The value and impact of Scotland’s public libraries

Scottish Book Trust has undertaken an independent research project, led by our Research and Evaluation Manager Éadaoín Lynch, to report on the value and impact of our public and school libraries – and showcase how they are intrinsic to removing inequity across many intersections of Scottish life.

We work across every local authority, striving to offer an opportunity for all people to tell their stories; as such, we are uniquely positioned to bear witness.

Methods include:

• Surveys of public and school librarians
• Interviews with public and school librarians
• Qualitative feedback from library users
• Quantitative data gathering on library opening hours and capacity

Below you can find details of the research findings, conclusions and recommendations for both school and public libraries.

School libraries

The full report, published in September 2025, clearly evidences the impact that school libraries and librarians can and do have in tackling key priorities for education, whilst also detailing the drastic funding cuts, a lack of buy-in and support from management or sector leaders, restrictions and demands on their dedicated library space, and very limited time.

With appropriate funding, secure staffing provision and more public and management support, school libraries can help to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time, providing free resources and guidance to pupils living in poverty, a safe space for children and young people experiencing mental ill health, isolation or wellbeing challenges, an environment in which academic attainment can flourish, and support for the interlinked critical literacy and digital skills that are essential in today's media environment – in short, a level playing field allowing all children and young people to thrive. They are hugely valuable and must be supported.

Based on survey and interview responses from library workers across Scotland, the report identifies four recommendations.

Recommendations:

1. That Scottish Government enshrines a statutory requirement for secondary schools to operate a high-quality school library service, staffed by a qualified school librarian. 
2. That Scottish Government and local authorities work with stakeholders to define the parameters of a high-quality school library service to ensure a uniform standard of provision and allow for self-evaluation and continuous improvement. 
3. That Scottish Government and local authorities work together to empower secondary schools across Scotland with sufficient funding and resource to operate a high-quality school library service, staffed by a qualified school librarian. 
4. That secondary school management teams appropriately train and support their librarians to deliver a high-quality library service.

Primary school libraries

As there is no requirement for any school to have a library, there are no official figures around how many primary schools have a library space and/or employ a professional librarian. However, anecdotally it is clear that provision in primary schools varies widely with some having a dedicated library space, but many more using book corners in classrooms, corridor libraries etc. We received 41 responses to our primary survey, and of those, ten reported they were librarians, and six that they were qualified librarians – this impression is again backed up Scottish Book Trust and partners' experiences in schools.

Given this relative lack of data, the main report focuses on secondary schools. However, given the proven benefits to pupils of having access to a library and qualified librarian, cited throughout the main report, Scottish Book Trust strongly advocate for dedicated library spaces and staff in primary schools as well as in secondary schools, but acknowledge that this is currently unlikely to be the case in most primary schools given this more disparate picture of provision.

We have provided our preliminary report below, summarising insights gleaned from the primary survey for those who would like to explore those findings.

Digital assets

We have created these downloadable assets to help you share the findings of our libraries research with your audiences. Below, you can find social media cards containing our key findings about school libraries.

Public libraries

The full report, published in June 2025, reveals the vital and diverse role libraries play, while also unveiling the extent of closures and reduced services across Scotland over the past 16 years.

Based on an assessment of quantitative data and over 2000 survey and interview responses from librarians and members of public across every local authority, the report identifies three key messages and six recommendations.

Key messages:

1. 97 of Scotland's public libraries have closed (a total of 16%) between 2008 and 2024 – that is more than 1 in 8.
2. Library staff are prized by their community for going beyond the call of duty to help everyone who comes to their library.
3. The library is the last haven left for anyone vulnerable, disadvantaged or in need.

Recommendations:

1. That Scottish Government publishes a clear legal definition of the parameters required to provide an 'adequate' public library service, thereby ensuring a uniform standard of high-quality provision across the nation. 
2. That Scottish Government empowers local authorities across Scotland with sufficient funding and resource to uphold the standard as aligned with the guidelines and as a minimum. 
3. That local authorities or their associated leisure trusts appropriately train and support their librarians to deliver a progressive and accessible library service. 
4. That local authorities or their associated leisure trusts publish annual reports of data that detail their library provision, e.g., expenditure and income, staffing, service points open to the public, book stock and audio visual and electronic stock, annual issues, inter-library loans, requests, enquiries and footfall. 
5. That public libraries are supported and funded to develop a balanced and qualitative service improvement culture, which embeds consistent data measurement and self-evaluation practices, to align with the requirements of a legally designated 'adequate' service. 
6. That more members of the public engage with and explore their local library, and that public libraries are sufficiently funded to promote and advertise their services in their local communities.

Digital assets

We have created these downloadable assets to help you share the findings of our public libraries research with your audiences. Below, you can find social media cards containing our key findings about public libraries (generally and with a focus on Bookbug), a shareable image capturing why public libraries matter, and a printable A5 leaflet that summarises the report.

Any queries, including press and media queries, can be sent to the Research and Evaluation team at [email protected](this link will open in a new window).