identify the needs of local public services and deliver funding to address them.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"I am proud to be supporting World Book Day in South Shropshire on 6th March 2025. I love reading to my children and helping them to read for themselves. Reading for fun is the single biggest indicator that a child will grow up to enjoy a happier and more successful life. Sadly, reading for fun is at an all-time low and more than one million children do not have a book of their own. I want to start a book-reading revolution, making it a fun and social thing to do. Libraries play a vital role in our communities, granting access to a wide range of literature. So, I want to ensure they are supported. That's why I have urged Ministers to publish a strategy to help our libraries grow and innovatively support our local communities"
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