Labour councillors who ignored public petition to keep community library open and protesters who turned up to plead with them.
By Democrat reporter
Community Libraries are a contentious issue in West Dunbartonshire where the then Labour-controlled council (now resigned en masse) refused to agree to lift the axe on Balloch Library despite public protests and a petition signed by more than 1,500 people.
Their future came up in the Holyrood parliament this week when the Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser asked what support the SNP government “provides to local authorities to help secure the future of community libraries”.
The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture Angus Robertson replied: “As Mr Fraser knows, library policy is devolved to local authorities. The Scottish Government provides general revenue funding to local authorities, which have the financial freedom to operate independently and to allocate the total financial resources that are available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities.
“The Scottish Government provides targeted support for public libraries through our annual funding to the Scottish Library and Information Council, which includes the public library improvement fund, which supports creative and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.”
Murdo Fraser told MSPs: “Numerous constituents have contacted me to raise concerns about the proposed closure of seven community libraries in towns and villages across Perth and Kinross as a direct result of budget cuts by the Scottish National Party-run Perth and Kinross Council.”
This is similar to the situation in West Dunbartonshire.
He added: “Those libraries are not just resources to lend books; they are important community hubs that host a range of activities, and their loss will be significant to the communities that they serve.
“Given the uplift to the Scottish Government’s budget, what additional resource will now be made available to local authorities to ensure that those important local assets are retained?”
Angus Robertson told him: “I agree very much with Murdo Fraser about the value of libraries, including the community hub aspects of their work. A lot of very innovative work is going on across Scotland, with libraries providing additional services for communities.
“Mr Fraser has made a point very strongly about the value of those libraries and I hope that his local authority will listen to it.
“On the budget process, Murdo Fraser will appreciate that I am not in a position to give any sneak previews of what might be coming in the weeks ahead but, again, the points that he has raised will have been heard.”
Bill Kidd (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP) asked for an update on the work of the Scottish Government’s public library improvement fund “in supporting the vital role of libraries by helping our hard-working library staff to bring their innovative ideas to life?”
Angus Robertson replied: “The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Library and Information Council, which provides leadership and advice to Scottish ministers, local authorities and the wider libraries sector.
“In the year 2024-25, we are providing annual funding of £665,000 to SLIC in recognition of the importance of our public libraries and to support the excellent services that they provide.
“That includes £450,000 for the public library improvement fund, which supports creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland, with £200,000 awarded to individual projects. The projects that have been successful for 2024-25 are due to be announced soon.”
West Dunbartonshire Council’s spin doctors refused to comment to The Democrat and have referred us to the Freedom of Information service, which can take weeks to provide an answer even to the most straightforward questions. Democrats these people are not.