Question reference: S6W-18727
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 6 June 2023
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Current status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 13 June 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14445 by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide an updated table, including data for (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2022-23.
Answer
According to data acquired directly from the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), in March 2023 Aberdeen City Council closed 6 libraries, Cornhill, Cults, Northfield, Ferryhill, Woodside and Kamhill. No other Scottish Libraries have permanently closed in the last 3 reporting years.
The Scottish Government do not hold information on numbers of libraries dating back to 2007-8. The earliest information on library numbers that SLIC are able to acquire from Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountability (CIPFA) begins from 2009-10.