Libraries are the home of literature. Scotland has a proud history of public libraries, dating back to 1883 (Lynch, 2024). Despite this, the library sector has been facing enormous financial challenges, with some even facing the threat of closing down (Lynch, 2024). Therefore, this raises the question—what is the importance of public libraries?
At the very heart of literature—as both a source of enjoyment and of study—is accessibility. Accessibility is a tool which enables diversity, allowing literature to become such a largely enjoyed outlet. Specifically, the more accessible a text is, the greater and thus more diverse an audience it can reach. One of the ways in which libraries enable this diversity is by allowing books to become accessible to all ages. For example, libraries provide a range of stimulating programmes for babies (GOV.UK, 2017), allow children to participate in reading in exciting ways, and run programmes designed to help adults find a love of reading (GOV.UK, 2017). Through this diversity of age, made possible through the accessibility of public libraries to individuals in numerous stages of life, it is possible for new generations to be introduced to literature every day. Without new people picking up books, we lose several readers and potential writers alike—both of which shape the very nature of reading.
Furthermore, libraries provide access to information and opinions from across the political and cultural spectrum, helping citizens navigate competing agendas in an increasingly fragmented world (Jewell, 2024). This diversity of information, promoted by the accessibility of libraries, aids the creation of a culture of tolerance and understanding. This is far from the current, contemporary culture of hate and intolerance—as can be seen via the numerous anti-immigration and pro-hate protests taking place across the UK, both this summer and last. Therefore, by being accessible and promoting a sense of solidarity, public libraries remain a beacon of hope and social cohesion in an age of fragmentation and intolerance. This, again, is enabled by the accessibility of public libraries—which promotes diversity amongst readers, as well as the literary industry as a whole.
In addition, libraries help to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in education, by providing children with the resources to further their learning in order to reduce the attainment gap (Lynch, 2024). They also help to reduce digital exclusion, which often goes hand in hand with social disadvantage (Health, 2019), for example, by providing the public with access to PCs (GOV.UK, 2017). This, again, highlights the accessibility of libraries to people of all social classes—helping them to further promote diversity and cohesion.
Libraries are an accessible home of literature. Through this accessibility, allowing literature to be reached by a range of individuals, public libraries promote a sense of both diversity and cohesion, providing insight into a more tolerant and less fragmented world. This is what encapsulates their importance.
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