Love Libraries - From Dungeons & Dragons to digital skills: How libraries are appealing to all ages

Extensive community outreach and changes to late fees are among the many ways libraries in South Ayrshire are trying to encourage more people to access their safe and neutral spaces and reap the benefits.

This includes connecting with families and older people who may find it hard to attend their local library, explained Salena Riley, Engagement Assistant for Libraries and Museums at South Ayrshire Council.

She added:

We have a lot of different groups who use our spaces. There’s a mental health charity, a youth Dungeons and Dragons group, digital sessions and community drop-in sessions. People like to come to our libraries because they are informal and they can reach people. It’s easy to come to us.

Bookbug has become so popular we had to add sessions. Other services come to some Bookbug sessions, like Childsmile and children’s nutrition teams, so they can support parents.

But we have to do outreach for hard-to-reach families. We need to go to them and say, ‘did you know you can get this from your local library?’ Some people are frightened to come in because they had a book years ago and didn’t return it. It’s fine. We don’t have fines in our libraries now, so come on in.

Fun

A film club for all ages has been a huge success. The libraries also have Gizmo & Gadgets and retro gaming sessions. There’s also a digital support drop-in from VASA, a ‘Lend and Mend’ hub in Girvan and craft groups.

A community group session, Re-make with Recycling Saturday, helps reduce landfill by upcycling items that can no longer be used for their intended purpose.

There are also sessions including genealogy run by Strathclyde Centre for Lifelong Learning (CLL). Lego clubs attract people of all ages, while dance mats at retro gaming sessions help show libraries are fun for the whole family.

Free

Like many libraries across Scotland, South Ayrshire’s libraries also offer access to newspapers and magazines from across the UK and around the world via Pressreader.

Salena said:

People just don’t realise how much is on offer at their local library.

You can print for a small charge, get free Wi-Fi, use the public access PCs for free. The Libby and PressReader apps means that even if you can’t get to the library, it doesn’t stop you reading. The library is a bookshop for free. You can take books out and request books.

We also have a home service for people who are housebound. We contact them monthly and find out what kind of books they like to read. Up to six books are delivered to their door and returned for them. We also have audio books for the visually impaired and links with sensory support teams who contact us with referrals.

Connected

Outreach work next year will include encouraging intergenerational groups, including skill sharing, and a project called Stay Connected, funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).

Salena said:

Sessions will be run for the community around staying safe online, cybersecurity, how to shop online safely, using PressReader and Libby and a bit around health as well. It’s to help people be more connected. It’s for everyone, not just older people, that’s why we’re doing it days, evenings and weekends.

We engage with schools and early years centres to bring children in. They see there are spaces to be a kid and have fun.

Learn more about what’s on at south-ayrshire.gov.uk/libraries