Karen Fraser, Executive Manager at Shetland’s Library Services, writes about how, in this time of social crisis, libraries are needed more than ever and staff are rising to the challenge. Read here.

UK libraries are currently facing a crisis but it doesn’t have to be this way, the pandemic has amplified the need for community spaces and digital learning areas – giving libraries untapped potential if reimagined with the correct care and investment. Read here.

This briefing will look at why it is essential for local governments to aid the transition to digitalised platforms, and how this can be done through infrastructure and operational activity changes. It also looks at the trends in library service delivery. Read here.

Libraries provide the perfect environment for social inclusive policies to be tested and implemented. Given the important role played by libraries and Canada’s rich multicultural heritage, this briefing will assess the role of public libraries in this integration effort, and outline how these developments could be applied to Ireland. Read here.

Local governments fund the vast bulk of public library operations across Australia. This briefing looks at public libraries as generators of not only significant community value but economic activity in their local economies, through library operating expenditure and spending of library users. Read here.

Many leisure facilities find themselves in a challenging position financially, but both libraries and leisure services are well placed to support the recovery of local places. We examine the current landscape, how public library and leisure services have adapted to Covid-19, and the strategic issues and challenges ahead. Read here.

This article, from Brimbank City Council, explores the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre – Australia’s first 100% renewable energy powered, zero greenhouse gas emissions aquatic centre. Examining the environmental, financial and health outcomes of the centre, and sharing lessons learned. Read here.

Increasingly, councils are tasked with balancing the health and wellbeing benefits of their community sports assets with a tougher financial outlook. In this article, Glen Eira City Council, Australia, shares how they’ve risen to the challenge while redeveloping an old swimming pool. Read here.

This briefing looks at the challenges and opportunities ahead for local sports and leisure services, considering the latest Active Lives data and research and recommendations by APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) to safeguard services for the future. Read here.

This briefing looks at the design of the new Parramatta Aquatic and Leisure Centre, and provides a discussion of future trends in public pools. it will be of interest to those in recreation planning, infrastructure and major projects plus community development. Read here.

In the eighth instalment exploring winning programmes from the 2018 Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards we’re taking a look at the winner of the Disability Services Provision category,  Monaghan County Council’s inclusive playground policy. Read here.

Discover Hartham Common’s bustling atmosphere, where investment in a new play area now attracts people of all ages to create a destination park. A successful crowdfunding campaign and improved council-community relations led to this vibrant hub, showcasing a new community engagement and funding model for others to emulate. Read here.

As the country that brought LEGO to the masses, it is perhaps no surprise that Denmark is something of a leader when it comes to innovative places to play. We examine the role that Danish local government have in the creation and maintenance of the nation’s intriguing playgrounds. Read here.

As part of our week of reflection, we’d like to celebrate public spaces and the role they’ve played in our lives during the past year. Find out what parks have meant to LGIU’s Ingrid Koehler and find out how to share your images. Read here.

More than half of the UK population uses parks on a regular basis. The CLG select committee’s report into parks asks why do they matter, what challenges do they face and how can a sustainable future be secured? Read here.

There have been significant cuts to local authority budgets for the upkeep of Ireland’s green spaces. The UK faces the same problem, and this briefing will examine the findings of a British report and explore alternative approaches that local authorities there are adopting for the management of parks. Read here.