Creation of a Scottish Universal Library Offer in Scotland

That the Parliament acknowledges what it views as the vital role that public libraries play as trusted, accessible, educational, cultural and community spaces; recognises their contribution to literacy, lifelong learning, digital inclusion, health and wellbeing and tackling social isolation across Scotland and the Mid Scotland and Fife region; further recognises the important role of public libraries in supporting early intervention, reducing inequalities and delivering the Scottish Government's ambitions for preventative public services and public service reform; acknowledges that the law currently states that "it shall be the duty of every local authority to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all persons resident in their area"; notes the view that the absence of a consistent national framework for defining and assessing adequate provision can contribute to inequalities in access to library services across Scotland; supports calls for the creation of a Scottish Universal Library Offer, as recommended in the Scottish Library and Information Council's (SLIC) March 2026 review, Public Libraries: Beyond Adequate, to establish a shared national expectation of library provision, while recognising local needs and circumstances, and notes calls on the Scottish Government to work with SLIC, COSLA and local authorities to progress this recommendation as part of its wider commitment to sustainable, equitable and preventative public services.