Scottish libraries ‘endangered’ by years of cuts, new report finds

A new report showing the crucial role public libraries play in Scottish life, has also warned of the toll decades of funding cuts and closures are taking on both the library service and the communities they serve.

Published by the Scottish Book Trust, The value and impact of Scotland’s public libraries report shares the findings from extensive independent research based on surveys of 2,000 library users and 300 staff from across Scotland.

Evidence from the research has highlighted the ‘profound, wide-ranging’ impact that public libraries offer their communities helping to remove inequity and bridge gaps for those facing increased poverty, digital inequality, the cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing consequences of the Covid pandemic.

The majority of survey respondents reported that their library not only inspired their love of reading and saved them money but also offered a safe ‘haven’ in their community.

Further evidence demonstrated how libraries are filling their communities’ ‘unmet needs’, tackling literacy issues among children and young people, providing further education and learning opportunities for users at all stages of life and helping improve digital poverty, with users referring to their libraries as a ‘lifeline for digital access’.

Describing libraries as ‘endangered’, the report stressed the impact of funding cuts and closures with 1 in 8 libraries closing to the public since 2008.

The report concludes with six recommendations including calling on the Scottish Government to publish a ‘clear legal definition’ of what an ‘adequate’ public library service should be and empowering local authorities with sufficient funding and resource to ‘uphold the standard’.

To read the The value and impact of Scotland’s public libraries report, please visit the Scottish Book Trust’s website