A partnership that threw open the doors of three Leicestershire university libraries to the public has driven hundreds of new memberships.
New figures reveal the Open Libraries project has attracted thousands of visits from local residents, prompting its inclusion as a case study of success in a national report, and recognition at two major national events.
The initiative, launched in February 2025 through the Universities Partnership between De Montfort University (DMU), the University of Leicester and Loughborough University, has transformed access to academic library resources for anyone over 18 living, working or studying in Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland.
The partnership, which also involves Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and Rutland County Council, gives local residents free membership of all three university libraries. Members can borrow up to 10 books at a time, access specialist academic collections, and use open study spaces seven days a week.
Since starting in February 2025, the scheme has attracted 1,708 new members across the three universities, with the University of Leicester welcoming 1,010 new members, DMU 328, and Loughborough 370.
That compares to an average of between two and seven public joiners per month across the partnership before the campaign began. Across the partnership, 3,548 books have been loaned to external members since the start of 2025, while Loughborough University Library alone has recorded 2,393 visits from members of the public over the past 12 months.
Now the success of the initiative has been recognised at a national level, with the Open Libraries partnership selected as a featured case study in Agents for Change: Libraries and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a major report published by SCONUL, which represents the academic and research library community in the UK and Ireland.
The initiative was also showcased at the official launch of the Libraries Alliance at the British Academy in London in April 2026, an event bringing together library leaders, politicians and policymakers, and featured as the opening presentation at the Research Libraries UK annual conference.
The Agents for Change report highlights the scheme as an example of how university libraries can directly support UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by breaking down barriers between institutions and their local communities.
The report quotes Helen Young, Deputy Director of Library Services at Loughborough University, on the scheme's collaborative spirit: "There's that drive to use information effectively for society's benefit. We speak the same language."
DMU's own library service also features prominently in the report as a standalone case study, recognised for its national and international leadership on the SDGs, including DMU's role as Global Impact Hub for SDG 11, sustainable cities and communities.
Dr Simon Dixon, Associate Director for Community and Heritage at the University of Leicester, said: "By opening our doors more widely, we're creating opportunities for people to discover new ideas, reconnect with learning, and see universities as a resource that belongs to everyone."
Alan Brine, Deputy Director of Library and Student Services at DMU, described the Open Libraries initiative as a natural extension of the university's civic mission.
He said: "All of the units came together and said, right, let's put something together. We just say to the public, you can go in any university you like."
The Open Libraries project also aligns with the National Year of Reading 2026, a UK-wide Department for Education campaign calling on individuals, organisations and communities to make reading a regular part of everyday life. Find out more at goallin.org.uk.
To join the Open Libraries scheme, sign up at universitiespartnership.org/open-libraries.
universitiespartnership.org/open-libraries.
Posted on Tuesday 16 June 2026