Scottish Government support for library projects
Winning bids announced.
Over 30 public and school libraries across Scotland have been awarded Scottish Government funding to deliver a range of innovative projects including initiatives to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development.
The Public Library Improvement Fund and the School Library Improvement Fund are annual awards set up by the Scottish Government and administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council. This year nearly £400,000 has been awarded through the two funds.
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.
Funds 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 the Scottish Library and Information Council, said:
“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.”
Background
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 by the Scottish Government in 2017.
The Scottish Library and Information Council 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.
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
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School Library Improvement Fund awards
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| Aberdeen School: Dyce Academy Project: Hear a Story / Tell a Story Award: £4,000
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| School(s): Aberdeen City Libraries / Harlaw Academy with Holocaust Educational Trust Erika's suitcase Award: £8,000
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| Angus School: Arbroath Academy plus others Project: OPEN – a book, your eyes, your world Award: £1,630 |
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| Borders School: Arbroath Academy plus others Project: OPEN – a book, your eyes, your world Award: £1,630
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| School: Eyemouth High Project: Get Woke Award: £8,150
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| Dumfries and Galloway School: North-West Community Campus NWCC Project: Bringing Diversity, Racial Equality to the NWCC Young adult Book Group Award: £8,150 |
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| East Lothian School: Musselburgh Grammar Project Award: Digital Storybag Award: £4,900
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| School: Lethams Mains Primary with EL Council Project Award: The Borrowers Bus Award: £9,000
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| Falkirk School: Bonnybridge Primary Project: Bonnybooks: For a’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns Award: £24,940
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| Fife School: Bell Baxter Cluster Project: Racial Equality Transition Project Award: £9,000
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| School: Carleton Primary Project: The Same Page – connecting families to promote diversity and equality. Award: £5,500
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| 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
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| Moray School: Forres Academy Project: Equality, Inclusion, Diversity, and a Mentally Healthy School Award: £3,750
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| North Ayrshire School: Auchenharvie cluster and Strathclyde Uni Project: Keep the Heid’n’Read Even Mair! Award: £16,400
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| Perth and Kinross School: Breadalbane Community Library/Breadalbane Academy Project: Read It Racism Award: £4,220
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| 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
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| 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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