 The next item of business today is a member's business debate on motion number 12195 in the name of Colin Beattie on the importance of libraries. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I would invite those members who wish to speak in this debate to press their request-to-speak buttons now or as soon as possible. I now call on Colin Beattie to open the debate. Mr Beattie, you have seven minutes but before you do I would just invite those members who are leaving the chamber and indeed those who are leaving the public gallery to do so quickly and quietly please. Mr Beattie. I must begin with the confession. I am a bookaholic and from a very early age in my hometown of Forfer I was a member of the local library. I could not afford to buy the books myself but the local library opened the window into a new world. Somehow I found time to read several books a week. Books on fiction and reality were all grist to the mill. My vocabulary improved and I learned about places and people from across the world. Indeed in those days when even television was limited and before the internet this was the only real way to discover the world we lived in. I never lost my love of reading nor my love of books and it must surely be a coincidence that I married a fellow book junkie which compounded the problem. As a years passed we collected more and more books until now our house groans under the weight of about 8,000 books and one day I will go through them and I will dispose of those that are duplicated and so on but for the moment it is one way traffic. You can imagine I feel strongly about libraries and their importance in a place in our communities and I believe that libraries still represent a vital route to learning and development not just through the conventional supply of reading books but for all the added value services such as hearing books, CDs, DVDs, internet access and all the rest. Libraries have played a vital role in our history. They have been part of Scottish culture for centuries and some Scottish universities can trace the history of their libraries back to the 15th century. Of course these university libraries were for students and faculty only. The general public had no access and indeed the ruling class was not particularly keen that the ordinary man be educated. It was not until the 19th century when the Public Libraries Act was passed that local communities were allowed to build public libraries that offered free access and so giving citizens the right to inform themselves from the information that libraries provided. A huge boost came in the form of Andrew Carnegie who recognised libraries as one of the best ways in which he could give back. As a young boy Andrew Carnegie understood the importance of libraries, which is why when he was unable to pay the $2 price for a library card, he wrote to the library administrator in protest. The administrator denied his request for a free access to the library, so he heard his letter published in a local paper and eventually the library caved in to the public pressure brought on by the letter and opened its doors to working men and apprentices. It should be no surprise to learn that Andrew Carnegie regarded his experience with reading and libraries as one of the keystones of his success. He saw public libraries as essential for the future success of any community. During his lifetime, he funded the building of over 2,800 libraries worldwide and the first was established in Scotland in 1883 in his hometown of Dunfermline. Many more Scottish Carnegie libraries from Dumfries to Aberdeen followed, all of which helped their individual communities by offering invaluable information to those who had previously no access to books. Currently, we have over 500 public libraries in Scotland, all of which are places where members of our communities can go and enjoy library facilities free of charge. The tradition of genuinely free public libraries is now almost two centuries old, but in a way it finds itself at risk because across the UK libraries are disappearing and some people are actually asking what the purpose of having libraries is actually for. In 2008 and 2013, 3.6 per cent of Scottish libraries were closed. Although those numbers are not welcome, they are still much smaller than the other numbers from around the UK, with 7.9 per cent of libraries in England, 11 per cent in Wales and 11.5 per cent in Northern Ireland closing their doors. Those closures are often done as a result of pressure on councils to make cuts, but I fear that sometimes local councils are a wee bit too eager in the closing of publicly funded libraries. However, there is a small number of people who wonder why in this digital age of laptops and tablets do we need stacks of old, dusty books? This assertion is usually addressed when you realise that our modern-day libraries are much more than just stacks of books. Scottish libraries are community centres that have kept their original tradition of embracing equality without regard to income or background, so they have continued through the generations to allow those from all backgrounds to come, learn and enjoy. Children of all age can pick up a book for free and read, and it is an important service for those coming from lower income families who would otherwise have no place to access such materials and no place to expand their imagination and knowledge. Libraries help people to improve their understanding of the world. They offer public meeting places where people with common interests or needs can come together, where people are searching for a social group to belong to and can find one. Another essential service is, of course, access to free wi-fi and computers, which is crucial for those who are disadvantaged or low-income, or who, like 39 per cent of my constituency in Midlothian, do not have access to internet in their own homes. For those Scottish citizens, libraries are vital. This addition of free wi-fi and computer in the Scottish libraries is proof that our libraries continue to adapt and evolve to better meet the needs of our communities. I recognise that access to the vast information that is available on the internet has in some ways replaced the need for students and researchers to rummage through piles of books at libraries or to find facts and data. However, in a world in which every two days we create more data than was created from the beginning of human history up to 2003, it is important that there is a place where we can find that information, where it is organised and stored and where there are experts available to guide you through it, free of charge. Throughout my constituency, National Library Day of February 7 has been celebrated, and libraries across the country and in my constituency have been very much involved in celebrating that with a diverse number of services and activities. Book groups for all age have discussed and created in areas through the country. Many special visits from famous authors took place, who read and discussed their works with Scottish communities. Harry Potter Night celebrations were held, iPad tutorials were given and, in my constituency, a build-a-biscuit city activity was held for children at the Dalkeith library. In addition, the same library provided a textiles workshop in which knitting, crochet and needle felt were taught. National Library Day in 2015 was a great success for all of the participating libraries, and I trust that it will continue to be so in the years to come. No debate in our libraries would be complete without highlighting the staff who work in those libraries. Librarians and their staff are in a unique position, supporting our communities and continuing this tradition of dedicated services that we all benefit from. Without them and their commitment, our libraries would not be the success they are. All of us in this chamber and across Scotland have a responsibility to ensure a secure future for public libraries. Librarians need our support, and it is our responsibility to provide that support and so to protect their future in Scotland. Many thanks. We are very, very tight for time today, so people can limit themselves to four minutes or thereby be very grateful. I call on Stuart Maxwell to be followed by Hanzala Malik. Thank you very much. Andrew Cymiggy famously said that a library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never-failing spring in the desert. Like many others, I share Andrew Cymiggy's passion about the importance of libraries, so I would like to give my thanks to Colin Beattie for securing today's valuable debate. On 7 February, Mark, National Library Day, I have an opportunity for all of us to celebrate the contribution that libraries make to communities across Scotland. In East Renfrewshire, where I live, in my own region, National Library Day coincided with the opening of brand new library facilities at the Barhead foundry. Since its opening, the Barhead foundry has quickly become a real community hub for local residents, offering first-class library services alongside enhanced sports facilities, business resource centre, digital services and a cafe. The new home of Barhead library offers a range of services for people of all ages and includes a great collection of books and other resources. Across the country, we see public libraries like this one at the heart of communities, giving people the chance to enhance their learning and develop a passion for reading. Cabinet Secretary for Culture has previously highlighted the key role that libraries play in overcoming barriers to literacy and educational attainment. A few weeks ago, I spoke in the debate on educational attainment and outlined some of the work that has been undertaken by the Education and Culture Committee in this area. Evidence from the 2009 programme for international student assessment survey suggests that increasing reading engagement has the potential to reduce approximately 30 per cent of the attainment gap associated with poverty. It is clear that libraries have a vital role to play in breaking the link between poverty and educational attainment, especially if studies show that children from poorer backgrounds tend to have fewer books at home and are less likely to be read to by their parents. It is important that we get as many young people as possible engaged with reading from an early age, so I am delighted that the Scottish Government has introduced a pilot scheme to ensure that every child is automatically given membership at a local library. The project has been run by the Scottish Library and Information Council with the support of the Scottish Government's Public Library Improvement Fund, and I look forward to hearing the outcome of the pilot scheme once it is complete. I also very much welcome other initiatives introduced by the Scottish Government to encourage reading and improve literacy standards, including Book Week Scotland, the Play Talk Read Campaign and the recently announced Read Write Count initiative. I would like to conclude by focusing on the provision of school library services, an issue that the Scottish Library and Information Council has been looking at in great detail recently. Research carried out by Professor Dorothy Williams of Robert Gordon University has found considerable evidence of the positive impact that school libraries have on learning. Professor Williams found that school libraries not only contribute to better educational attainment, but they also helped to successfully deliver curriculum outcomes and promote positive attitudes to literacy and reading. My own daughter, when she went to secondary, was a beneficiary of that very process. Going along as a new pupil to a secondary school, nervous as you are, she went to the library and found a place that not only was full of books, but was a place to meet friends and also to join book clubs, get a book buddy and also to have teachers and the librarian in particular, a professional librarian who helped her to help herself with her own literacy and expand her own reading capacity. I was greatly concerned to learn that some local authorities have brought forward proposals to reduce the provision of full-time professional librarian services in schools, particularly in light of the Scottish Government's focus on tackling the educational attainment gap. The read-on get-on report that was published last year suggested that 40 per cent of families from the poorest households had fewer than 10 children's books at home. Studies also suggest that a significant proportion of children do not visit public libraries, so the only place that many children are exposed to books is at school, making the service offered by professional school librarians even more important. I would therefore like to include by asking the cabinet secretary if she could outline the Scottish Government's view on the importance of school library services and their role in raising attainment and literacy levels among children. Presiding Officer, libraries have been a vital educational tool for ordinary people for over a century. Let's make sure that we support and maintain our public libraries and our school libraries. Many thanks. No, Colin Hensala. Malik, to be followed by Cameron Buchanan. Thank you very much and good afternoon, Presiding Officer. I would like to thank Colin Beattie for submitting this motion today. As a previous city councillor and now as a parliamentary man, I have seen first hand the provision offered effects of 33 Glasgow City libraries in Glasgow. Their public institutions play such an important role in providing equal access of information service and media, especially to people of low income households who are often denied access to internet Wi-Fi, which is so important in today's world. Scotland's libraries offer 8.5 million hours of free internet access each year. Scotland has prided itself on education and literacy since the 18th century. It is through our libraries that we continue this great tradition by providing people free access to information in books and online and other media, like CDs, films, music and braille, not to exclude foreign languages with the same sort of services provided to people including newspapers from overseas. Libraries have began to change with the time to better match the needs of the public and an example of the provision of libraries is to partnership with Glasgow libraries and Macmillan cancer services. Macmillan through Glasgow libraries has begun to offer access to local community-based cancer information and support services to the people of Glasgow. I am grateful for the member for giving away mentions of Glasgow. Will he also welcome examples such as the bridge where the library serves the public, the college and the swimming pools in the same venue? Absolutely. I think that these are just some of the good examples that we have in and around Scotland. This is just one way in which libraries can utilise a better community and serve the communities better around them. I welcome the celebration of the national library day, which was on the 7th of February. Since then, we pride our libraries in Glasgow. Whilst we celebrate the national library day, we must work hard to ensure that we maintain our libraries. We must make sure that local authorities are funded to ensure that the library services continue and that they provide the provision that they not only have, but also they should actually increase the facility that they currently provide. One of the things that is quite important is quite frequently local authorities are used the excuse of relocation in terms of closing libraries down. That has to change. We need to be more serious of how we provide our libraries to the communities around us. Attaching libraries to schools, colleges, universities is a good example and also when we are rebuilding libraries in areas, what we should not do is ensure that we do not allow the erosion of the service that currently provided to the citizens right around Scotland. I think that many people have experienced good services through libraries. We wish to continue to do those and attaching themselves to educational institutions, particularly schools, I think will ensure the introduction to libraries to younger people at a very early age who would benefit the most. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. Thank you. Now Colin Cameron McCannan to be followed by Liam McArthur. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I commend Colin Beattie for bringing this debate to the chamber. Libraries are very clearly one of the most important assets within any community for a whole variety of reasons and celebrating their work is also an important duty of any elected member, not least because there are so many preciously regarded, because they are so preciously regarded by the majority of our constituents. National Library Day therefore gives us and them the perfect opportunity. Of course there are many different types of libraries these days and they can no longer be viewed in quite the same way as they once were. Bastions of silence presided over by formidable looking librarians who would not countenance the even the slightest degree of inappropriate decorum from the reading public. I remember at school being terrified by our school librarian who wanted a reason for every book we took out, so he never took out any books referring to sex, drugs or rock and roll. Thank you. No interruptions. The first library which as we heard was built or the libraries that Andrew Carnegie started and done firmly in 1883, he required the recipients of his philanthropy to demonstrate two key things. Firstly that the community was in need of the facility which in the 19th century of Scotland was possibly self-element evident and secondly that services would always be free. The extraordinary revolution that Carnegie created has then been clearly changed over time but it is just as important as ever as libraries have been transformed from the silent spaces of reading into bustling hubs of activity covering all aspects of community living. It has been pointed out, libraries host free classes and events for local people that would be unavailable to many where it not for the Carnegie model which became the basis for all the library services in the UK. They are unusually popular and successful activities for children and schools and they are often the focal point for local communities. This is particularly true in many rural communities which might have seen the reduction of other rural services such as their post offices, their local shop or their police counter. Even the library bus is eagerly awaited in so many rural communities and they can give much needed comfort to many elderly citizens who would not otherwise find it easy to move further afield. In other words libraries have a huge social value that can never be underestimated. Clearly has been a seismic shift brought about by the internet. Today the majority of us carry the entirety of human knowledge in our pockets and bags. Smart phones and tablets mean that we have instant access to information and seemingly limitless supply of books available to our fingertips wherever we are. The nature of our need for libraries may be changing as it demonstrated on a weekly basis as a meeting place, community centre, learning hub, indeed coffee shop, swimming pool, local libraries continue to play a vital role for communities across Scotland. Far from the proliferation of digital communication being a major stumbling block it has actually embraced the wholeheartedly the Scottish library system with many people's first into reaction to the internet taking place in a library. Indeed I would argue strongly that libraries have become more not less attractive as a result. Notwithstanding that there are pressures on libraries and these are often coming from local authorities who are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain library facilities on the same basis as before where this is set against spending restraints. How many times have we heard members of the public raise concerns when first cutbacks that are made in a local authority area are those which are not seen to be front line like museums, libraries or galleries. This is not just about low-income families accessing the facilities but everybody using them. As I said before, they are the hub of local, rural and urban life. Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I join others in warmly congratulating Colin Beattie on bringing the debate? I hope that he was not subject to a late find for the scheduling of the debate on 7 February. Finding ourselves far from home, both James Dornan and I pitched up at the Blantyre library in Malawi. It was unfortunately a Sunday and closed but our note of solidarity did not go unremarked upon. Despite the delay, it is important that we are having this debate as Colin Beattie himself acknowledged at a time when a lot of libraries across the kingdom feel or are under threat of either cuts or closures. It is important that we acknowledge the value and celebrate the contribution that public and school libraries make. In a digital age, the question of the relevance of libraries has been raised, even the value of books themselves, including possibly even the noble tome that the former First Minister is preparing to unleash on an expectant world very shortly. The Orkney library and archive provides an utterly compelling answer to that question. It is one of the most successful libraries and I understand that the oldest is founded in 1683 as Bibliotech of Kirkwall. It is embedded in the local community but I think that it has done a great deal to enhance its reputation not just nationally but internationally. The examples underpinning that are certainly the history and heritage resources that are available. The innovative use is made of social media and I will touch on that in a moment. The real focus is on providing the highest levels of customer service, which I think I reflected probably in libraries across the country. Access is absolutely fundamental to the role that libraries play across the country. The physical access is important. I remember the library in both Kirkwall and in Strumnys providing a bit of a bolt hole from the elements. You may come in out of the rain and invariably stay longer than you intended. Delivering library services in anarchabelago provides particular challenges and I think that it is to the great credit both of the libraries in Orkney but also in Shetland that they have been doing this for over 60 years now. I remember when I was younger that the black plastic library boxes being delivered to the house were eagerly anticipated treasure troves. Sixty years on, in collaboration with the counterparts in Shetland, Orkney library undertook 24 islands in 24 hours with authors Ann Cleves and Lynn Anderson leading the way. Things have moved on, obviously. The web-based models and ebooks is a modern approach to delivering services in the community that I represent. While it may not be as exciting as the arrival of the small black boxes, I think that it is probably more practical. This rising to the challenge of the digital age is reflected in the move to reach out to new users. The Orkney library has award-winning social media presence, including two golden tweets. I think special mention to Stuart Bain for his efforts in tweets and Facebook posts. It would be invidious perhaps to draw out one, but I will do so. The 12 Days of Christmas recently culminated with Steve Cougan's autobiography being tucked inside the autobiography of a former Doctor Who actor under the title A Partridge in a Pertwee. Access goes beyond simply that to books. It acts as a hub for book bug sessions, for one-to-one IT tuition. It has been used as a hub for health visitors delivering health checks and promoting early years developmental activities. The partnerships with the Orkney talk and newspaper, Orkney Family History Society and the George MacAe Brown Fellowship, demonstrate the breadth and the reach of the library. To avoid any accusation on my part of bias, I conclude with the quote from Lyn Anderson in a love letter to Kirkwall library. I am sure that she did not mean to exclude strongness, so I will replace Kirkwall with Orkney. Orkney has embraced the future of books with enthusiasm and determination. Orkney library is, to my mind, everything that is wonderful about libraries and the services that it brings to people. I thank Colin Beattie once again for giving Parliament an opportunity to put on record our collective gratitude for the contribution that libraries and their staff make to communities right across the country. Deputy Presiding Officer, I too congratulate Colin Beattie on securing this debate. Incidentally, my second speech in a debate on libraries in as many weeks, but I do not mind. I have loads of time for libraries. In fact, I passed higher English grade A. I boast through coming across critiques in Shakespeare in Blackhall library. Then, in my early days in Woodmill 5, where, with the librarian, the redoubtable Dorothy Devlin, we took the mystery and the horror and fear out of libraries as many young people were inhibited from crossing them. That was 40 years ago, and, of course, a lot has changed since then. I am still in the physiognadio of libraries, though I am now mostly through my surgery visits to Newton Grange and Gore Bridge on the first Friday of each month free ad. Newton Grange, with the flowers on the counter, take note, Gore Bridge—you have not got any flowers—this month had its burst in books project and, incidentally, also celebrates its 50th anniversary. This project was set up in Mayfield library and Colin Beattie's constituency with NHS funding and was headed by Isabel Allan Mayfield library manager with input from staff and pupils from the primary. The aim of the project was to support and interest particularly boys aged six to eight years, whose reading ages were below par and who generally would give books a body slide. What is it? In Newton Grange, there are 20 themed canvas bags full of goodies, with a range of topics, deadly creatures, horrible histories, mental mass, terrible T-rex, mobile monsters—I want to get one myself. It is not just books inside those canvas bags but themed related toys, DVDs and so on. It is a real Santa Claus present put into the library. The library service provides funds for these materials from its own budget. It is a great idea. I am not wishing to stereotype that girls can get the bags too. As for Gore Bridge—and I look forward to their new carpeting, I promised I would say that—it was humming with activity too. From the computer room, the mid-space people such as Fiona Sharp was at the ready to advise on services locally on mental health and wellbeing. Jonathan Coward, who was there to provide support for vulnerable people affected by welfare reform, who do not have computers at home already referred to by Colin Beattie, wants to help them to use the library's PC suites. Of course, it was me sitting among the autobiographies and meeting constituents and reading some of the autobiographies when I was a bit slack for business. I want to put on record my personal thanks to the librarians at both for their good humour and the Newton Grange, the cup of coffee and the biscuit take note again, Gore Bridge, and for looking after me and everyone who steps over their thresholds. You can see all those good people and the facilities on my Facebook pages. I also want to congratulate for once Midlothian Council's commitment to continuing to support those libraries that are community centres. I have a message for the member and for the other speaker, for Liam McArthur, with regard to the forthcoming former First Minister's autobiography. I understand that there are currently no plans to put in sex, drugs or rock and roll. He assures me that he is leaving that for the sequel. I thank Colin Beattie for bringing this debate forward and for offering us the opportunity to discuss the important role that our libraries play. They not only ensure that everyone can take pleasure regardless of their economic situation in reading but also broaden our personal education and ensure access to our culture. They encourage a love of reading, they offer choice and depth to the reader not only what is on the shelves but also by ordering and requesting books from all across Scotland. National Library Day is a day to celebrate all that libraries give us. Libraries play a huge part in family life and World Library Day gives us the chance to recognise that and to celebrate everything that they offer. My local library was very important to me as a child and I can remember the excitement and anticipation of reaching 14 and being able to move up to the adult section of the library. I might not be looking for the same books as my colleague Mr Cameron. As a student at Edinburgh University, I was able to use the National Library of Scotland and we should all recognise the importance of the National Library, not only our local services but also what the National Library gives us. Libraries have changed and modernised and even in an increasingly digital and technological age, with many more entertainment and relaxation choices available to us. Libraries are still hugely important and in Fife we have seen investment into our libraries with the refurbished Cercody and galleries opening a few years ago, which has created a fantastic multipurpose space with a gallery, a library, a cafe, a museum and also family history services. Of course, the first of Carnegie's public libraries was in his birthplace on Firmland and opened in 1883. The building displays a stylised sun outside with a carved motto, let there be light at the entrance. It has currently been invested in for the 21st century and it is a great example of our continuing commitment to libraries. However, there is more to do across Scotland in terms of improving access to e-books in particular through our lending service and also Wi-Fi access in libraries, which can be quite patchy across the country. How do we ensure a culture of reading in Scotland and be able to reap the educational benefits that bring the individual, our society and our economy? Last week, we had World Book Day and, like many parents across the country, I was pulling together a favourite character outfit and costume. Events such as World Book Day promote and celebrate reading and it is wonderful to see children enjoying reading. Over the summer, lots of libraries also offer the big reading challenge, which encourages reading outside of the school term. In southern Australia, they have a very successful reading challenge that has increased in popularity over the years. It is something that Labour would look to introduce as a First Minister's reading prize. That would encourage school children to read 12 books at least throughout the school year. In south Australia, that has meant that 95 per cent of all schools take part. There is almost a 50-50 split in the number of boys and girls who take part in the challenge. The cost is minimal. In 2013, the budget for the programme was £340,000. Due to the uptake, that was less than $3 per student. Evidence from across the world shows a correlation between general reading and academic achievements. We need to help to inspire our children into the habit of reading and to using libraries. The knock-on benefits for the Scottish books are very positive. We should also look at ways in which we can support our Scottish publishing sector through the procurement process. Public sector finances are under severe pressure, and local authorities and cultural trusts will be looking at the services that they provide. I would urge them to exercise caution around the library service. That is not to say that there should not be any change. They need to look at the viability of the library, the borrowing numbers and better ways of delivering services, but libraries are vital. They are publicly funded, they are accessible, they remove educational barriers and they should be valued now and well into the future. Finally, Stuart Stevenson, after which I call the minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer, to this annual meeting of bookaholics not very anonymous. I am privileged to be part of that group. Libraries are a source of information, that is very valuable. However, there is also something that protects our heritage on a long-term basis. It is no accident that totalitarian regimes and extremists generally. One of the first things that they go for is books and for libraries. ISIS have destroyed 100,000 books in Mosul in the recent weeks. In April 2003, the National Library and Archive of Iraq lost hundreds of thousands of books. During World War 2, one of the first targets of the Japanese when they went to China was to destroy books. Over a million books and documents were destroyed. The Nazis in the 1930s notoriously burnt books with which they disagreed. Books are radical and extreme. Books are highly varied, and we should value them in all their variety, because they tell us about where we come from, the inform about where we are going to go. I personally, like many other members, I am sure, use libraries considerably. When I have my surgeries in Bucky, my surgeries in Fraserer, it is the local library that plays host to us. While I am waiting, I can pop next door and see what is going on. I can read the newspapers that the libraries get and, of course, I can dip into books. Surprisingly, no one so far has mentioned the National Library of Scotland, which is a big apartment. It has been signalled that I was not listening correctly. I have my reading card here with me. Disappointingly, I note that it is due for renewal on general election day. I have a suspicion that I may not manage to get along that day to renew it. However, when you go into places like the National Library of Scotland, you have almost unique opportunities to find information. You will get nowhere else. I am very interested in genealogy, both my own and other people's. I know that my great-grandfather earned £70 a year in 1862, because he was a missionary for the Scottish coast mission. There seem to be only four pieces of paper left about that institution, and one of them is in the National Library of Scotland, the annual report that shows how much he was earning. That was very good. Archives and libraries go hand in hand with my great-great-great-grandfather. I have a tiny bit of paper showing his servant in the Navy. I was able to go to the public record office at Q and get the ship's logs from 1780 when he was serving on HMS Midway. Let's see what we think about the electronic world. The National Library of Scotland is doing a great deal to address the issue of the transient nature of so much of our electronic information. I invite Liam McArthur to think carefully about whether the modern electronic world is a better one than the paper world to which we have been used to. I sit in a bath whenever I can, with a cup of tea and a book in my hand. I can assure you that my wife sweats less when I drop a book in the bath because a hairdryer is all that is needed to remedy it, but dropping an e-book in the bath is another matter altogether, not because of the electrical implications the e-book tends to suffer a bit. I congratulate Colin Beattie on giving us this opportunity to think about literature and libraries. I hope that we will hear some interesting things from the minister about the future security of our libraries services. Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslund has looked to close on behalf of the Government. I also congratulate Colin Beattie for securing this member's debate on what was a very eloquent contribution. The motion highlights the great works that libraries do, not just on National Library's Day but all the year round. As Christine Grahame pointed out, this is the second opportunity that the Parliament has taken to debate libraries in recent weeks following James Dornan's motion about land-side libraries 100th anniversary on 3 February. I welcome the opportunity to continue that discussion and reflect on the passion that members have for their local libraries. Stevenson has given us an international perspective and reflected on the power of books and on the cultural outrage of the destruction of libraries in times of conflict and war. The Scottish Government places great importance on our public libraries because they bring real social benefits to people and communities. Cameron Buchanan reflected on the Carnegie legacy of the past, but it is also important that we emphasise that libraries are changing, not just the carpets in Gore Bridge but the Fife refurbishment that Claire Baker referred to. Libraries offer crucial support to help people, help themselves, to support literacy, digital participation, learning, employability, health, culture and leisure, to improve the quality of people's lives and to support them to engage in the democratic process. Zalaam Alik also talked about the Macmillan partnership, a very important new development. Stuart Maxwell talked about the example of Barhead library, but he also raised the important point about attainment in school libraries. I take to ensure that the education minister responds to him, but I emphasise that we see school libraries as a vital part of supporting our literacy campaigns. As noted in the motion today, there have been fewer closures of libraries in Scotland than the rest of the UK. We should recognise that libraries in Scotland are performing extremely well and have won the UK's library of the year accolade at the Bookseller industry awards for the past three years. Midlothian won last year an amazing achievement for the second smallest mainland local authority in Scotland. All this is great news, but I am sure that members will agree that there is no room for complacency. The Scottish Government recognises how important libraries are in delivering national priorities, and the specific Government support for public libraries is through funding for the Scottish Library Information Council's SLIC to offer leadership to the sector. SLIC also distributes our £500,000 a year public library improvement fund that is available to contribute to local projects. We are also supporting SLIC as it works with COSLA and other partners to develop a strategy for public libraries in Scotland. This strategy group is chaired by the chief executive of the Canadian UK trust, Martin Evans. Building the strategy is an opportunity for local authorities and other partners to agree a clear vision for the future of library services. The strategy is due to be published later this year, and I also identify to undertake the scope in relation to the school library issue brought up by Stuart Maxwell. SLIC has refreshed its quality assurance toolkit that allows local authorities to self-evaluate their library services and how good is our public library service. That was published in August 2014. It is designed to recognise the requirements of the public library service and its role in supporting other areas of policy. It forms part of how good is our culture and support, which local authorities use to assess performance in cultural services. Libraries have a crucial role to play in helping to tackle inequalities and empowering communities. I thought that Liam McArthur touched on that as part of his contribution well. The support that libraries give to develop digital skills is a great example of community engagement. Libraries provide equipment and internet access for those who do not have it and also offer training for those who are unsure of how to get online. Those opportunities are about finding new ways of creating new partnership inventories, exploring new ways to reach out and inspiring new audiences in our communities. That is very important. The library sector is very engaged in developing a vision for the sector through the work on the strategy. A really exciting project that the Scottish Library and Information Council announced on National Libraries Day is the pilot to give every child in Scotland an automatic library membership card. Every child a library member will take place in partnership with local authorities. I am delighted to say that 30 local authorities are expressed interest in being involved, so I think that that is a rather big pilot. Obviously, we will have the pilot, but I think that the interest from 30 so far shows you the enthusiasm there is. The development of the pilot is still at an early stage, but the intention is to give a completed library card to children at various stages from birth to primary school. The pilots are being supported, indeed. I can narrow the field down from 30 to 1. I suggest that you start with Midlothian, as it has done so well with awards over the years and is the smallest council area. I think that he is generous to all the other areas that we should share the opportunity. The pilots are supported by the Public Library Improvement Fund, running next financial year. They will encourage Scotland's children and parents to enjoy books from an early stage. That builds on our existing commitment to encourage reading and improve literacy standards. Through two initiatives that I have launched as a Government minister, the play-talk and read that has been running for some time, and obviously Book Week Scotland. We have just newly announced the Read, Write, Count initiative. National Libraries Day is one of many opportunities when libraries can promote their activity and host special events. Another example is World Book Day, which was last week on Thursday, 5 March, referred to by Claire Baker. I had a bit of a problem. My tenure doesn't like getting dressed up, so I had to ask him what he wanted to do to help celebrate. He decided to put on a hoodie and be Percy Jackson from the Lightning Thief stories, but I thought that was a very creative way of dealing with a challenge that he had, as well as celebrating World Book Day. Obviously, there are opportunities to encourage visits with author events, school nursery visits and special book work sessions. World Book Night on 23 April is the next significant day to spread the love of reading along with World Book Day, National Libraries Day and Book Week Scotland. We should all get behind those initiatives and use the opportunities for celebration. Libraries have been very important in the Book Week Scotland initiative in particular. It has been running since 2012, and that is a very important initiative. In 2014, we saw approximately 481 events in libraries across all local authority areas, attended by 17,000 people. Musselburn library was also one of five libraries to achieve a commissioned artwork as part of Book Week Scotland 2014. I have said that before, but one thing that libraries could do better is to market themselves, remind people of all that they have to offer and what they do for people all over the country. I am sure that the library strategy will help them to do that. In terms of other activities and how we can demonstrate the value of that, SLIC has developed a Scottish reading strategy with local authorities as well. There is a calendar of events that allow SLIC and libraries to maximise their impact on audiences. As the motion recognises, libraries are an important and powerful part of our communities. Their offer is universal, democratic and we should be very proud to support them as a cornerstone of our society.