Libraries are vital spaces for supporting literacy and learning for all ages, providing access to stories and spreading the joy of reading.
Over the first few episodes of The Joy of Books podcast, we’ve heard a lot of love for libraries from our guests. Three out of four of our guests so far have shared the role that their local library has played in their reading journey – either in childhood or as an adult bonding with their children.
Find out how libraries have shaped their lives:
You can go back and listen to the first four episodes of The Joy of Books now and stay tuned every Thursday for a new episode: www.literacytrust.org.uk/joyofbooks
EXPERIENCES OF RAIN INTERCULTURAL PROJECT WINS AWARD
SLIC awards , Stirling 2026 – Pics by Alan Peebles
The National Library of Scotland has been recognised at the 2026 Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) Awards for demonstrating the innovation and impact of library services through its intercultural project exploring shared heritage through creativity.
The Edinburgh based service was presented with the Project ExcellenceAward for Experiences of Rain at the SLIC showcase and AGM at The Barracks in Stirling yesterday (Friday 6 November).
The annual awards, judged by an independent panel led by SLIC Chair Alan Clarke, alongside guest judges Garrett Baylor Stell, a journalist with The Herald’s specialist education team, and Susan Calcluth, Scotland Lead for the National Year of Reading 2026, celebrate library teams and projects that have enhanced learning, wellbeing and community engagement through pioneering staff-driven initiatives.
The National Library of Scotland’s project brought together seven people with lived experience of migration to explore personal memories and cultural connections to rain, drawing on the Library’s collections and creating a sound installation for its 2026 exhibition.
Through creative workshops led by poet and storyteller Dr Tawona Sitholé and sound artist Ros Fraser, participants shared stories, music and perspectives from different cultures, building connections with one another and the Library. The installation became a central part of the Rain exhibition, which attracted a record 28,531 visitors in its first two months.
Judge Susan Calcluth praised the project, saying: “A distinctive and moving example of co-creation, Experiences of Rain explores both the connections we share and the different meanings rain holds across cultures.
“It demonstrates the power of creativity and shared experience to bring people together.”
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow was highly commended in the category for Maximising Audubon’s The Birds of America, a project combining conservation, digitisation and public engagement to bring one of Scotland’s rare library treasures to wider audiences.
The work contributed to a threefold increase in enquiries and a rise in visitors from 351 to 1,478 within four months.
Midlothian Library Service was named Team of the Yearfor its whole-service approach to developing libraries as community hubs, while South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries won the inaugural Jacqueline Geekie Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation for an imaginative digital resource bringing the library experience into classrooms, while
EARLIER CLOSING AND CHANGED HOURS FOR CITY LIBRARIES
On 30 November 2026 we’re changing our opening hours so that more people across the city can use our library services.
Public library opening hours
We’re changing our opening hours so that more people across the city can use our library services. These changes will take place on 30 November 2026.
The opening times are based on feedback from residents, people who use our libraries, our colleagues who work there and information on how and when our libraries are used.
The National Library of Scotland has been shortlisted for the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) Awards, celebrating the teams and projects transforming communities across the country.
From tackling social isolation and widening access to learning to bringing people together through creativity, this year’s nominations span a diverse range of initiatives across the Team of the Year and Project Excellence categories.
This year’s awards also mark the launch of the Jacqueline Geekie Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation, recognising individuals or teams who embody the creativity, collaboration and encouragement of the late Jacqueline Geekie, a valued colleague and digital pioneer within Scotland’s library community.
Selected by an independent judging panel led by SLIC Chair Alan Clarke, alongside guest judges Garrett Baylor Stell, a journalist with The Herald’s specialist education team, and Susan Calcluth, Scotland Lead for the National Year of Reading 2026, the shortlist recognises six teams and projects that together demonstrate the breadth of ambition and impact across Scotland’s library sector.
The National Library of Scotland has been shortlisted for the Project Excellence Award 2026 with their project Experiences of Rain. This intercultural project explored rain as a shared element of natural and cultural heritage, bringing together seven co-creators with lived experience of migration to share memories, stories and cultural perspectives.
Through creative workshops at the National Library of Scotland at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, participants explored Library collections and worked with poet and storyteller Dr Tawona Sitholé and sound artist Ros Fraser to create a sound installation for the library’s 2026 Rain exhibition.
The project supported intercultural learning, creativity and connection, with the installation forming a central part of the exhibition, which attracted a record 28,531 visitors in its first two months.
The three services shortlisted for ‘Team of the Year 2026’ are–
Glasgow Life– Libraries Development Team: Delivered Wee Write Book Festival 2026, which reached 2,681 pupils through its education programme and welcomed more than 1,000 attendees to Family Day.
Midlothian Library Service: Expanded the role of libraries as community hubs through literacy initiatives, cost-of-living support, digital inclusion and accessible services shaped around local needs.
University of Glasgow– Library and Information Studies MSc Team: Established a new CILIP-accredited postgraduate qualification, creating a flexible route into the profession and developing the skills needed by future library and information specialists.
The other services shortlisted for‘Project Excellence 2026’ are –
Glasgow Life– EDI Change Making: Leadership Insights & Practice Development: Built national expertise in inclusive library services through a leadership programme completed by 81 participants from 13 local authorities, delivering more than 1,500 hours of learning.
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow – Maximising Audubon’s The Birds of America: Combined conservation and digitisation with public engagement, increasing visitors to the collection from 351 to 1,478 in just four months.
The winners will be announced at the SLIC Showcase and AGM on Friday 6 November 2026 at The Barracks in Stirling, alongside the winner of the inaugural Jacqueline Geekie Award, established as a lasting tribute to Jacqueline’s contribution to the profession and the encouragement she gave colleagues to explore new possibilities.
SLIC Chair Alan Clarke said: “Across Scotland, teams are developing services that respond to changing community needs, opening up new opportunities for learning and creativity, and making collections and expertise accessible to more people.
“This year’s shortlist reflects that ambition, with projects and teams demonstrating both measurable results and meaningful change for the people they serve. The introduction of the Jacqueline Geekie Award is also an important opportunity to recognise the role of digital innovation in shaping the future of libraries, while celebrating a colleague who inspired so many across our sector.
“Congratulations to all those shortlisted. We look forward to celebrating their achievements at our Showcase and AGM in November.”
The SLIC Awards are open to all SLIC member libraries, which includes public library services, further and higher education libraries, and specialist libraries across Scotland.
This year’s awards recognise work undertaken between June 2025 and June 2026.
Scotland comes together to celebrate the joy of reading
More than 90,000 people took part in Wee Read as Scotland came together yesterday to celebrate the joy of reading – smashing the campaign’s original target of 50,000 pledges.
Wee Read, led by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and funded by the Scottish Government as part of the National Year of Reading 2026, invited people across Scotland to make a simple pledge to read on 7 October. The campaign reached its 50,000 pledge target more than a week before the official reading moment, with a total of 90,717 people pledging to get involved.
Across the country, people of all ages and interests joined the national reading moment, making time to enjoy whatever they like from novels and poetry to comics, magazines, newspapers, recipes and more.
Libraries, schools, workplaces, families and communities marked the day in their own ways, creating a shared celebration of reading and demonstrating that there is no single way to take part.
Activity ranged from East Renfrewshire’s dedicated Harry Potter readings and South Lanarkshire’s Gruffalo scavenger hunt, to a BSL Bookbug session in Paisley, school visits in Edinburgh and Midlothian, family activities in South Lanarkshire and community reading sessions in Inverclyde.
In Motherwell, a readathon in the library’s immersive room surrounded readers with calming imagery of their choice, before the Wee Read mantra video and a message from Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan were showcased.
Across the length and breadth of the country, libraries and communities also hosted reading hours, storytelling, book swaps, quizzes and crafts, reflecting the many different ways people came together to make time for reading.
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic Màiri McAllan said: “I’m delighted to support Wee Read. Stories, songs and words form the bedrock of our lives, our culture, our history and our future. Scotland’s plays, books and comics are internationally renowned, as are our playwrights, authors and illustrators.
“Reading and writing play a lifelong role in learning and wellbeing, and in tackling poverty, which remains a key priority for this Government. That’s why we’re taking action to improve access to books and encourage reading for pleasure, through programmes including Bookbug, Read Write Count with the First Minister, Reading Schools, and the School Library and Public Library Improvement Funds.
“Just a few minutes of reading for enjoyment reduces stress and improves wellbeing, and for children it has a positive impact on learning and attainment at school. By taking part in Wee Read, you’re joining thousands across Scotland helping us build a country where reading is valued, shared and enjoyed by all.”
The campaign also highlighted the important role Scotland’s libraries play in helping people find something they enjoy and make reading part of their everyday life – beyond the national reading moment.
With free access to a wide range of reading materials, alongside digital resources, reading groups, events and activities, libraries offer something for people at every stage of life.
Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC, said: “Reaching over 90,000 pledges for Wee Read is a fantastic achievement and a wonderful reflection of the enthusiasm for reading across Scotland.
“We set out with a simple ambition – to give people a reason to make time for reading and to celebrate the many different ways that reading can be part of our lives. Seeing so many people, communities and organisations take part has really brought that notion to life.
“Whether someone read for five minutes or fifty, picked up an old favourite or discovered something completely new, we hope Wee Read reminded them of the joy that reading can bring and, importantly, encouraged people to keep that habit going beyond 7 October.”
Wee Read forms part of the UK’s National Year of Reading 2026, a year-long celebration of the pleasure, inspiration, connection and opportunities that reading brings.
Alison added: “Wee Read may have taken place on one day but the campaign’s message is intended to last much longer: there is no right way to read, every read counts and there is always time to read something you enjoy.
“Our libraries are here all year round to help people find their next read, discover something new and connect with their community. And if you didn’t manage to join in with Wee Read, that’s no reason to miss out – you can pick up something new at any time.
“We’d encourage everyone to keep that spirit going, make space for reading and turn to their local library for inspiration, new ideas and everything else it has to offer.”
Find out more and discover ways to keep reading at www.WeeRead.scot.
Share your Wee Read memories and recommendations using #WeeRead26.
Wee Read is Scotland’s national celebration of reading – a simple invitation for everyone to stop, take a few minutes, and enjoy the pleasure of reading.
Whether it’s a novel, comic, magazine, newspaper, audiobook, poem, or recipe, every kind of reading counts.
TODAY – Wednesday 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.
Libraries throughout Scotland are the perfect place to start your reading journey. And part of our goal is to encourage more people into libraries – inspiring everyone to read regularly for pleasure.
By taking part, you’re joining thousands of people across Scotland – from schools, libraries and workplaces to community groups, families and individuals – to help create a country where reading is valued, shared and enjoyed by all.
Have a Wee Read and help Scotland become a nation that enjoys reading.
Wee Read is led by Scotland’s libraries in partnership with mental health charities, publishers, booksellers, authors, educators and community organisations, working together to inspire a nation to read.
I’ll be reading a chapter or two from Emil and the Detectives, a favourite from primary school days. What will you read? – Ed.
We’re joining #WeeRead26 – a national campaign celebrating the joy of reading, encouraging people across Scotland to make time for a wee read.
Make your pledge today, link in the comments. Visit Corstorphine or your local library if you need help finding something to read, but anything counts!
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.
Make your pledge today, link in the comments. Visit Corstorphine or your local library if you need help finding something to read, but anything counts!
