The £16,578 grant from the Scottish Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) will strengthen connections between schools, libraries, and communities through the Scottish Book Trust’s Reading Schools programme. The funding will enable the library service to provide resources, training, and support to staff, pupils, and families with aim of encouraging a lifelong love of reading and developing literacy skills.
Western Isles Libraries Manager Renee Mason said:
“We are excited to have received this funding from the Scottish Library and Information Council and look forward to working with our partners to make this project happen. This funding will also support us to host a Literacy Symposium in Stornoway in early 2025, bringing together stakeholders from across the community to tackle the challenge of falling literacy rates and find ways to work together to create a community of readers.”
Western Isles Libraries is one of thirteen library services across Scotland to have been awarded funding from the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF). The successful project, ‘Fèis Ghàidhlig Leabharlainn’ (Libraries Gaelic Festival), will take place over summer 2025 and feature a series of literary arts workshops and events celebrating Gaelic language and culture, including the unique Gaelic collections held in local libraries. The project highlights how libraries are uniquely positioned to connect communities through language, storytelling, and creativity.
The fund will support the employment of two students one for Lewis/Harris and one covering Uist as part of Comhairle’s Gaelic student placement scheme, as well as a Gaelic Arts Officer in partnership with An Lanntair and CnES Employability, who will also oversee young Gaelic speakers completing Foundational Apprenticeships.
Western Isles Libraries Manager Renee Mason said:
“Public libraries play a vital role in promoting Gaelic language and culture: through curating extensive collections of Gaelic books, archives, and digital resources, through opportunities to speak and engage with the language and through meaningful employment and career paths. This project reflects the critical role of libraries as hubs for cultural enrichment, learning, and social connection.”
Alison Nolan, Chief Executive of Scottish Library Improvement Fund, said:
“Public libraries offer truly diverse value to their communities. They provide access to vital services and resources, a wealth of social activities and are hubs for expression and creativity. Investment is so important for the continued provision of these services, and the Public Library Improvement Fund is one of the ways in which we bolster our public libraries.”
Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture added:
“Libraries are at the heart of our communities, offering inclusive and accessible spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to learn, create, and connect.