Sean McNamara:: Give the gift of books this Christmas
It may come as little surprise that, as the professional body for librarians in Scotland, we are delighted to see our fellow champions of reading at the Scottish Book Trust and this newspaper once again partnering on a Christmas appeal gifting books to children and families visiting food banks this winter. Such a timely and important endeavour that will be a massively impactful gift for many, particularly as the evidence for how reading and access to books can increase life chances is so significant.
Like the Scottish Book Trust, we are also keen to ensure books, proven drivers of social mobility, continue to reach young people throughout the whole year. And thankfully, we have a network all across Scotland of public, school, college, university and other libraries which are perfectly placed to do just that.
Imagine for a second a world that does not have libraries and what a dystopian vision that would present. Knowledge, learning and books would only be available to those who could afford it and perhaps some of that access would be guarded by big tech companies driven by profit. If we want to see an example of what a better world can look like, then our popular libraries and the stories and information within them are a good place to start. With an estimated 1 in 4 children living in poverty and 1 in 10 not having books at home, funding our library network should be a no-brainer.
The Scottish Government has set a welcome priority to eradicate child poverty. Our network of libraries, and the books and skilled, ethical staff within them, have an essential........
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