CILIPS at the Scottish Parliament

Category: Blog, Campaigning for Libraries, News

CILIP Scotland were pleased to represent the value of school libraries and the incredible librarians who run them at the Scottish Parliament. The stall was sponsored by Scottish Labour MSP and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills Pam Duncan-Glancy and ran for three days in the Garden Lobby of the Parliament in the run up to Christmas. Over the course of the three days, the CILIPS team spoke to 35 MSPs with representation from each major party. Beyond this we also spoke to other staff and visitors of the Parliament, including some CILIPS members and staff at the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Kirsten with Scottish Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy

The library literacy within the Parliament was definitely on show, as many MSPs that we spoke to knew how essential libraries are. In fact, members readily shared with us their heartwarming stories of using their local public or school library and were keen to stop by and hear from us. Many understood and acknowledged the lack of protections for school library posts and provisions, however we were thankful to be able to make some MSPs aware of this challenging situation. All were enthusiastic about helping school libraries, pledging to be vocal and do more to engage with their local library community and actively advocate for libraries in the Scottish Parliament. You can click here to visit our Instagram page with some of the highlights from the stall and who we spoke to.

We were so thankful to have the support of our school librarians ahead of the stall, we asked for images of their school libraries in action to use alongside our evidence to bring our display posters to life. MSPs were thoroughly impressed with the creativity and breadth of activities offered within these libraries, and it made a tremendous difference having these real images- so shout out to our school librarians! These posters, packed full of evidence and pupil testimonies, talked MSPs through the A’s, B’s, C’s (and D’s and E’s) of what libraries offer their schools. The posters highlighted figures and images on attainment, books & beyond, critical thinking, diverse, inclusive & safe learning environments and environmental literacy. Seen displayed in the image below, or click here to see the posters in full!

Sean and Leah setting up the stall on day one

To entice politicians to the stall, and ensure they could engage with all of the evidence on offer fully, we rewarded them with Libraries for Life festive tree baubles, to act as a yearly reminder to support libraries. Each engagement walked away with a school libraries are essential bookmark, complete with actions and a QR Code to our evidence bank.

Quite often we were asked ‘what can I do to help?’ or ‘what would you like support with?’ the answer to this came in four parts.

• Show your support for libraries and advocate for us in front of the Scottish Parliament- be vocal.
• Visit libraries, and take the time to learn why they matter to young people and their families.
• Speak up for funding and protections for school librarians, we also added a note to support a new school libraries strategy, as the previous instalment had run out in 2023.
• And finally, share our evidence on social media, having the support and amplification of MSPs, representing all different parts of Scotland to different audiences is incredibly effective in spreading our mission.

As a result of this stall, we garnered some press coverage, highlighting the challenging circumstances which face many of our school and public libraries.

On the 27th of December, after Mark Ruskell MSP spoke to the CILIPS team, the Scottish Greens spoke out to support Scotland’s libraries. Ruskell said:

“Public libraries offer much more than book borrowing. They provide a warm, welcoming hub to spend time in with no spending obligation – a vital lifeline for those who find themselves homeless or struggling financially and under pressure to pay to exist in every other space… Access to the internet and computer classes are available for those who have no other means of connection. Applications for jobs, colleges, and funding grants to help people prosper are completed in libraries every day. But they need to be supported if they are to survive.”

Kirsten with Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell

The Sunday Post published an article this January with the title, “Brought to book: Why ‘shameful’ library closures harm children’s chances in life.” In this article, which CILIPS Director Sean McNamara contributed to, Shadow Education Minister, Miles Briggs MSP calls the cuts shameful, sharing that:

“At a time when we are seeing more children than ever before struggling to read and write, it is simply shameful that school librarian numbers have plummeted to this degree… Unless much more is done to preserve and improve our libraries, we will be sentencing future generations to having to accept less well-paid jobs and fewer career chances.”

Sean with Conservative MSP Miles Briggs

This follows from the article’s opening statement claiming that “One in three school librarians has been axed since 2010, The Sunday Post can reveal, despite warnings over Scotland’s falling child literacy levels.” The article also highlighted our recent lobbying in local authorities, referencing many of our recent open letters to councils considering cuts or closures. Sean McNamara shared with The Sunday Post that:

“We need to get the message out there that libraries are a vital community link for everyone, from cradle to grave… Councils have a statutory responsibility to provide adequate public libraries, yet we have seen some of the most worrying proposed cuts in rural areas where they are heavily relied on by our most isolated and vulnerable members of society. Libraries need to be staffed by professionals who provide a wide range of invaluable services, and while we are entirely sympathetic with councils across the country who are facing huge financial challenges, we are urging councillors to think very carefully about protecting what we give to our communities.”

We’d like to thank our stall sponsor, and dedicated school library advocate Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP. Not only did she create this opportunity for the CILIPS team to continue our advocacy, she has also has been vocal about her experience of having the support of her school librarian growing up, telling us that she wouldn’t be where she is today, a member of the Scottish Parliament, without this vital support and encouragement. It is stories like this that truly prove why school libraries are essential!