Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many libraries have closed in each year since 1999.
Public library services in Scotland are devolved to local authorities which have a statutory duty to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all persons resident in their area.
The Scottish Library and Information Council has provided data on the number of libraries in Scotland, England and Wales, based on data compiled by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The data covers the period 2010 to 2020; we do not hold information on the numbers of libraries dating back to 1999. In Scotland, no libraries permanently closed in 2020-21. We do not have figures for England and Wales for this year.
FINANCIAL YEAR | SCOTLAND | ENGLAND | WALES | |||
Increase/ Decrease | Remaining | Increase/ Decrease | Remaining | Increase/ Decrease | Remaining | |
2009-10 | 0 | 627 | 0 | 3,501 | 0 | 358 |
2010-11 | -8 | 619 | -32 | 3469 | +20 | 378 |
2011-12 | -9 | 610 | -149 | 3320 | -51 | 327 |
2012-13 | -4 | 606 | -59 | 3261 | -3 | 324 |
2013-14 | 0 | 609 | -35 | 3226 | +1 | 325 |
2014-15 | -3 | 603 | -57 | 3169 | -36 | 288 |
2015-16 | -15 | 588 | -47 | 3,122 | -16 | 272 |
2016-17 | -30 | 558 | -65 | 3,057 | +2 | 274 |
2017-18 | -2 | 556 | -38 | 3,019 | -1 | 273 |
2018-19 | -13 | 543 | -14 | 3,005 | -1 | 272 |
2019-20 | +1 | 544 | -30 | 2,975 | -1 | 273 |
NET CHANGE | -83 | -526 | -92 | |||
% change from 2010 | 13.2% | 15% | 25.7% | |||
[source: Scottish Library and Information Council]
The data shows that Scotland has seen library closures over this period, but at a lower level than that seen in England and Wales. Between 2010 to 2020 13.2% of branches closed in Scotland compared with 16% across England and Wales. No libraries in Scotland permanently closed in 2020 or 2021; however, there were temporary closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Building closures in Scotland have largely bottomed out with significant investment in excess of £25 million taking place in the building and mobile infrastructure since 2015. 2016 was the exception to this, due to a reorganisation of library services in Fife.