New Statesman and the Smith Institute [not the Adam Smith Institute] on public libraries

I see that the New Statesman has published the proceedings of a a round-table discussion organised with the Smith Institute, on the future direction of public libraries, held in December.
It says nothing revolutionary; perhaps this is a blessing. The Adam Smith Institute has never been keen on free public access to culture and knowledge [erratum: Eamonn Butler of the Adam Smith Institute points out that they did not organise the seminar, it was in fact the Smith Institute, named after the late John Smith, which exists to promote "the interaction of fairness and enterprise ". Confused? So am I]
I do not know who chose the panel but its membership will surprise no one.
The proceedings take up a mere sixteen pages, but would be even thinner if they were not bulked out with photographs of the contributors. The photographs draw one's attention to their advanced age. To judge by appearances, most are as old as me, if not older; the youngest seems to be David Lammy. Could they not find any young librarians, or library users? And why did it take three months for the report to be published?