Tag: Scottish Library & Information Council

Over £30k awarded to support innovation in Scotland’s library sector

Six libraries and information centres across Scotland have been awarded a share of £34,000 to support a series of pioneering projects during 2025.

The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) has again opened its annual Innovation and Development Fund to support projects that encourage creativity,following the success of previous funding stream initiatives.

Now in its 13th year, the fund has supported the development of new resources, inspired original research and enhanced staff training – and this year turns its focus to innovative projects including an AI toolkit for staff training, a chill out space for students and a podcast studio for a rural part of Scotland.

  • Cardonald Campus Library’s chill out space

Glasgow Clyde College will create a quiet, restful place for students to take breaks in the Cardonald Campus Library, complete with a mindful selection of books and air purifying plants for a digital detox away from screens and teaching spaces. The project aims to increase literacy skills, while promoting student wellbeing by encouraging reading for pleasure by fostering a nurturing environment.

  • GAITLib: Generative AI toolkit for librarians by the University of Strathclyde

The University of Strathclyde’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences will develop an AI toolkit and set of guidelines for Scottish libraries that can be used to educate and empower library staff to make optimum use of the emerging generative AI tools for undertaking information-related tasks or activities.

  • Mastering META skills through creative practice at Forth Valley College

Forth Valley College aims to enhance the core and essential skills of its students by developing and delivering a series of innovative and creative workshops to aid the growth of META skills (eg leadership, creativity and critical thinking) in a fun and engaging way.

The project will also boost social interaction, promote collaborative working and encourage new learning centre users.

  • National Library of Scotland school library and engagement plan

The National Library of Scotland will increase engagement with students in Scotland to ensure every child has access to the national collections held by the National Library of Scotland.

This project will focus on developing the relationship with Scotland’s school libraries, piloting new ways of providing support, training and resources and giving students access to the collections and research resources through school libraries.

  • Opening the door: celebrating literacy, celebrating literature at Glasgow Women’s Library

This project extends the work of Glasgow Women’s Library’s Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN) project which supports women to understand, read and write words and numbers. 

It aims to increase the knowledge of potential learners, partner organisations and the general public, as well as making the wider ALN project more accessible to women who struggle with their literacy, or whose first language isn’t English.

  • UHI Moray podcast studio: building digital skills and strengthening community ties

UHI Moray will set up a fully equipped podcast recording studio at the library, giving students, staff and the local community the chance to develop digital skills, express themselves creatively and engage with modern media.

Administered and financed by SLIC, the Innovation and Development Fund is aimed at those who do not benefit from other annual funding programmes – including the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) and the School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) – such as further education, higher education and specialist libraries and information centres.

Ground Floor, Study Pods. Edinburgh University Library.

Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC, said: “Scotland’s libraries and information centres continue to evolve, creating vibrant, future-facing spaces that meet the needs of the communities they serve – and the Innovation and Development Fund is a vital catalyst for that continued progression.

By backing bold, creative projects, we’re not just supporting innovation but helping services redefine their offering in a rapidly changing world. These six initiatives demonstrate the power of libraries to lead on digital skills, wellbeing and inclusive learning in both urban and rural communities.”

Since 2013, the SLIC Innovation and Development Fund has awarded over £400,000 to over 40 projects, with previous projects including the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Health Board Library’s TED Talk style ‘health conversations’ webinar series, the climate change and sustainable development measurement framework for libraries by the University of Strathclyde and the National Library of Scotland’s ‘Andrew Watson’s Legacies’ series, representing stories from Black and ethnic minority sportspeople.

For more information on the Innovation and Development Fund, visit: The Innovation and Development Fund Overview – The Scottish Library and Information Council

Book Week Scotland gets ready for adventure in Edinburgh

One Scot will find a voucher for a year’s worth of books in one of this year’s free Book Week Scotland books, which feature four stories from Edinburgh writers

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, has launched the line-up for Book Week Scotland 2023, which will be themed around ‘adventure’. Book Week Scotland, this year taking place on 13–19 November, is Scotland’s national annual celebration of books and reading, with events taking place in libraries and community venues across the country.

People picking up a copy of this year’s free Book Week Scotland book, Adventure, may be lucky enough to find one of seven special silver tickets, celebrating Scottish Book Trust’s 25th anniversary, tucked inside the pages.

The silver tickets are redeemable for book tokens, with six worth £100 and one valid for a year’s worth of books (to a value of £500). The tickets will be sent across Scotland, so readers far and wide are in with a chance of discovering one.

The book has been published by Scottish Book Trust, featuring true stories from people across Scotland, including four from local Edinburgh writers Hazel Knox, Joanne Deegan Kerr, Jo Higgs and Nicole Carter. 

Adventure also features exclusive contributions from Len Pennie, Sumayya Usmani, current Scots Scriever Shane Strachan, Mae Diansangu, and Gaelic writers Alistair Paul and Seonaidh Charity.

70,000 copies of the book will be given out for free during Book Week Scotland through libraries and community spaces, and it is also available to order online alongside audio and ebook formats.

The Book Week Scotland festivities will kick off with an exclusive midnight launch of Jenny Colgan’s new book, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop, at John Kay’s Shop in Edinburgh. Tickets are available to win at bookweekscotland.com.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Book Week Scotland is one of the highlights of Scotland’s literary calendars, with events for all ages and interests taking place across the nation.

“Despite the fact that Book Week Scotland is now operating on a shoestring budget due to repeated funding cuts, working with and through our fantastic partners across the country we have been able, even so, to offer an exciting and accessible programme of events at a local and national level.

“We could not do this without the support of the Scottish Library and Information Council, library services and the many other community partners we collaborate with. And this is vital, because developing a love of reading is a lifelong adventure which brings much pleasure and many benefits to the individual and the communities they live in.’

Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of the Scottish Library & Information Council said: ‘Book Week Scotland is an important opportunity to bring communities together to celebrate the power of reading which is why SLIC is proud to be a partner. 

“With a brilliant programme of events lined up in libraries across the country, there’s something for everyone.  We hope people will take this opportunity to rediscover all that local libraries have to offer.’

Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland, Alan Bett, said: ‘Book Week Scotland is a highlight in Scotland’s literary and cultural calendar which continues to provide joy by connecting the reading public with Scotland’s authors and their books.

“Featuring some of the biggest names in our literary scene, this year’s programme showcases homegrown talent and provides the space to empower writers and readers alike, across the country and within their own communities.’

Highlights from Book Week Scotland 2023 in Edinburgh will include:

·        Writing Historical Fiction: Forgotten Voices at Typewronger Books – Monday 13 November, 7.30–8.30pm (free ticketed event)

·        Sara Sheridan: The Fair Botanists at Juniper Green Bowling Club – Tuesday 14 November, 6.30–7.30pm (free ticketed event)

·        The Pleasures of Reading with Val McDermid at Portobello Bookshop – Thursday 16 November, 7–8pm (free ticketed event)

·        Football Journeys with a Bearded Genius: Nooruddean Choudry in conversation with Daniel Gray from Nutmeg Magazine at St John’s Scottish Episcopal Church – Saturday 18 November, 7–8.30pm (free ticketed event)

The Book Week Scotland 2023 programme is now live, with more events to be added in the lead up to the week itself.