Trust Libraries in a time of political change
By Sean McNamara, Director of CILIPS
The recent general election has created significant change in the political landscape, but what could it mean for library and information services and our members in Scotland? Years of funding cuts have caused reductions to so many of the services our members work in, and the hope will be that the change in political weather might mean a different course could be navigated, as there is no doubt that something has to change.
Our public and school libraries have suffered significantly from the funding and staffing cuts made over the years and there are also financial concerns for the higher and further education sectors due to a range of factors including Brexit and policies that make it more difficult for overseas students to get visas. Meanwhile, cuts to the budgets in other parts of the public sector such as the NHS are making it harder for librarians to access training.
However, we have also seen the difference that investment can make. For example, look at the award winning new Paisley Central Library or the refurbishment in Elder Park Library in Glasgow. This shows what can be achieved when there is resource and political will. The new library in Paisley has seen significant increases in numbers joining and using the library and proves that in libraries where money is spent, people attend in significant numbers.
All across the UK, we have been helping our CILIP colleagues highlight the value of our members and their services before and after the election via their Libraries Change Lives campaign and pledge to the public and new government to Trust Libraries, and we’ll continue to support the ongoing work to engage with new MPs and help our members do the same.
For many in Scotland, the change in UK government will have limited direct influence on services as much of library related decision making and funding is devolved. Although it would be positive if we eventually see some UK-wide developments on matters such as eBook regulation and perhaps even improvements to the overall funding picture that could have a knock on effect to the nations and their public services.
However, a key question is what the political changes may mean for the next Holyrood election, scheduled to take place in 2026. Will Labour see a similar resurgence in Scotland, or will the SNP be the major party again? Will we see a similar impact on other parties such as reduction in Conservative support or additional presence for some of the other parties who had Westminster success, and what could that mean for funding for libraries? Either way, there seems a greater likelihood that no one party will have a clear majority, which means there will be a need for negotiation over budgets and policy, and also that organisations like ourselves will be engaging with a wider range of political parties.
In the meantime, we will continue to advocate for services to both local and national governments and insist that libraries are well supported. This includes asking local authorities to ensure that they are meeting their legal duty to provide the public library services their communities need and asking the Scottish Government to ensure there is a local government funding model that provides the required funding for public and school libraries, and intervening where legal requirements are not being met.
We need to see school libraries and librarians given greater protection, either via a level of ring-fencing or additional standards and finance, and we hope to support a new or refreshed national strategy to be put in place soon. We want to see sustained investment in librarians, knowledge managers and information professionals all across the sectors our members work in and we would also like a clear plan, involving libraries, to combat misinformation and increase media and information literacy skills for people of all ages.
We must all continue to advocate and campaign positively, using the wealth of evidence available that reinforces the need for funding for our sector, but also not hide from the harsh financial realities. And whilst doing that, we should enable new professionals from all backgrounds to join the sector whilst continuing to develop future leaders who can take our sector forward.
Despite the evidence and calls for support and high usage figures, each year we see the same cycle of cuts, such as the ongoing challenges in South Lanarkshire and elsewhere. This suggests we need changes to how we manage, deliver and fund public services, such as libraries, to ensure they are robust for the future generations who will continue to need them.
If you are keen to help us advocate for libraries and our members then familiarise yourself with the map of case studies and some of the key facts and consider writing to your local councillors, MSPs or MPs and highlighting the value of libraries or asking to meet (keep an eye out for new guides coming soon to help with that). And please get in touch anytime via admin@cilips.org.uk to share positive stories about Scotland’s libraries or to explore how we can support you or work together in the future.