New mothers receive a modest bundle of gifts from the state, from nappy packs to the NHS “red book” in which to chart their baby’s health. Now popular British authors including Philip Pullman, Richard Osman and Joanne Harris are lobbying for every newborn child to receive the gift of lifelong access to free literature. The adoption of a national library card scheme, they argue, would also be a significant lever of social reform.
The move is proposed in a major report launched by an independent thinktank this weekend to feed into government policy. Immediate library membership would be linked directly to birth registration and with the work of midwives, health visitors, family hubs and schools, to ensure all families are inducted into the library network. At the moment some children join later, but pilot schemes show that a card issued at birth and promoted by health professionals and nurseries fills an access gap that many infants fall into. Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, has backed the proposal by the Cultural Policy Unit (CPU) proposal as “a brilliant and optimistic plan” and “the most valuable gift to any family with young children”.
The planned card, already under serious consideration by ministers, would be part of a wider drive, dubbed Opportunity Mission in Westminster, which is aimed at bringing young families into local authority amenities and linking them to community support systems, as well as giving the chance to borrow books.
“When countless billions are being spent each year on advancements in AI, and the finessing of social media algorithms, how very welcome, and how very British, to fight back the way we know best – through the power of local communities and through the joy that books can bring to children,” said Osman. The novelist Kate Mosse said: “This is a joyous and timely idea. As we approach the Year of Reading in 2026, and with the knowledge that too many young people have lost the habit of reading for pleasure, the idea that every child might have a library card is wonderful.”
The CPU report, The National Library Card: A Birthright to Library Membership, indicates that a library card is a cost-effective way to boost literacy and build on Britain’s cultural infrastructure as critical social services are hampered by limited funds.
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It is estimated that the scheme would cost between £14m and £22m annually. Research referenced in the report shows that early literacy interventions can save up to £830m per school year group by improving educational attainment and reducing future social costs.
CPU director Alison Cole said: “For many children the joy of independent discovery begins with the thrill of choosing a book that they love from their local library. We want that to be a right for every child in this country, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances.
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