Case study
Libraries Unlimited
Since working with Impact Reporting, Devon & Torbay libraries have evidenced a total £42.7m in monetised social value to-date
Since working with Impact Reporting, Devon & Torbay libraries have evidenced a total £42.7m in monetised social value to-date
improved digital skills
through monthly volunteering
reduced reliance on NHS
Libraries Unlimited, the charity responsible for running Devon and Torbay’s library services, has long championed the role its 54 libraries play in encouraging literacy, community engagement and digital inclusion. However, with growing financial pressures and a lack of national data tracking, they needed a more robust way to evidence the social value they deliver beyond book loans.
Over the past year, the organisation has made important in-roads on quantifying its impact initiatives by partnering with Impact Reporting to develop a bespoke measurement framework. This work shows that activities across the library network generated an estimated £23.9m in monetised social value throughout 2023/24. A figure that is expected to rise as their reporting framework evolves – capturing an even broader range of values and a more in-depth understanding of the role libraries play in shaping a happier, more equitable society.
In early 2024, an independent review highlighted the lack of government recognition and general public awareness regarding the positive impact libraries have on our collective wellbeing and livelihoods.
The development of a national toolkit promised to tackle the issue but was delayed, so Libraries Unlimited took into their own hands to get a truer picture of the charity’s impact. Setting about establishing a structured, data-driven approach to determine their most important activities and ensure future services continue to meet their communities’ wants and needs.
Catherine and the Impact Reporting team have been instrumental in helping us quantify and articulate the true value of our libraries.
Before working with them, we had no structured way of demonstrating our impact beyond anecdotal evidence. Now, we have a framework that not only supports our funding bids but also helps us improve services based on real data.
The insights we’ve gained - especially around our role in relieving pressure on NHS services - are invaluable as we continue to advocate for the importance of libraries in our communities.
Alex Kittow
Chief Executive
The team was relatively new to social value measurement and needed genuine expertise to guide them in taking a meaningful, evidence-based approach. Social value valuation is an emerging field and a lack of understanding can lead to organisations unintentionally making irrelevant or unsubstantiated claims.
Libraries Unlimited were keen to be as robust as possible from the outset, engaging in best practice to ensure that any future investment is channeled in the most rewarding places. Other software tools were explored and proved to be too restrictive – turning to Impact Reporting because of the more rounded value sets captured by the platform.
In particular, the integration of a new measurement framework developed by the team behind Impact Reporting – MeasureUp – gave Libraries Unlimited confidence that ongoing investment in benchmarking lesser-explored wellbeing benefits, such as the value of libraries as warm and welcoming community spaces, provided them with a rich data pool most closely tailored to their needs.
Uniquely, the addition of MeasureUp also puts them on a path of continuous improvement. Helping the organisation to adopt a more mature approach to social value measurement over time and driving progress in this field for the wider arts, culture and heritage sector.
Led by Head of Impact Practice Catherine Manning, Impact Reporting worked closely with Libraries Unlimited to build a comprehensive valuation framework. Catherine, a respected expert in the field, brought a deep understanding of impact management best practices, ensuring the project was rooted in meaningful methodologies.
The process involved a series of workshops with senior leadership, including the CEO, CFO, and Head of Library Services. Through gap analysis and strategic alignment exercises, the team identified six priority areas for measurement: book issues, PC usage, volunteering, Bounce & Rhyme sessions, NHS baby weighing stations and the Arts Council-funded cultural programme.
By embedding these metrics into ongoing reporting, Libraries Unlimited has not only demonstrated its current value but also has the insights it needs to inform future decisions, submit compelling funding applications and shape valuable service improvements.
Since implementing their new measurement framework, Libraries Unlimited has been able to quantify a social value impact of £23.9m for all the communities they serve during the 2023/24 reporting period. From April to December this current financial year, the team has also already tracked an additional £18.8m generated.
Importantly, the library network has been able to highlight just how much pressure it takes off local NHS services through running baby weigh-in stations and loaning blood pressure monitoring devices to support earlier detection of potential health problems. An invaluable, overlooked and far-reaching benefit for all members of the community – whether they are active library users or not.
What’s more, by taking this evidence-based approach Libraries Unlimited is one of a small number of library services in the UK proactively undertaking social impact measurement. Moving forwards, they will continue refining data collection methods, expanding measurement categories and sharing insights with other library networks to encourage sector-wide adoption of impact measurement and more recognition of the true value our libraries deliver.