Millions wasted on attempt to create nationwide UK library website, campaigners claim

Former Waterstones boss Tim Coates among those to criticise government, Arts Council and British Library bid to create a ‘single digital presence’ for libraries

The UK’s beleaguered public libraries have been let down by years of indecision and delays over how to spend millions of pounds in funding earmarked for a nationwide website.

This was among damning criticisms voiced on Saturday by campaigners who have lost patience with the government, the British Library and Arts Council England (ACE) over their longstanding failure to develop a nationwide scheme. The “Single Digital Presence” (SDP) – renamed LibraryOn – was meant to bring together public libraries in one website to enable the public to access collections across the country.