Where do political parties stand on the future of Scotland's libraries?

As the 2022 local elections draw ever closer, spokespeople from all five major parties in Scotland lay out their stalls on their vision of the future for and continued maintenance of a precious national asset – our libraries – which plays such an important and varied role in society

Scottish Conservatives

For those people who don’t regularly use libraries, it can be easy to underestimate the huge role they play in the daily lives of millions of Scots – and the huge potential they have to be even more significant.

Libraries are not just a place to borrow books, they are at the heart of local communities.

Campaigners at the Couper Institute Public Hall and Library in August 2021. Picture: John Devlin/NationalWorld

Free, high-quality public libraries are key to addressing so many of Scotland’s most pressing challenges – from the ever-widening attainment gap, to Scotland’s growing digital skills needs, to our cultural recovery from the pandemic.

However, they are being badly let down by the SNP.

I was shocked when a parliamentary question I submitted last month revealed that, under the SNP, one in eight libraries have permanently shut their doors since 2010.

That’s despite the fact demand for public libraries has grown by almost 40 per cent in the same period.

Years of SNP underfunding and out-of-control Holyrood ring-fencing of certain areas of council budgets have eroded the ability of town halls to deliver other key services their communities really need.

And just this year a £251 million real-terms cut from the SNP government will likely leave councils with more tough choices to make over community facilities like libraries.

The Scottish Conservatives are committed to keeping libraries and other vital public services open – but we must also stand up for fairer funding for local councils, in general, in order to ensure the future of public libraries across Scotland.

The Scottish Conservatives are bringing forward a Bill which would force the Scottish Government to give a fixed proportion of their budget towards local authorities, in order to protect funding for local services.

But we also want to reverse the SNP’s rampant centralisation and see councils given more freedom on how to spend their budgets.

According to COSLA, funding pressures on public services such as libraries have been hugely exacerbated by ballooning ring-fenced or ‘protected’ funding over recent years, leaving ‘unprotected’ services such as libraries taking the largest hit.

Only by empowering local councils once again and reversing SNP power-grab ring-fencing, can we end this damaging trend.

The Scottish Conservatives are the only party that is ready to stand up for local priorities and take action on the issues Scots really care about.

We will restore local library services to ensure all Scots have access to free books, learning and internet facilities. And we will review how we can improve libraries even further to develop community hubs in your local area.

But more than that, we will continue to push the SNP to give councils fair funding and put an end to damaging local government cuts, in order to protect Scotland’s libraries in the years to come.

Miles Briggs, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government

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Scottish Labour

Libraries are at the heart of communities across Scotland, but they are stretched to breaking point after years of cuts under the SNP government.

Over the last decade a shameful £250 million pounds has been stripped away from libraries in Scotland, leaving communities across the country facing immense challenges, devastating cuts, and potential closures.

Once again, the SNP’s hypocrisy can be seen from space.

They talk about prioritising education, while threatening the phenomenal educational work libraries do.

They say closing the attainment gap is their “defining mission”, but they are decimating local libraries which do so much to level the playing field.

The First Minister talks about her love of books - but while libraries in her own back yard are struggling for survival.

Scottish Labour councillors and MSPs have been proud to stand with determined communities campaigning to save local libraries under threat of closure over recent months.

The pandemic cannot be allowed to provide cover for the closure of libraries, and we will continue to fight to see all libraries reopened and restored, so that every part of Scotland can benefit from the huge range of services that libraries deliver.

We cannot underestimate the crucial role libraries can play in building the brighter future we are all hoping for.