10-05-2025
Glasgow institutions awarded funding for library projects
The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) has granted a share of £34,000 to six libraries and information centres across Scotland, including three in Glasgow, to support pioneering projects in 2025.
Since 2013, the SLIC Innovation and Development Fund has awarded more than £400,000 to more than 40 projects.
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(Image: Supplied) Now in its 13th year, the Innovation and Development Fund has previously helped develop new resources, inspired original research, and enhanced staff training.
This year, the fund will support projects including an AI toolkit for staff training, a chill-out space for students, and a podcast studio.
Glasgow Clyde College's Cardonald Campus Library will use the funding to create a quiet place for students to take breaks, complete with a mindful selection of books and air-purifying plants.
The project is designed to encourage reading for pleasure, thereby increasing literacy skills while promoting student well-being.
The University of Strathclyde's Department of Computer and Information Sciences is hoping to develop an AI toolkit and set of guidelines for Scottish libraries.
This will be used to educate and empower library staff to make optimum use of emerging generative AI tools for information-related tasks and activities.
Meanwhile, Glasgow Women's Library will extend its Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN) project, which supports women in understanding, reading, and writing words and numbers.
The library aims to use the project to increase the knowledge of potential learners, partner organisations, and the general public.
It also hopes to make the wider ALN project more accessible to women who struggle with literacy, or whose first language isn't English.
(Image: Supplied)
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Alison Nolan, chief executive of SLIC, said: "Scotland's libraries and information centres continue to evolve, creating vibrant, future-facing spaces that meet the needs of the communities they serve – and the Innovation and Development Fund is a vital catalyst for that continued progression.
"By backing bold, creative projects, we're not just supporting innovation but helping services redefine their offering in a rapidly changing world.
"These six initiatives demonstrate the power of libraries to lead on digital skills, wellbeing and inclusive learning in both urban and rural communities."
More information on the Innovation and Development Fund is available on the Scottish Library and Information Council's website.
