Support our Libraries: Government offers up £400,000 to support innovate projects
The Public Library Improvement Fund and the School Library Improvement Fund are annual awards set up by the government and administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).
Sustainable projects backed by the Public Library Improvement Fund include East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure’s The Root Cause Project, which received £14,240 to transform an outdoor space at Thornliebank library into a sustainable community allotment and multi-functional space.
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Hide AdFunds for school libraries were awarded to projects championing anti-racism and anti-discrimination.
These included Prestwick Academy Library and Ayr Academy Library’s project Read Woke Primaries to curate a wider range of contemporary fiction written by, and about, people from minority groups.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “Libraries play a key role in our communities and our schools and projects funded through these awards will help to improve the services they can offer.
“Promoting sustainability is integral to our Net Zero ambitions to tackle climate change and our public libraries are an important focal point for conversations and taking action.
“And as part of our wider approach to creating anti-racist environments in school, it is great to see school libraries engaging our young people on the importance of belonging, inclusion and social justice.”
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive at SLIC, added: “As we begin to rebuild our society following the pandemic, school and public libraries are an essential part of the recovery process to ensure our future social and economic well-being.
“We’re particularly proud to provide funding awards to projects that promote sustainable development in public libraries and champion anti-racism and anti-discrimination across school libraries as examples of how libraries can make a valuable contribution to Scotland’s social fabric.”
Funds have been awarded annually to public libraries since 2006 through the Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix which became the Public Library Improvement Fund in 2014. The School Library Improvement Fund was launched in 2017.
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Hide AdSLIC is the advisory body to the Scottish Government and its role is to support and promote the social and economic development of Scotland’s communities. The total amount for projects from the two funds comes to £398,142.
Message from Catherine Salmond, Editor, Scotland on Sunday
In 2021, we made a commitment to fight for the future of Scotland’s libraries – to stand up for their vital work, tell the stories of those who use and rely on them and push for their futures at every turn.
Throughout 2022, that pledge remains and today I am delighted to see financial backing for so many of our libraries come from the Scottish Government.
Our campaign has gathered a lot of attention and support from industry experts and prominent literary figures who, like us, believe libraries should be put at the heart of Scotland’s post-pandemic recovery.
No greater has the need been for access to reliable information and IT for the thousands of Scots attempting to navigate themselves – financially and emotionally – out of the pandemic and the challenging circumstances it has placed so many of us in.
Ian Rankin wrote last year that the closure of libraries during the pandemic was “a bitter pill”.
Assurances have been given by the Scottish Government that those remaining closed libraries will reopen their doors in 2022. We welcome this and will push for this to be as prompt as possible. Libraries are, after all, essential to the fabric of society.
Public Library Improvement Fund awards
Leisure and Culture Dundee - Libraries
Fintry Tool Library
Amount awarded: £1,404
East Lothian Libraries
Libraries at Play
Amount awarded: £5,500
East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure – Libraries
The Root Cause Project
Amount awarded: £14,240
High Life Highland – Libraries
Books and Beats
Amount Awarded: £5,500
Inverclyde Libraries in partnership with Barnardo’s
Play Together
Amount awarded: £17,600
North Ayrshire Libraries
What’s Your Story – 22 for 22
Amount awarded: £29,800
Culture Perth & Kinross – Libraries
Culture & Heritage Connections
Amount awarded: £14,800
South Ayrshire Libraries
Jock Tamson’s Bairns
Amount Awarded: £9,200
South Ayrshire Libraries
Climate for Change
Amount Awarded: £26,610
Stirling Libraries in partnership with Stirling University
Making a Difference
Amount Awarded: £46,568
West Dunbartonshire Libraries
Towards a Sustainable Future
Amount Awarded: £21,435
West Lothian Libraries in partnership with Heriot Watt University
Eco-Ableism
Amount Awarded: £6,000
Total: £198,657
School Library Improvement Fund awards
Aberdeen
School: Dyce Academy
Project: Hear a Story / Tell a Story
Award: £4,000
School(s): Aberdeen City Libraries / Harlaw Academy with
Holocaust Educational Trust Erika's suitcase
Award: £8,000
Angus
School: Arbroath Academy plus others
Project: OPEN – a book, your eyes, your world
Award: £1,630
Borders
School: Arbroath Academy plus others
Project: OPEN – a book, your eyes, your world
Award: £1,630
School: Eyemouth High
Project: Get Woke
Award: £8,150
Dumfries and Galloway
School: North-West Community Campus NWCC
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Hide AdProject: Bringing Diversity, Racial Equality to the NWCC Young adult Book Group
Award: £8,150
East Lothian
School: Musselburgh Grammar
Project Award: Digital Storybag
Award: £4,900
School: Lethams Mains Primary with EL Council
Project Award: The Borrowers Bus
Award: £9,000
Falkirk
School: Bonnybridge Primary
Project: Bonnybooks: For a’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns
Award: £24,940
Fife
School: Bell Baxter Cluster
Project: Racial Equality Transition Project
Award: £9,000
School: Carleton Primary
Project: The Same Page – connecting families to promote diversity and equality.
Award: £5,500
Glasgow
School: St Albert’s Primary School & Barrowland Ballet
Project: We can be Heroes
Award: £11,120
School: Barmulloch Primary & ALN
Project: Digital and Family Learning Hub
Award: £13,000
School: Lourdes Secondary
Project: Inclusive Storytelling for Healthy Minds
Award: £15,870
Moray
School: Forres Academy
Project: Equality, Inclusion, Diversity, and a Mentally Healthy School
Award: £3,750
North Ayrshire
School: Auchenharvie cluster and Strathclyde Uni
Project: Keep the Heid’n’Read Even Mair!
Award: £16,400
Perth and Kinross
School: Breadalbane Community Library/Breadalbane Academy
Project: Read It Racism
Award: £4,220
South Ayrshire
School(s): Prestwick Academy Library and Ayr Academy Library (in collaboration with 9 primary school libraries)
Project: Read Woke Primaries
Award: £44,000
South Lanarkshire
Schools: St Andrew’s and St Bride’s High
Project: Equal Voices using anti-racist and diverse texts in extra-curricular group discussion
Award: £5,125
Total: £199,485
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