Su and John went to the British Library for one of their first dates. When they got married this year, they arranged to have wedding photographs taken at the Library. Su is in PR and John is a consultant.  

Su 

We went to a British Library Late event, the Algorave, on one of our first dates. I was a Library Member, so I saw that the event was happening and I invited him. In the end, we didn’t spend too much time at the rave because there were so many other things going on at the Library. We actually spent quite a bit of the evening in the Treasures Gallery, and by the time we got onto the dance floor, it was almost the end of the night. One of the reasons I remember that date so clearly was because I felt we were getting a bit more serious about each other.  

That was back in 2019. We got married in late March in 2024. After he proposed, we went to the Library’s Fantasy exhibition. I was really looking forward to that exhibition as well, so to be there, engaged, wearing my new ring, made it very memorable. John saw an edition of The Hobbit on display that he had when he was a kid.  

We took wedding photos at the British Library 

The reason I invited John to the Library event in the first place was that early on, we discovered that we had a shared love of books. I did English Literature for A-Level and I love fiction. At that point, John was new to London, and he was very keen to explore the city. I had been here for close to ten years, and I’d become a bit blasé about what was available. The fact that he was interested made me interested too.  

We had a small wedding at Abney Park in Stoke Newington. In the middle of the park there’s a chapel; I think they only finished refurbishing it in January 2024. The day of the wedding was quite hectic: we crammed a lot in. We took wedding photos at the Natural History Museum, at a bookshop on Charing Cross Road, in Chinatown and at the Library. Our whole relationship has been based around these key spots in London. Even though I had nice heels on, I only ended up wearing them for five minutes, for the photos, and then I was just running around with my sneakers on. 

The Library is a meaningful place for us 

I had two bridesmaids, one of whom I’ve known since my first day of secondary school. Her sister played the guitar as we walked down the aisle: ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys. Another friend baked the wedding cake. I’m glad I got my wedding dress second-hand, because the weather was awful; it was very muddy in Abney Park and it was a long dress. But because I hadn’t spent too much, I wasn’t very worried about it.  

The Library is a meaningful place for us. I think it’s quite special that there is this kind of resource in London, a national library where you can go and see exhibitions, or hang out. London will be our home for the next few years; there’s still a lot that we want to do and see here. For now, we’re just enjoying being married.  

John 

Our date at the Algorave might possibly have been my first visit to the British Library. Since then, we’ve been there a lot; we often go to see the temporary exhibitions. We decided to do a photo shoot there on the day of our wedding because it’s a special location for us.  

We have a lot of interests in common; we love photography; we like to read. We travel a lot; we go to a lot of exhibitions; we see shows; we really take advantage of the opportunities that London has to offer. The pandemic put our relationship to the test, and it’s come out pretty well because we’re married. We’re still enjoying the same things that we always have.  

We went to see the Fantasy exhibition, which felt appropriate 

I think we had a strong bond from the start. Our birthdays are in the same week, and shortly after our first set of birthday celebrations, Su became ill with appendicitis. Of course, I brought her stuff while she was in the hospital, and that’s when the relationship became more serious.  

I proposed at Sketch, a restaurant in Mayfair. The Christmas decorations were up, so it looked like a wintry fantasy paradise. Afterwards, we went to see the Fantasy exhibition, which felt kind of appropriate. I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction when I was younger.   

I’m happy with the life we have in London 

I think we were one of the first marriages at the chapel in Abney Park since the refurbishment. It’s a non-denominational Victorian chapel with a mix of architectural elements; it’s a big folly, basically. It was pretty terrible weather on the day, but the green setting was important to us; we do a lot of hiking together. Afterwards, we had dinner at the pub next door; it was very much a neighbourhood affair. We went to the Cotswolds for our mini-moon.  

Being based in London, with access to so many different cultural activities, is still very exciting. I’m happy with the life that we have here. There’ll be kids down the line; for the time being, we’re just having a good time.  

As told to Lucy Peters 

LibraryOn works to increase digital and physical visits to libraries by showcasing all the great things they offer. Based at the British Library, the programme is delivered by an agile team creating a website that includes a library map, events listings and special collections content.

LibraryOn has recently concluded two rounds of grant funding to public libraries. Through Arts Council England investment, the programme awarded just under £1.5m to 48 capital projects in 2023/24. The fund was shaped by public libraries to ensure it supported their digital needs. A comprehensive evaluation has now been published looking at the impact of funded activity on libraries and their users. The report will be used to help shape future digital development for the library sector.

The report is packed with case studies, quotes from applicants and useful tips for libraries hoping to deliver similar projects. It also contains an evaluation into how the grant programme was administrated and suggests some takeaways about the overall status of digital development in the library sector.

What did the funding deliver?

Awards focused on increasing the digital impact of public libraries, supporting users and encouraging non-users to engage.

Case studies include:

• Blackpool upgraded their 20 year old library management system to a new cloud based system, making their services more accessible and user-friendly.
• West Sussex commissioned photography and films to demonstrate the impact of library services on users’ lives.
• Camden collaborated with the RNIB to make e-books more accessible to blind and partially sighted users.
• Brighton and Hove created a digital marketing campaign to attract younger users and highlight the range of digital resources available to users new and old.

National reach of projects

The grants benefitted 53% of English public library services, including those who applied through consortia. That means 1,524 individual branches were reached, helping to maximise public investment and supporting libraries to strengthen their digital offer across the country.

This infographic shows where the projects happened and how much investment went into each area:

The Community of Practice

Alongside the grants programme LibraryOn also ran a Community of Practice, co-designed by projects to help share learning and progress. This included a series of expert sessions, suggested by libraries to help support digital practice. Open to the library sector, these have included the following topics. Click the links to view recordings of the sessions.

• Accessible Websites and User Journeys
• Telling Stories with Data
• Social Media Surgery
• Why Digital Inclusion Matters
• Library Data, Visualised
• AI for Public Libraries
• Projects 101 – Building Partnerships and Getting Funding.

Linking to a major new report into library engagement

The evaluation chimes with the Barriers to Library Use report (PDF, 1.7kb), published by DCMS / IPSOS in October last year. This report aimed to understand reasons for people not using public libraries and provide suggestions for boosting engagement.

LibraryOn’s grant funded activity supported many of the report’s suggested actions. New and updated websites, for instance, give users greater clarity on the variety of their library’s offer. Through virtual tours, people know what to expect before physically visiting. Video content showcasing classes, events and the space itself demonstrate that libraries are modern, relevant and full of life.

By creating a single digital front door for libraries, LibraryOn’s core site also helps to address the report’s conclusions. Linking the site to the digital presences of libraries across the country, many of which were upgraded by LibraryOn grants funding, allows LibraryOn to showcase what libraries offer, challenge perceptions and create a pathway to engagement via the Find a Library map. The recent refresh of the site also features event integration with the intention to offer this for all libraries.

What people are saying

Lisa Mustoe, successful applicant and Library Service Manager for Merton Library and Heritage Service, is quoted in the evaluation: ‘The promotional film has been instrumental in enhancing online discoverability and access for users through various initiatives and outreach. By showcasing the library’s resources and accessibility, the film has simplified the process for both current and potential users to find, and engage with the library, ultimately strengthening its presence in the community.’

Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian at the British Library, said: ‘At the British Library we want to help libraries across the country benefit from digital technologies and make it easier for library users to discover the wealth of resources, activities and support that libraries have to offer.

We were delighted to receive so many fantastic applications for LibraryOn grants and it highlights how dedicated library staff are to engaging with their local communities and helping their services to meet the needs of library users, through projects that bring the benefits of technology into libraries.’

Luke Burton, Director Libraries, Arts Council England said: ‘Public libraries are vital to their communities and a strong digital offer ensures the widest possible reach for their resources. Arts Council England has been investing in the development of LibraryOn as a national platform serving public libraries nationwide for some years. We’re delighted that some of this investment has directly supported library services across the country to boost their own online offer and visibility while improving access for their customers as well as enabling library staff to gain new skills.’

As part of its role as the custodian of the UK’s documentary heritage, the British Library frequently acquires items of significance to the nation. Thanks to the support of the British Library Collections Trust, curators recently acquired a unique 16th-century broadside mandate proclaiming Henry VIII’s supremacy (C.194.c.125).  

Issued in 1535 by the Bishop of Lincoln, it’s the earliest known printed evidence of a bishop’s support for the Reformation in England. It joins a rich collection of books and manuscripts relating to Henry VIII already held at the British Library, most notably Henry’s own book collection in the Old Royal Library.

The mandate asserting the Supremacy of King Henry VIII (C.194.c.125)

The Act of Supremacy was passed by Parliament in 1534, declaring Henry VIII supreme head on earth of the Church of England. In early June 1535, Henry VIII’s chief secretary, Thomas Cromwell sent a circular letter to all bishops in England and Wales.  

It contained an order for the bishops to declare Henry’s new title during all Sunday services as well as on high feast days. The bishops were also asked to spread these directives to all clergymen and schoolmasters in their dioceses. Complying with the orders was a matter of life and death: one of their own, the Bishop of Rochester, was awaiting his imminent execution for failing to support the king.  

The Bishop of Lincoln faced a particularly difficult task as the Lincoln diocese was one of the largest, both in area and number of parishes, and reaching everyone by manuscript letters alone proved challenging. Therefore, as the bishop explains in a letter to Cromwell, he had 2,000 copies of the mandate printed as a broadside. The British Library’s mandate is the only known copy to survive.  

Written in Latin and English, the mandate was directed both at the clergy and at parishioners. Used as the basis for sermons, it is also possible that the broadside would have been pinned up inside the church for everyone to see.

The text reveals the meticulous and ruthless detail with which Henry’s supremacy was enforced in the 1530s. Not only was every ‘true chrysten subject’ obliged to ‘recognise the kynges hyghnes to be supreme heed in erthe of the churche of England [recognise the King’s Highness to be Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England]’.  

They also had to ‘teache theyr chyldren and servants’ that the ‘bysshop of Rome [the Pope]’ has ‘usurped, not onely upon god, but also upon princes of this realme and theyr progenitours’.  

Consequently, any mention of the word ‘pope’ was to be erased from books. Indeed, today many books bear the traces of such deletions. For example, in a Polycronicon copy printed by William Caxton in 1482, someone has blacked out all mentions of the word ‘pope’.

Deletions of the word ‘pope’ in Ranulph Higden’s Polycronicon (IB. 55058)

Now sitting within the British Library’s rich Printed Heritage Collections, this unique mandate sheds light onto how printed material became a site of profound political and religious shifts during this tumultuous period in English history.  

By Alyssa Steiner
Curator, Printed Heritage Collections