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The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 applies to England and Wales though the Secretary of State only exercises their powers in relation to England. Powers for Wales including the approval of library byelaws have been transferred to Welsh Government Ministers. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.

These model library byelaws, supersede those published in August 2017. They are intended to help public libraries deliver their service within a safe and comfortable environment, to safeguard library property and to make libraries places everyone can enjoy. They assist the library workforce in their daily role, can be used when necessary to deal with disruptive behaviour and allow for flexibility in dealing with local concerns.

They only apply to statutory libraries. If a local authority is unsure whether the byelaws could be used in a particular type of public library, outside of its statutory provision, it should seek its own internal legal advice.

There is no requirement for local authorities to amend their existing library byelaws. However, it is recommended that any local authority wishing to do so should adopt this new model template that has been agreed following close consultation between DCMS and Libraries Connected. If a local authority chooses to adopt library byelaws, they must seek approval from DCMS and details of the process are set out in the document titled 鈥淚ntroduction and Process鈥� shown on this page.

All local authorities must display copies of all their approved public library byelaws in every library building and mobile library maintained by them and used by the public