Public Libraries

CILIPS is the professional body for library and information workers in Scotland and our members work in a variety of sectors including public, school, national, academic and special libraries.

We hold that a good public library service is essential to the well being of communities, providing a positive experience for local people and demonstrating the value a local authority places on its community.

It is a legal requirement to provide library services that meet the needs of communities and it is vital that reductions to services do not disadvantage anyone under the Equalities Act.

Public libraries are essential to improving literacy, tackling social isolation, and supporting mental health and wellbeing. They are the most popular service local government provides and play a key role in digital inclusion 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.

Libraries are vital in a cost of living crisis and users need physical libraries that they can use and the evidence of research reaffirms the vital importance of library spaces to the public (a majority of whom stated that there can be ‘no substitute’ for them) and the cost of cutting libraries has a high social cost.