A’ comharrachadh Seachdain Cànanan na h-Alba tron seirbheis Leabharlann as Na h-Eileanan an Iar

Category: Blog

Finlay Maclennan, Gaidhlig Librarian, Leabharlainn nan Eilean Siar/Western Isles Libraries

Tha beartas de dualchas cànanan anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, a tha mar mhac-samhladh de na coimhearsnachdan ioma-chànanach ri lorg air feadh na h-Alba. Tha na h-ainmean-àite Lochlannais a’ sealltainn an ceangal làidir a bh’ againn aig aon uair aig mheadhan saoghal nan Lochlannaich. As a’ phriomh baile Steòrnabhagh, ainm a tha a’ tighinn bho facal Lochlannais ‘Sjornavager’, tha eachdraidh fada de mheasgachadh cultaral, a tha, tharais air na bliadhnichean, air diofar cànanan a tharraing ri sraidean a’ bhaile. Sheall an cunntas-sluaigh ann an 2022 gu bheil Gàidhlig a-nis aig nas lugha nan dàrna leth den t-sluaigh – 45% – agus a’ dearbhadh, airson a’ chiad uair riamh, Gàidhlig mar mion-chànan san sgìre. A dh’aindeoin seo ge-tà, tha an cànan fhathast aig cridhe cultar agus dualchas a’ choimhearsnachd.

Tha seirbheis Leabharlainn nan Eilean Siar a’ cluich priomh dhreucdh comasachaidh airson a’ chànan a bhrosnachadh, thairis air na h-eileanan eadar ceithir leabharlannan agus dà leabharlannan-siubhal. Tha na leabharlannan gu lèir a’ lìbhrigeadh seirbheis dà-chànanach do luchd-ionnsachaidh agus luchd-fileantaich na Gàidhlig. Tha na cruinneachaidhean againn làn stòras Ghàidhlig freagarrach dha ìre fileantas sam bith. Bho Bookbug tro Mheadhan na Gàidhlig airson clann òg gu leabhraichean ficsean agus bàrdachd farsaing.

Airson taic a chur ris na h-iomairtean seo tha Leabharlanaiche Ghàidhlig air toiseachadh a bhliadhna seo. ‘S e aon de na prìomh amasan aca Stòr-Dàta Ghàidhlig a steidheachadh, cothrom-inntrigidh a lìbhrigeadh a dhèanamh air na tha againn anns na cruinneachaidhean. Ag obair leis an Lanntair, an ionad-ealain ionadail, tha sinn a’ fastadh Oifigear Ealain Ghàidhlig, a bhiodh am measg iomadh pròiseactean inntinneach. Bhiodh iad ag obair air an Fhèis Leabhar Dà-Chànanach, Faclan, a tha a’ tachairt ann an Steòrnabhagh san Dàmhair. Togaidh an obrach seo cothroman do dhaoine a dhol an sàs leis a’ chànan agus nan sgilean cànan a chleachadh agus a leasachadh. Bha sinn am measg tri deug seirbheis leabharlann a bha soirbheachail le iarrtas airson Maoineachadh Leasachaidh Leabharlannan Poblach, a bheiris taic do dhithis oileanaich greis gniomhachais tron Shamhradh, a bhios ag obair air Fèis Ghaidhlig Leabharlainn. Na lùib, bhiodh sreath de bhuthan-obrach litreachail agus ealaineach agus tachartasan a’ comharrachadh cànan agus cultar na Gàidhlig, leis na cruinneachaidhean air leth againne aig a’ mheadhan.

Fhad s’ a tha Gàidhlig mar phàirt mhòr dhen dearbh-aithne againn, tha iomadh cànanan eile ga bruidhinn as a choimhearsnachdan againn a tha cuideachd airidh air aithneachadh. Fiu ‘s tron seirbheis leabharlannan fhèin, tha luchd-obrach aig a bheil Duitsis, Gearmailtis agus Romànianais mar eisimpleir de na h-iomadh cànanan a tha ga bruidhinn tron choimhearsnachd. Tha seo air a chur gu feum mhòr tron Samhradh le na h-àireamhean de luchd-turais a tha a’ tighinn gar tadhal bho air feadh an t-saoghal. Airson Seachdain Cànanan na h-Alba a chomharrachadh, tha sinne den bheachd gu bheil àite chudromach aig leabharlannan mar sinn fhèin ri chluich anns a bhith a’ brosnachadh ar cànan, ar cultar agus ar dualchas. Anns a bhith a’ comharrachadh na cànan cèin nar coimhearsnachd, thèid spèis do chànanan a bhrosnachadh agus coimhearsnachd ioma-chànanach agus in-ghabhalach adhartachadh.

Celebrating Languages Week Scotland: How Libraries Can Support the Celebration of Scotland’s Languages

The Western Isles has a rich and diverse linguistic heritage. Gaidhlig is a significant part of our identity and is a vital part of the community’s culture and heritage.  Although the 2022 census found that 45% of the local population were Gaidhlig speakers for the first time marking the Gaidhlig as minority language in the largest community stronghold. The Western Isles Library Services has an import role to play in supporting the language, across our network of 4 libraries and 2 mobile libraries across the islands. By providing a bilingual service, our libraries cater to fluent speakers and learners alike, making the languages accessible to everyone.

Our collections feature a diverse range of Gaidhlig resources for varying levels of proficiency, from hosting Gaidhlig Bookbug sessions encouraging interaction with the language from an early age to a variety of resources and materials to support language learners, and a broad selection of books to cater to the interests and needs of all library users. Enhancing our provision of Gaidhlig services, I have recently joined the Libraries team as a Gaidhlig Librarian one of my main priorities is to develop our Gaidhlig Resource Database, improving access to the our rich Gaidhlig collections, something we hope to launch later in the year. We will soon be joined by a Gaidhlig Arts Officer, a joint post shared with an Lanntair, the local arts centre, who among other exciting projects will be working on Faclan, a bilingual book festival that takes place in Stornoway in October. These appointments will increase language visibility, interaction with available resources, and provide opportunities for users to utilise Gaidhlig across different skill levels. We were one of thirteen library services across Scotland to be awarded Public Library Improvement Fund by the Scottish Government, this will support two Gaidhlig Student Placement who will work on ‘Fèis Ghàidhlig Leabharlainn’ (Libraries Gaelic Festival), over summer 2025 and feature a series of literary arts workshops and events celebrating Gaelic language and culture, showcasing our unique Gaelic collections held in local libraries.

The islands’ predominantly Norse placenames that echo a time when the Western Isles were an integral part of trading routes between Scandinavia and the western seaboard of Great Britain and Ireland. The main town of Stornoway, or ‘Sjornavagr’ in Old Norse, meaning ‘steering bay,’ has a long history of cultural exchange, which has through the years brought a mix of languages to the town’s streets. This blend of languages has contributed to the unique linguistic diversity thaat encompasses a wide range of other languages spoken by our community. Within our library staff, we have native Dutch, German, and Romanian speakers, a small sample of our multilingual community and is a great benefit during the busy tourist season when our islands welcome visitors from all over the world.

In celebration of Scotland’s languages and Languages Week Scotland, libraries like ours can play a pivotal role in fostering language learning, promoting cultural heritage, and celebrating the rich linguistic diversity of our communities. By embracing this linguistic diversity and providing access to language resources, we can nurture a love of languages and promote a more inclusive and multilingual community.