Knowledge and the economy

• The creative industries are worth nearly 10% UK GDP. They are growing at 9% a year.
• Over half of all UK online centres are located in public libraries.
• Four out of five of the UK’s top tourist attractions are museums.

Museums, libraries and archives are storehouses of knowledge that can help promote regeneration, the built environment, cultural tourism and the creative industries.

New and growing businesses use our resources to stimulate creativity and intelligence and more effective management. And our sector delivers a range of services to meet the 2005 e-government targets.

Case studies

Finding Jobs: Halewood Library

At the start of 2003 Harry Brown, a resident of Halewood who had recently lost his job, became a regular user of ICT facilities provided at Halewood library. Harry visited the branch two or three times a week for a number of months. During this time, he was assisted by staff to become proficient with the equipment and resources, gaining skills in word processing, email, and internet researching. Such skills and knowledge were crucial as he sought to gain employment within the local area. With this in mind, staff at the library helped Harry to access web sites of local employers who were likely to offer suitable positions. In August of this year he was successful in obtaining a position in the education department of Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, as an officer monitoring school attendance.

Harry still visits the library to access emails and browse the internet. He has, on more than one occasion, expressed his gratitude to the library regarding his success in his job search, and for the new experiences that he is enjoying due to his increased understanding of information communication technology.

Supporting local industry: Birmingham's Regeneration Project

The Creation Zone project is providing Birmingham's jewellery trade with ideas and inspiration through a dynamic information portal which showcases the West Midlands jewellery sector. The portal provides an image bank, resources, research, training, careers advice and e-learning for businesses and those working or studying in the sector. The project is part of the £1million Advantage West Midlands Libraries Challenge Programme managed by MLA West Midlands.

A Regional Flagship: Norfolk Library

The Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library is located at the Forum, a landmark Millennium building designed by Architects Michael Hopkins & Partners. Alongside the library is ‘Origins’ – a Heritage visitor attraction, a café, restaurant, tourist information and a range of creative organisations. As one of the finest regional public libraries in the country, the library offers resources and facilities to support traditional and new users, from all walks of life, including 120,000 books to suit all tastes, 85 PCs with free internet, email and office software, 220 study spaces, access to CD Roms and community information database, music scores and CDs, videos and DVDs.

Regeneration in Cornwall: National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall is being celebrated as fantastic addition to Falmouth’s waterfront and to Cornwall’s cultural heritage. As one of the top ten buildings in CABE’s SWMLAC has been enriching the region’s Better Public Building Awards’ this year, the museum’s stunning architecture and innovative exhibitions have caught the public’s imagination and provided a major boost to the local economy. The museum is expected to attract around 150,000 visitors a year. It is acting as a catalyst for innovation and skills training, leading in the regeneration of the Falmouth area and promoting an understanding of the maritime heritage of Cornwall.

New Deal for Communities project: Tower Hamlets

The Ragged School Museum in Tower Hamlets is a partner in the Ocean Estate Pathfinder site for the New Deal for Communities (NDC), a key programme in the Government’s strategy to tackle multiple deprivation in the poorest neighbourhoods in the country. The project will result in a collection of contemporary material resulting from the regeneration of the Ocean Estate area. It will support a wider understanding of the personal and social issues such as employment and health that underlie the NDC delivery themes, as well as promoting a positive identity for the community, and providing an internship programme of training for work in the cultural and creative sector.

Revitalising Rural Areas: Bowes Museum

Bowes Museum is one of the largest employers in Barnard Castle , with some 50 members of staff catering for over 75,000 visitors. The museum is a part of Teesdale Marketing Consortium, promoting the area as a destination for group travel. Thanks to their ‘Discover Teesdale’ project, visits to the region are on the rise. Initiatives include a new marketing strategy, the creation of a portal on the n-e-life.com website, access to broadband technology for e-commerce, and new transport and parking improvements. The museum itself has improved transport links from Darlington Railway station, and has established a regular bus service to the area from Tyneside.