CILIPS warns Midlothian Council of risks to citizens if library cuts are implemented

Category: News

Add to the consultation – tell Midlothian Councillors why #LibrariesAreEssential

‘Where this has been attempted elsewhere in the UK it has significantly damaged the service or ultimately seen it close; it is the legal duty of a local authority to provide an adequate library service and one that has no staff is completely inadequate.’

Head of CILIPS Sean McNamara has warned Midlothian Councillors of the risks to citizens if their proposed library cuts were to go ahead.

As part of a package of savings proposals, the Council is considering:

• the removal of staff from public libraries (which would become self-service, be run by community volunteers or closed)
• adopting an e-book service (with no physical books replaced or refreshed again)
• the removal of school librarians from every secondary school in Midlothian.

‘Public libraries are essential in improving literacy, tackling social isolation and supporting mental health and wellbeing, as evidenced by the Scottish Government,’ notes the CILIPS letter. ‘Libraries play a key role in supporting the current digital strategies in Scotland by providing free access for people unable to get online at home, delivering substantial democratic, social and economic benefits to citizens and communities, as well as helping people to search and apply for jobs and welfare.

Cutting school librarians also runs counter to current national initiatives aiming to support and enhance literacy and will inevitably lead to a poorer overall educational experience. A body of impact studies highlights the contribution of school librarians to improved attainment and achievement. School libraries are a safe and supportive learning environment where all pupils have equitable access to curriculum related learning resources, both physical and digital, practical support, and information for educational purposes.’

‘How much value a local authority attaches to its public and school libraries can often be a good indication of how much it values its people,’ the letter concludes. CILIPS therefore asks Midlothian Council to take these proposals no further, and welcomes discussion of the matter in further detail if Councillors wish.

Councillors approved the launch of a formal consultation on the above savings proposals at an end of January meeting and will consider the responses before a budget setting meeting on Tuesday 21st February. Please draw on the evidence summarized in our letter or the extensive resources within our Evidence Banks to tell Midlothian Council why you believe that public and school libraries and librarians are essential, now more than ever.