Grants
round three

This project will upgrade St Helen’s Library Management System to Aspen with the LiDA mobile app to enhance customer registration and resource discoverability. The project modernises the front-facing portal, streamlining new member onboarding and improving catalogue search functionality. Integration of Hublet tablets and self-service machines will create a seamless customer journey, bridging digital exploration with physical visits. This transformation aims to reduce staff workload, increase user independence, and provide a contemporary library experience that meets modern expectations for accessibility and convenience.

This project will commission London Borough of Sutton’s Library App provider to develop a challenges feature on their children’s app, to digitise the Summer in Sutton reading and wellbeing challenge, piloted in 2025. This year, the traditional Summer Reading Challenge was expanded by creating a challenge for children that engaged them in several ways to wellbeing. They completed challenges across four categories: reading, physical activity, mindfulness and culture and creativity. SOLUS will integrate this challenge into the app for 2026, making it even more engaging. Once developed, SOLUS will offer this feature to library services nationally for free.

Vision Redbridge will develop a conversational AI agent that utilises large language models to engage lapsed or non-readers aged 18 and above. Using the behavioural change principles of Nudge, this innovative multilingual AI agent guides users through an intuitive journey, increasing discoverability and interacting with them to ask important questions that encourage those who feel that reading and libraries are not for them to develop new and improved reading habits. Users can choose to interact via text or voice, with voice interaction enhancing accessibility for non-English speakers, individuals who are visually impaired or blind, and those who find textual forms overwhelming.

This project develops a new online service to make renewing library membership accounts simpler and more convenient. At present, members must visit a library and speak with staff to renew their account. This project will enable eligible members to complete straightforward membership renewals themselves online, directly through the library catalogue, with just a click of a button. The new system will save time for both customers and staff, making it easier for members to stay connected with library services. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to improving digital access and enhancing the overall customer experience.

This project will offer virtual tours of 28 libraries. The tours will help build awareness of the layout of the buildings and raise familiarity for people ahead of visiting, particularly among those who might otherwise lack the confidence to do so. The tours will show that libraries are welcoming and accessible by showing where parking spaces are located as well as resources including helpdesks. The project will improve accessibility information on the website, enabling further collaboration with LibraryOn by sharing the content and help support the aim of a stronger national online presence.