Last year, the School Library Improvement Fund (SLIF) supported over 30 projects throughout Scotland - many championing inclusion and development, which was critical in the hugely difficult circumstances of the Covid pandemic.
Crawforddyke Nursery and Primary in Carluke, South Lanarkshire, for example, was awarded £5,000 to support its Nurturing a Love of Reading project, whose priorities included promoting books that raise awareness of mental health and emotions.
Weekly assemblies now have a focus on stories and book reviews to inspire further reading, and senior reading buddies have been matched with pupils where required, while a reading club runs twice a week.
The fund supports creative and innovative projects in the school libraries in Scotland, from nurseries to secondary schools. The £200,000 2022-23 fund - administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) on behalf of the Scottish government - is this year prioritising applications that support antiracism and racial equality.
Another example of an innovative school library project is Elphy Tales. Run by Elphinstone Primary School in East Lothian, it was awarded £3,000 to help engage pupils in early morning learning through Google Classroom during the second Covid lockdown. Local author and storyteller Tim Porteus recorded daily riddles and stories for each class to galvanise pupils in their online learning, which were shared through social media. He remained involved as live lessons were reintroduced, sharing storytelling techniques that inspired weekly writing lessons.
Read Woke, a collaborative project run by Prestwick Academy Library and Ayr Academy Library (with help from six other South Ayrshire secondary school libraries), received funding to curate a wider range of contemporary fiction written by, and about, people from minority groups. More than £11,500 was allocated to promote social awareness in young people, launching with a virtual introduction from authors Patrice Lawrence and A M Dassu.
The initiative was designed to encourage and challenge students and staff to read books written from different viewpoints and experiences, to broaden understanding of social justice issues, and highlight the importance of accurate representation. The project was such a hit in secondary schools that the format was then expanded into nine primary school libraries in South Ayrshire.
Other successful school library projects included Maddie is Online, a digital literacy programme run by East Renfrewshire secondary schools with Robert Gordon University, leading to resources, activities and lesson plans designed to support young people with challenges in online environments.
Be Herd!, meanwhile, is a mental health initiative from Whitburn Academy, in West Lothian, which won a Cosla Excellence Award for its mental health and wellbeing hub.
Projects funded through SLIF help to improve and expand the services school libraries can offer and we’re excited to see that even more initiatives will be supported in 2022-23.
The 2022-23 School Library Improvement Fund is now open to applications and will close at noon on Thursday 29 September.
For more information on how to apply, click here.
Pamela Tulloch is chief executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC)
