Librarians in plea over 'never before seen cuts'

Many Scottish councils have proposed library closures, reducing opening hours and staff cuts

Librarians are asking the Scottish government for urgent support over "severe cuts" to services proposed by several councils.

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Scotland (CILIPS) has written to Finance Secretary Shona Robison warning of cuts at a level "never seen before".

A number of cash-strapped local authorities have proposed permanent closures, staff cuts and a reduction in opening hours.

Libraries earmarked for closure include 13 in Aberdeenshire, seven in Moray and five in Perth and Kinross.

Councils say fewer people are using libraries and they are accessing books and information in new ways.

However, six facilities were saved in North Lanarkshire in October, after the council reversed an earlier decision to close them.

'Uncharted territory'

Sean McNamara, director of CILIPS, said the level of cuts was "something we've never seen before in Scotland".

He described the council proposals as "uncharted territory".

Councils have a legal obligation to provide library services.

They have suggested mitigations, such as click-and-collect services and mobile libraries, as an alternative way of delivering library provisions.

But Mr McNamara considers these useful add-ons, not adequate replacements to libraries staffed by professional librarians.

Sean McNamara has consulted numerous campaigning groups on behalf of CILIPS

He said: "Losing these libraries as well as losing opening hours in different parts of the country would have a huge impact."

The plans would go against a lot of the Scottish government priorities - including growing the economy, tackling the climate emergency and eradicating child poverty.

Mr McNamara continued: "All of these things libraries play a key part in."

Several campaign groups have been fighting against proposed closures in various areas, with the most recent protest taking place in Moray.

"It's offering some real hope and it shows how much the Scottish public value the libraries," Mr McNamara said.

'Easy target'

Richard Rutnagur is a part of Save Our Rural Libraries, a group formed by residents from Auchterarder, Birnam, Comrie and Scone.

They are trying to stop the closure of five libraries in Perth and Kinross.

Mr Rutnagur thinks councils see library services as an easy target.

He said: "Superficially, there are less book transactions and borrowings because people have e-books, people consume more stuff digitally.

"That traditional model of book-lending is an out of date way of looking at libraries and if you just go on that data, you miss the point.

Richard campaigns for the local Comrie library to stay open on behalf of his neighbour, who uses the facility every week.

He thinks that for the elderly widower these visits are a way of retaining independence and stimulation.

"It becomes so much more than just a transaction of our books," he said.

The campaigners have appealed to Perth and Kinross Council to halt the closure plans until its budget and the Scottish government's budget are approved.

They say proposed extra money allocated to councils, along with a council tax increase, could be used to keep the at-risk facilities open.

Birnam library is one of five facilities earmarked for closure in Perth and Kinross

Speaking after a meeting of Perth and Kinross Council, where a three-year council tax increase strategy was passed, council leader Grant Laing said: "I believe that the approach we are taking locally will give us the flexibility to reconsider difficult decisions that we have made in the past."

He considered library provisions to be one of these "difficult decisions".

He said the planned council tax rise and the extra funding from the Scottish government might give "an opportunity to focus on local needs rather than just where we can make savings".

However, Mr Laing said, there were areas that would be prioritised when budgetary decisions were made, such as health and social care services.

The council's final budget proposal will be voted on at a meeting in February 2025.

Other local authorities that have proposed cuts to library provisions are consulting the residents or evaluating their feedback.

Live Life Aberdeenshire, which provides library services on behalf of the council, has invited residents to a series of public consultations to discuss the future provisions once the 13 at-risk libraries close down next year.

The organisation's intention is to "continue to provide an element of face-to-face contact with our communities in the future, albeit this might be in a different location or delivered in a different way."

It plans to run a network of 18 remaining libraries alongside doorstep deliveries, click and collect and other digital services.

Moray council, where seven libraries are earmarked for closure, said it received "an exceptional" response to the recent public consultation.

The residents' feedback will be analysed and reported to councillors, who are expected to make a decision on the current proposals to close seven libraries early in the new year.

Outlining her plans for next year's budget on Wednesday, Finance Secretary Shona Robison allocated what she called a "record" investment of more than £15bn to local authorities.

She said a proposed £1bn uplift in funding for councils should prevent them from introducing any "large" tax increases.

A Scottish government spokesperson said: "While it will be for councils to make their own decisions, with record funding, councils should be able to revisit previous challenging decisions and there is no reason for big increases in council tax next year."