Nine public library projects have been handed a share of £450,000 to support the transformation and modernisation of their services.
Successful bids were announced by Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, at Haddington library as part of the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF).
A total of £238,107 has been allocated to support the nine projects, five of which are collaborative bids involving more than one library service and partners.
The remaining funds will be used for national library initiatives, such as Every Child A Library Member, One Card and Book Week Scotland.
Some of the cash will be used to set up a volunteer accreditation framework to support people into employment in Dundee, Aberdeen, Moray and Falkirk.
Ms Hyslop said: “I congratulate Haddington Library and the other successful applicants for having been awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Public Library Improvement Fund.
“I welcome the collaborative nature of this bid and am pleased that this funding will enable local libraries to bring innovative, educational projects – such as Haddington Library’s Film Clubs – 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.
“That is why we are maintaining our investment of £450,000 to support innovative ways for people to use public libraries in communities across Scotland.”
