Reimagining libraries, museums and history services
Consultation has concluded
Dream big!
We’re passionate about our libraries and heritage services and know Oxfordshire’s communities and the many volunteers who support them are too.
Our services are for everyone and we think they have huge potential to make an even greater contribution to economic, social, learning, cultural, community and health and wellbeing in the county, building on what already works well now,
It's time to dream big. We’d love to hear all your ideas and suggestions for what you would like from your library and from museums and history services in the future. The bigger your ideas are, the better. We'll use them in lots of different ways including to help inform our strategy for Oxfordshire’s libraries and heritage services.
Be ambitious and let’s design the future together.
If you require access to the ideas tool in a more accessible format, please ask for help at your local library, email the engagement and consultation team at ask@oxfordshire.gov.uk or call the council’s customer services team on 01865 792422
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Oxfordshire has 44 libraries, each of them as unique as the communities they serve. More than just books (either physical or digital) our libraries are places of information, for fun, for activities, for getting online and for access to other council services.
We want your ideas for reimagining libraries for the future. Put your brilliant ideas here where you can also see what others think and react to their suggestions . This is not a one size fits all. Keep your ideas local to the library you use and remember to give it a name check in your comment.
Here's some prompts to get you started: Should your library be more of a social hub for your community, or somewhere you and your family can learn and grow? Perhaps it should help provide a space for start-ups and support local business or give opportunities for communities to let their creative juices flow. Perhaps voluntary groups or organisations could offer some of their services from our buildings?
Let's talk libraries - don't forget to think big and bold!
View All Ideasover 2 years ago
Occasional Sunday Opening
I would really like to go to the library with my young children but work full-time including most Saturdays
over 2 years ago
How about language learning with foreign language books available for loan?
A space to talk about the foreign language books and help each other out if any vocabulary difficulties etc.
over 2 years ago
Free reservations for all adult learners especially those with SEN.
If all students in full time training and education, could access reservations free of charge this would benefit those most in need. Lots of adult students have special educational needs, are vulnerable or simply struggling to make ends meet. Reservation fees are £1.30 per book and when you're studying this can quickly mount up and be a barrier to success.
over 2 years ago
Somthing like The Hive in Worcester that combines many services including library, cafe and local museum http://www.thehiveworcester.org/
over 2 years ago
Full time digital helper
Employ a full time digital helper to assist customers in completing forms or using their own equipment. Often customers have been bought a bit of equipment and have no idea how to use it or come to the library and are then at a loss how to use a computer. The digital helper could be on hand one or two days per week at the library ( possibly going to other libraries to offer the same help on other days). So many people are at a disadvantage not being able to use the internet nowadays.
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Everything we have in our museum and history collections has a story to tell. Our artefacts, artworks, photos and records have the potential to inspire, unlock memories and give a different perspective.
Our museums and history service includes the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock, the Museums Resource Centre at Standlake , a Scheduled Ancient Monument and Grade 1 listed medieval barn at Swalcliffe (providing accessible storage for large agricultural and trade vehicles) and the local history service based in the History Centre in St Lukes Church. We're also part of the Victoria County History (VCH), multi-partner local history project supported by the VCH Trust
We want your ideas for reimagining museums and history services for the future. Tell us how we can bring Oxfordshire’s past to life into the future for you, for your family and for others in your community. You can also see what others think and react to their suggestions .Here's some prompts to get you started: Should we be getting out and about more with our museums and history collections, if so where would like us to visit? Should we offer even more experiences online? Perhaps we could join up more with schools, employers, health, and social care services? Should we look at further opening our spaces for more community-led events and activities?
Let's talk museums and history services. Don't forget to think big and bold!
View All Ideasover 2 years ago
Move Didcot Library to the unfilled units in the Orchard Centre. We library users could then have coffee, easy parking and public toilets.
Move Didcot Library
over 2 years ago
Getting the museum to visit schools and introduce themselves, tell the children what you do.
over 2 years ago
Do painting/art/photography workshops once a month in an evening to let people see the objects close up and appreciate them.
over 2 years ago
Visit care homes and bring items to show the residences. Give out leaflets so they can show their family members.
over 2 years ago
Outreach work in the community
it would be good for museums to involve pupils and the wider community in all the resources a museum has to offer.
