Let’s come together on October 7th to celebrate the power of reading and the vital role libraries play in our lives!
From novels and comics to recipes and poems, every kind of reading matters. This is your chance to pause, pick up something you love, and join a nationwide moment dedicated to the joy of reading – and the positive impact it has on our wellbeing, learning, and everyday life.
Libraries across Scotland are ready to welcome you on your reading journey. By taking part, you’ll be joining thousands of others – schools, libraries, workplaces, community groups, families, and individuals – helping to build a Scotland where reading is valued, shared, and enjoyed by all.
Ready to inspire others? Make your pledge and share what you’re reading! Let’s show the world that Scotland is a nation of readers.
On 7 October 2026, people across Scotland will come together for one shared moment to celebrate the joy of reading and the positive difference it can make to our wellbeing, learning and everyday lives.
A much-loved community book exchange in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge will reopen on Monday 8 September, after being destroyed in the storms of January 2025 and rebuilt from scratch.
The Little Free Library was created by bookbinder and artist Rachel Hazell, aka The Travelling Bookbinder, who first installed it in Stockbridge in 2016. It quickly became a fixture for local readers, walkers and visitors – and during the Covid-19 lockdowns, a source of connection and comfort for residents cut off from much else.
When the library was blown down and damaged beyond repair last winter, Hazell set out to find someone who could build a replacement able to withstand Scotland’s weather while staying safe, accessible and welcoming to readers of all ages.
The job went to Yann Jameson, a boatbuilder based on Mull, who constructed the new library from locally sourced larch and finished it with three coats of marine-grade oil to protect it against rain, wind and damp.
The reopening lands during the National Year of Reading 2026, and continues a movement with an unlikely point of origin. When the Little Free Library movement began in 2009, its founders drew inspiration from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who around the turn of the 20th century funded the creation of 2,509 free public libraries across the English-speaking world – and set themselves the goal of surpassing that number, which they did within a few years.
Today there are more than 200,000 Little Free Libraries in 128 countries worldwide, and Little Free Library tourism – seeking them out while travelling – has become its own small pastime among book lovers.
Registered as Little Free Library #36444, the Stockbridge library is part of that worldwide network, used by locals and passers-by alike, and stocked with everything from romance and contemporary fiction to philosophy and Penguin Classics – all shared on the movement’s founding principle: “Take a book, share a Book.”
Rachel Hazell, founder and bookbinder, said: “When I first installed the library in 2016, the idea was simply to share books I’d loved and to support my belief that everyone has a book inside them. Over the years it became something much bigger than that, particularly during lockdown, when people told me it was a source of comfort, connection and escape.
“When it was destroyed in the storms, I was heartbroken. It’s taken longer than I’d hoped to find the right person to build a replacement, but Yann has created something truly special and robust.”
“I take my role as librarian very seriously, although admittedly the collection isn’t organised according to the Dewey Decimal System. I try to keep it well stocked, though sometimes the new titles that appear on the shelves are very tempting.
“I’m absolutely delighted to see it return. It belongs to the community as much as it does to me, and I can’t wait to see people using it again.”
Local resident Barbara said: “It’s been strange walking past the empty spot all year – the library was always a nice excuse to stop for a minute, get my bearings and see what’s new. Glad to have it back, and it looks better built than ever – very smart!”
The Stockbridge Little Free Library officially reopens on Tuesday 8 September and is free for everyone to use.
Here are our events for next week to help you #ReadToTheBeat and keep enjoying the summer holidays! All our events are free to attend, but make sure you book a place to our external workshops.
On Tuesday, it’s Karaoke time from 2pm! Emily will be helping you belt out your best songs in style.
On Thursday morning, we have spaces left for our superb workshop with Befana and Midnight, where you can learn about herbs, design recipes, and brew your own magical tea! This is aimed at ages 7-10 but younger children can participate in some of the event with parental help.
If you want to come along to this, please sign up on Eventbrite:
On Thursday afternoon, we will put E for Engineering in STEM. Learn about the construction and destruction of castles, help build one for the library, and test it out. This will run from 2-3pm.
We are fully booked for Jenny Laahs’ final Music Makers Club, but those who are signed up will be trying out keyboard instruments and playing some fun musical games.
Lastly, like every week, we have Junior Board Games from 2pm on Saturday. We’ve got lots of board games available to try out.
Remember that coming to any of these events will earn you a sticker for the #SummerReadingChallenge, which you can sign up for with your library card and parent.
The heat is on and it’s that time of year when parents have to dig deep to find ways to entertain their kids for the long summer holidays. This can be a daunting task, but what better way to spark children’s imaginations and keep them amused than to get them stuck into some fantastic books.
Here at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) we know there are 25,000 children aged 0 to 16 across the UK who are living with a vision impairment which can make reading that bit more challenging;
We’re determined to make sure these children can spend the summer with their favourite book characters in the same way sighted children can.
That’s why we’ve got more than 5,000 children’s books in braille and audio formats that children can read in RNIB’s completely free online Library.
Our fantastic collection of awe-inspiring audio books can be downloaded directly from the RNIB Library on smart devices like tablets and phones, or via voice commands on Alexa-enabled devices.
Specialised Daisy CDs designed for easy, structured navigation, can be delivered to your door as can USB memory sticks with up to three books on each. Printed braille books can be ordered on-demand and electronic braille can be downloaded to read on braille displays.
Children can use all these brilliant books to take part in the annual Summer Reading Challenge – a summer readathon run by The Reading Agency which encourages children aged 4-11 to read six books and provides incentives for completion.
Each winner to receive £4,000 worth of books and stationery for their school
TGJones has revealed the winning reviews of its Bitesize Bookworms campaign, a national reading competition in which primary school children aged between five and 12 years old were challenged to describe their favourite book in 25 words or less.
Split across three primary school age groups, the high-street retailer received thousands of reviews as part of the campaign, with a judging panel consisting of MC Grammar, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan eventually picking out three winning entries, from the ingenious to the hilarious.
“It’s a funny and relatable book; my cat judgementally stared at me while I laughed loudly, snorted juice everywhere, and missed every bedtime until completed.”
Each winner will receive a £200 TGJones Gift Card, plus £4,000 of books and stationery for their school.
The judging panel also chose three runners-up from each age group, who will receive a £50 TGJones Gift Card and £500 of equipment for their school.
The retailer launched the Bitesize Bookworms competition earlier this year in support of National Year of Reading 2026, the biggest campaign in a generation designed to inspire everyone to discover a passion for reading and embed it into our everyday lives.
A Department for Education initiative supported by the National Literacy Trust, the National Year of Reading is delivered with the support of major sponsors and partners, including TGJones.
The campaign has encouraged the nation to Go All In in 2026, reading into our passions and interests to get more out of the things we already love, whether it’s football, gaming, music, sci-fi, or baking.
TGJones’ competition added to the momentum, encouraging readers to pick up a book and share their recommendations with others to spark a conversation about reading.
Alex Willson, CEO of TGJones and Head Judge of Bitesize Bookworms, said: “Nothing is more creative than a child’s imagination and we wanted to celebrate that unfiltered, accidental comedy that comes from a child giving their honest opinion about their favourite book – and the winners of our competition provided us with just that.
“Reading is so important for a child’s development, and as partners of the National Year of Reading 2026 we hope this campaign has encouraged more children to pick up their favourite book.”
We’re delighted to let you know that we’re planning to open the new temporary Blackhall Library at Davidson Main’s Primary School on Monday (8th June).
The opening hours for the library, alongside a programme of planned events and activities, will be available on the Blackhall Library webpage soon.
Due to essential works the library will be closed for one day only on Thursday 25 June. Unfortunately it hasn’t been possible to schedule these works ahead of the library opening, but we’ve been working with contractors to minimise disruption and limit the closure to a single day.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you all into our new space very soon!
Although we will not be open till late on Thursday 23rd April for World Book Night, we will still be celebrating at Stockbridge Library–please join us on Wednesday the 22nd from 6-7pm to share a poem or a short passage from an author who has made a lasting impact on your life.
No need to register in advance, but please do pick something that can be read aloud in under ¬3 minutes!
https://www.weeread.scot/
