Falkirk district libraries benefit from £35,700 funding boost

The region will share a cash injection of £35,700 from the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) following a successful collaborative ‘Library Live’ bid with six other regional public library service providers.

A further £9,622 of ‘Storing Stories’ funding was also awarded by PLIF, which will be split between Falkirk and four other areas.

In total, £238,107 is to be shared between nine library projects across Scotland with additional funding allocated for national library initiatives such as Every Child A Library Member, One Card and Book Week Scotland.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said: “I am pleased this funding will enable local libraries to bring innovative, educational projects to communities around Scotland.

“The Scottish Government places great importance on public libraries. They empower communities, help tackle inequality, reduce isolation and boost the local economy and it is important that as many people as possible can access them regularly and freely.

Pamela Tulloch from the Scottish Library Information Council (SLIC), which manages PLIF, added: “Once again, we have been inspired by the level of creativity demonstrated by Scotland’s public libraries and it’s always challenging to select the successful bids.

“This year, we have also noted a clear shift from individual service submissions towards joint bids, which enhances service provision across a number of areas and strengthens the impact of projects.

“We’re really pleased to see this because it reflects the core principles of the national public library strategy.

“We look forward to seeing the results of this partnership approach and what we can learn and share with the wider library sector.”