A good example of unleashed creativity is the Suffolk Library Service and Hadleigh Library in particular. Ever since the library service was hived off and mutualised they have got used to the idea that they can influence their own future and turn their operation from a cash starved Cinderella service into a highly valued and widely used community asset. Now being able to focus on their customers and stakeholders, the Hadleigh Library has consulted the community on their needs and wants. The outcome is friendlier hours and a broader spectrum of activities.
The staff and Friends of Hadleigh Library are to be congratulated on their initiative and it’s great to see a community service being proactive in identifying needs and responding to those needs. Here I must declare my interests. From 2007 to 2015 I held my monthly constituent surgeries in the Library. I have also allocated funds from my County Councillor’s Locality Budget to fund contributions to:

• upgrading the Seminar Room,
• sponsoring book tokens for the 2014 Summer Reading Challenge and
• helping to purchase a sofa – thus enhancing a less formal area for parent/child interaction.

It’s incredibly satisfying to see what happens when people are free from the “dead hand of government” and more power to their elbow!