Five Glasgow libraries to reopen after funding lifeline
- Published
Campaigners in Glasgow held 'read ins' to protest over the closure of city libraries
Five libraries in Glasgow that closed during the Covid pandemic are set to reopen after securing £450,000 in Scottish government funding.
The money will help reopen libraries in Maryhill, Whiteinch, Barmulloch, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Couper Institute.
It is part of a Scotland-wide £1.25m public library Covid relief fund.
However, Glasgow Labour councillor Malcolm Cunning said it "falls well short" of what is needed.
Many public libraries are operating with reduced hours or remain closed months after lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Some providers told BBC Scotland News they simply did not have the money to return to a full service this year.
Campaigners previously expressed concern that some local libraries would never reopen..
The Scottish government's Covid relief fund took applications from around the country, with 23 projects eventually chosen.
The £450,000 will help save five libraries in Glasgow
The biggest sum, £448,068, was given to Glasgow, where a wrangle has been ongoing about the closure of some libraries.
Other areas have been given funding for work in the most deprived areas, with Fife receiving £60,000, West Lothian more than £46,000 and Edinburgh £33,000.
Libraries that are already open will be able to "widen" the services they offer, according to culture minister Jenny Gilruth.
She said: "Libraries are so much more than a place to borrow books. This fund will see the provision of community-centred projects aimed at, among other things, reducing social isolation, promoting mental wellbeing and reducing the poverty-related attainment gap.
"This funding is part of the government's wider aspiration to drive a cultural recovery for our communities."
'Vital public service'
Because of significant upgrades being required for the buildings which house Maryhill and Whiteinch libraries, Glasgow Life said it was exploring the feasibility of moving library services to other venues earlier this year.
The campaign group Save Glasgow Libraries railed against the move and urged the public to take part in outdoor "read-ins".
Mr Cunning, who heads the Labour group on Glasgow City Council, accused the SNP of "taking away vital public services" with cutbacks.
He said: "This one-year funding is an admission of the mistakes made, but sadly it falls far short of the £1.25m-a-year required to fully reopen all five libraries.
"We need a full funding package that secures the future of these libraries for years to come, not a sticking plaster solution."
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- Published24 August 2021
