Scotland has a proud history of public libraries, going back to 1883 and the foundation of the first Carnegie library in the world in Dunfermline (it’s still open today, and runs regular Scottish Book Trust Bookbug sessions).
While undertaking a research project about post-pandemic reading in Scotland – published in our Reading in Scotland report – the Scottish Book Trust found many people who rely on, and love, their local library. The study found 75% of people surveyed used the library to get print books for themselves before the pandemic restrictions, and 94% of those with children used the library to get print books for them.
Libraries of course offer access to books for free, but they also offer unique opportunities for their community. Research from the Scottish Library and Information Council and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals shows that libraries help alleviate social isolation, reduce the attainment gap, reach a strongly diversified audience across all protected characteristics, offer safe spaces for people to remain indefinitely without expectation of payment, provide free computers and Wi-Fi to help people get online, access other services and support, and apply for jobs. and directly impact positive mental health and wellbeing.
In terms of economic and sustainable development, public libraries act as anchor institutions, meaning they provide cultural and social infrastructure regeneration to their local communities. Libraries are also key to promoting digital accessibility – particularly in more rural or isolated areas – helping to close the UK’s digital skills gap which costs the economy an estimated £63bn annually.
Despite continuous community support, there have been consistent and acute cuts to funding for public libraries. In the decade from 2008 to 2018, Scottish public libraries faced a 14% decrease, taking us from 604 open libraries down to 521. Since 2010, more than 1 in 8 public libraries in Scotland have been forced to close. Funding over the same period was cut by 30%, even though annual visitor numbers increased by over 40%. Estimates suggest that every £1 invested in libraries returns between £5 and £7 – a staggering return of between £5bn and £6bn a year for the UK economy.
There is profound public concern around these cuts and closures, as reflected in the Reading in Scotland report, with one person telling us: “I grew up in poverty, so the local library was essential for me. I worry for children today with so many libraries closing.”
More than just the sheer joy of disappearing into a brilliant story, books bring many benefits to people’s lives. Incredibly, research has found that whether or not a child enjoys reading is more important to their educational success than their family background. In other words, reading for pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s future success, boosting attainment across the curriculum as well as supporting wellbeing, empathy and critical thinking skills. For adults, reading supports wellbeing, reduces stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation, and even reduces symptoms of dementia.
Scotland still has just over 500 public libraries in operation around the country, providing invaluable services to each of their communities. The Scottish Book Trust works closely with many of these, reaching out to people all across Scotland with programmes like Live Literature, which brings the magic of author events to communities, Bookbug, which supports young families through stories, songs, and rhymes, Digital Storytelling, which helps people tell their own stories, Reading Schools, our accreditation programme for schools, and Book Week Scotland, our annual celebration of books and reading.
The consistent cuts to funding for public libraries, compounded with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, means accessing books is harder than ever for many people across Scotland. The impact of this lasts a lifetime – both for the economy, and for the people themselves. Without books and libraries, people are missing out.
Éadaoín Lynch is research and evaluation manager at the Scottish Book Trust
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