New National Report Shows Young People’s Involvement in Decision-Making and Co-Creation Benefits Communities and Libraries
In a recent national report released by Libraries Rising, it has been revealed that involving young people in decision-making and co-creation leads to stronger outcomes for communities, libraries, and the young people themselves. The report highlights the significant potential for young people to shape future library practices and inform national policy development.
According to the report, only one in five young people believe that adults running the country are truly listening to them. However, the national evaluation conducted by Libraries Rising found that 94% of the young people involved in a library co-creation program felt that their voice was genuinely heard and valued. These young people are now hoping that decision-makers will take notice of their ideas and suggestions.
The findings of the report are based on the Libraries Rising Youth Engagement Network, which brought together 236 young people and 20 library services across England. Together, they collaborated as equal partners to design and shape library services. The report provides strong evidence that co-creation, which gives young people meaningful influence over decisions that affect them, delivers measurable benefits for both young people and public services. It also strengthens relationships and improves how services are designed and delivered, making them more inclusive and relevant to young people’s needs.
The report also includes the voices of young people involved in the Youth Engagement Network, who shared their experiences and insights. Among the young people involved, 94% felt that their voice was truly listened to, 92% felt more welcome in their library, 85% felt proud of their achievements, 77% gained new skills and knowledge, and 61% said they would visit the library more often than before.
The impact of the Youth Engagement Network was equally beneficial for library staff. 88% reported greater empathy towards children and young people, 81% said they could confidently identify what successful co-creation looks like, 75% felt more able to demonstrate the value of co-created work, and 56% felt more confident delivering co-created projects.
The report also highlights the empowering and positive effects of co-creation on young people and library staff. One young participant shared, “Something new that I didn’t know before is… you can use the library for free.” A library staff member also expressed their thoughts on the program, saying, “It’s enabled a group that feels that there are barriers in their lives anyway, to find somewhere that they feel valued and that they feel slightly more understood, that there aren’t specific expectations on them as such.”
Libraries Rising Chief Executive, Tabitha Witherick Macaulay, stated, “One of the most impactful takeaways was just how strongly young people engaged throughout the whole process. In many cases, this helped challenge wider perceptions of young people’s interest in libraries, including their enthusiasm to continue working with services beyond the initial activity. By building trust and taking a flexible approach to what can be achieved, the program has demonstrated the value of co-creation as a model for meaningful engagement with young people. The key is to start the conversation, and to truly listen.”
Libraries Rising has also created a toolkit for library staff to help them incorporate co-creation into their work. The organization is now calling for co-creation to become a core approach across the library sector, ensuring that young people have a meaningful role in shaping the services designed for them.
To learn more about the Youth Engagement Network and Libraries Rising, please visit https://librariesrising.org.uk/what-we-do/youth-engagement-network/.
