Latest news with #AminaShah
The Herald Scotland
19 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Sex Matters warns National Library over book ban law breach
The charity said the decision 'creates a hostile environment for gender-critical staff' and 'discriminates against members of the public who share those beliefs'. They added: 'By April 18, 2026, when the exhibition closes, you could be facing thousands of claims under the Equality Act.' READ MORE In their letter to National Librarian and NLS chief executive Amina Shah, and to board chair Sir Drummond Bone, Sex Matters chief executive Maya Forstater, director of advocacy Helen Joyce and director of campaigns Fiona McAnena said many of the chapters in Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht were "personal testimonies to the harassment and discrimination faced by women who express this belief in Scotland today'. 'Gender-critical belief is covered by the protection against belief discrimination in the Equality Act under Section 10. 'As an employer and service provider you have a legal obligation not to subject your staff to harassment or discrimination on the basis of their beliefs, and not to subject members of the public who may use the library or visit its exhibitions to direct or indirect discrimination based on their belief.' The letter says the exclusion could also breach the law on unlawful harassment under Section 26, which covers unwanted conduct 'that violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment' linked to a protected characteristic. 'Displaying books that individuals may disagree with or even find offensive is not harassment; it is core to the job of a library,' they wrote. 'However, refusing to display a book in an exhibition of books nominated by the public because it relates to a protected belief is an action that could well meet the test for harassment in relation to your gender-critical staff.' NLS is celebrating its 100th year (Image: National Library of Scotland) They also warned it could meet the threshold for direct discrimination under Section 13. 'The internal documents about the decision released under Freedom of Information reveal that this is exactly what you did: you decided to exclude this book, which was nominated by four members of the public, from the exhibition after a group of staff claimed — without evidence — that there were groups behind it that were 'exclusionary', and that including it would cause those staff 'severe harm'. "They threatened 'to notify LGBT+ partners' if you went ahead with the original plan to include the book in the exhibition.' The letter continues: 'Imagine if a small group of staff complained about the inclusion of a book by black authors about their experience of racism, a book by gay authors about their experience of homophobia, or a book by Jewish authors about their experience of antisemitism. "You would have had no difficulty recognising this as a call to discriminate based on a protected characteristic.' It accuses library management of capitulating to threats and of using 'a tool that is meant to help you identify and mitigate risks of undertaking unlawful discrimination as a device for discrimination', calling the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) a 'sham' because it omitted the protected characteristic of belief. The charity has called on the NLS to reinstate the book 'without denigrating it with a sign calling it divisive', meet editors Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn, apologise to authors and nominators, and 'consider what other reasonable steps, such as training, you could take to prevent future harassment based on gender-critical belief and to build a true culture of inclusion.' Read more: Judicial guidance on discrimination cases, the charity added, gives a range of £1,200 to £12,000 for injury to feelings in less serious cases — meaning thousands of claims could lead to multi-million pound exposure. Members of the public were invited to nominate 'books that shaped people's lives' for the Dear Library exhibition. After securing four public nominations, two more than the others that made the display, The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht — which features more than 30 essays from contributors including JK Rowling, Joanna Cherry KC and Ash Regan — was initially confirmed for inclusion on May 14 with 'safeguarding measures' in place. FOI documents show the same day, an internal note described it as 'a book that calls for exclusion of a section of society' and suggested 'calling it divisive [might] minimise the harm caused by including it'. In an email, the staff LGBT+ network said it was 'disappointed' and alleged 'the group behind it are explicitly exclusionary in nature.' The network compared the book's stance to 'racist, homophobic and other discriminatory and exclusionary viewpoints', warning of a 'detrimental' impact on staff, visitors and relationships with marginalised communities. On May 15, the network met urgently with managers. The EqIA, completed on May 21, cited perceived harm, asserted increases in hate crime, risks of being seen to endorse 'anti-trans ideology', a 'detrimental impact on staff', visitors feeling 'emotionally impacted', potential backlash from external partners, losing trust, and the risk of protests. It also warned of the risk of accusations of censorship and that it would be the only book from that perspective in the exhibition. On May 28, Ms Shah wrote to Sir Drummond recommending exclusion 'not due to the content of the book itself or the views expressed, but to the potential impact on key stakeholders and the reputation of the Library". "There is a risk that they will withdraw their support for the exhibition and the centenary,' she added. Sir Drummond agreed. FOI records show no equivalent review was carried out for any other book, and no suggestion that titles presenting the opposite perspective should be reassessed. READ MORE Joanna Cherry KC said she was 'appalled' the NLS had 'bowed to pressure from a small group within their staff to censor a book written by feminists, sex abuse survivors and lesbians, about their experiences during an important period in Scottish recent history'. Bathgate and Linlithgow MP Kirsteen Sullivan called the decision 'absolutely ridiculous — censoring a book that gives detailed accounts of women who have been unjustly censored!' In July, Ms Shah told a colleague the episode showed 'training on intellectual freedom is required' within the NLS. Following the backlash, Ms Shah told staff: 'It's important to note that the Library is not banning or censoring this or any other book. Anyone can visit our reading rooms and access it or any other title.' Dr Hunter Blackburn pushed back against that. 'This is unprofessional," she tweeted. "Anyone can see from the FoI, WWWW was not just another book that was left out. "There are 30+ pages of internal consideration about whether to accede to internal activist complaints about the initial decision to include it. The Chair was consulted.' An NLS spokesperson told The Herald: 'We will examine the contents of the letter and will respond in due course.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
National Library of Scotland in legal warning over gender book move
The charity said the decision 'creates a hostile environment for gender-critical staff' and 'discriminates against members of the public who share those beliefs'. They added: 'By April 18, 2026, when the exhibition closes, you could be facing thousands of claims under the Equality Act.' READ MORE In their letter to National Librarian and NLS chief executive Amina Shah, and to board chair Sir Drummond Bone, Sex Matters chief executive Maya Forstater, director of advocacy Helen Joyce and director of campaigns Fiona McAnena said many of the chapters in Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht were "personal testimonies to the harassment and discrimination faced by women who express this belief in Scotland today'. 'Gender-critical belief is covered by the protection against belief discrimination in the Equality Act under Section 10. 'As an employer and service provider you have a legal obligation not to subject your staff to harassment or discrimination on the basis of their beliefs, and not to subject members of the public who may use the library or visit its exhibitions to direct or indirect discrimination based on their belief.' The letter says the exclusion could also breach the law on unlawful harassment under Section 26, which covers unwanted conduct 'that violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment' linked to a protected characteristic. 'Displaying books that individuals may disagree with or even find offensive is not harassment; it is core to the job of a library,' they wrote. 'However, refusing to display a book in an exhibition of books nominated by the public because it relates to a protected belief is an action that could well meet the test for harassment in relation to your gender-critical staff.' NLS is celebrating its 100th year (Image: National Library of Scotland) They also warned it could meet the threshold for direct discrimination under Section 13. 'The internal documents about the decision released under Freedom of Information reveal that this is exactly what you did: you decided to exclude this book, which was nominated by four members of the public, from the exhibition after a group of staff claimed — without evidence — that there were groups behind it that were 'exclusionary', and that including it would cause those staff 'severe harm'. "They threatened 'to notify LGBT+ partners' if you went ahead with the original plan to include the book in the exhibition.' The letter continues: 'Imagine if a small group of staff complained about the inclusion of a book by black authors about their experience of racism, a book by gay authors about their experience of homophobia, or a book by Jewish authors about their experience of antisemitism. "You would have had no difficulty recognising this as a call to discriminate based on a protected characteristic.' It accuses library management of capitulating to threats and of using 'a tool that is meant to help you identify and mitigate risks of undertaking unlawful discrimination as a device for discrimination', calling the Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) a 'sham' because it omitted the protected characteristic of belief. The charity has called on the NLS to reinstate the book 'without denigrating it with a sign calling it divisive', meet editors Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn, apologise to authors and nominators, and 'consider what other reasonable steps, such as training, you could take to prevent future harassment based on gender-critical belief and to build a true culture of inclusion.' Read more: Judicial guidance on discrimination cases, the charity added, gives a range of £1,200 to £12,000 for injury to feelings in less serious cases — meaning thousands of claims could lead to multi-million pound exposure. Members of the public were invited to nominate 'books that shaped people's lives' for the Dear Library exhibition. After securing four public nominations, two more than the others that made the display, The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht — which features more than 30 essays from contributors including JK Rowling, Joanna Cherry KC and Ash Regan — was initially confirmed for inclusion on May 14 with 'safeguarding measures' in place. FOI documents show the same day, an internal note described it as 'a book that calls for exclusion of a section of society' and suggested 'calling it divisive [might] minimise the harm caused by including it'. In an email, the staff LGBT+ network said it was 'disappointed' and alleged 'the group behind it are explicitly exclusionary in nature.' The network compared the book's stance to 'racist, homophobic and other discriminatory and exclusionary viewpoints', warning of a 'detrimental' impact on staff, visitors and relationships with marginalised communities. On May 15, the network met urgently with managers. The EqIA, completed on May 21, cited perceived harm, asserted increases in hate crime, risks of being seen to endorse 'anti-trans ideology', a 'detrimental impact on staff', visitors feeling 'emotionally impacted', potential backlash from external partners, losing trust, and the risk of protests. It also warned of the risk of accusations of censorship and that it would be the only book from that perspective in the exhibition. On May 28, Ms Shah wrote to Sir Drummond recommending exclusion 'not due to the content of the book itself or the views expressed, but to the potential impact on key stakeholders and the reputation of the Library". "There is a risk that they will withdraw their support for the exhibition and the centenary,' she added. Sir Drummond agreed. FOI records show no equivalent review was carried out for any other book, and no suggestion that titles presenting the opposite perspective should be reassessed. READ MORE Joanna Cherry KC said she was 'appalled' the NLS had 'bowed to pressure from a small group within their staff to censor a book written by feminists, sex abuse survivors and lesbians, about their experiences during an important period in Scottish recent history'. Bathgate and Linlithgow MP Kirsteen Sullivan called the decision 'absolutely ridiculous — censoring a book that gives detailed accounts of women who have been unjustly censored!' In July, Ms Shah told a colleague the episode showed 'training on intellectual freedom is required' within the NLS. Following the backlash, Ms Shah told staff: 'It's important to note that the Library is not banning or censoring this or any other book. Anyone can visit our reading rooms and access it or any other title.' Dr Hunter Blackburn pushed back against that. 'This is unprofessional," she tweeted. "Anyone can see from the FoI, WWWW was not just another book that was left out. "There are 30+ pages of internal consideration about whether to accede to internal activist complaints about the initial decision to include it. The Chair was consulted.' An NLS spokesperson told The Herald: 'We will examine the contents of the letter and will respond in due course.'
Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Donor ‘shocked' as national library excludes gender-critical book
Scotland's national librarian is facing mounting pressure to reinstate a gender-critical book which she banned from a major exhibition, after a key donor joined a revolt against the move. Alex Graham, who has given around £300,000 to the library, said he had been 'shocked and angry' to learn that The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht had been excluded from an exhibit that he personally supported with a donation of about £20,000. Graham, the creator of the television show Who Do You Think You Are, urged Amina Shah, Scotland's chief librarian and the chief executive of the National Library of Scotland, to reverse her decision. He said that if she did not, he would have to consider whether or not to continue to provide lucrative donations to the library, as he has done for the past 12 years. The critically acclaimed book, a collection of essays by more than 30 women about their role in the feminist campaign against Nicola Sturgeon's gender self-ID law, was set to be included in its Dear Library exhibition, after it was nominated by several members of the public. However, The Times revealed on Wednesday that it was pulled after a backlash by the library's internal LGBT staff network, which claimed it contained 'hate speech' and that displaying it would cause 'severe harm' to workers. They threatened to 'notify LGBT+ partners of the library's endorsement of the book' if management did not cave in. Shah justified the decision by citing the potential impact on 'key stakeholders' and the library's reputation if the gender-critical book was included, but has faced intense opposition after her ban was made public. In a major intervention, Graham called on the library to admit its mistake and reinstate the book to Dear Library, which Shah had publicly thanked him for his role in funding. He said that if it did not, he would have no option but to publicly disassociate himself from the campaign, saying the library had given in to what he claimed was a 'censorious, bullying culture' instead of standing up for ideals of free speech. The book's editors, Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Susan Dalgety, have branded the removal of their work 'cowardly and anti-democratic' and repeated their call for the decision to be reversed. 'I think this was a fundamental mistake and the correct thing for the library to do would be to put up their hands, admit that and reinstate the book,' Graham said. 'Instead, there have been weaselly responses. 'The library is not saying they have taken it out because it contains hate speech, because it does not. They've taken it out because of some ill-conceived notion that someone might be upset by its presence. That's not a good enough reason for me.' Graham added: 'This is not about taking one side or the other on the trans debate. It's about the principles of open debate and free speech, which to the national library should be sacrosanct. 'It isn't too late to redeem the situation. But if there is not a change of heart, I feel I will have no choice but to publicly dissociate myself from the exhibition and the campaign that surrounds it. 'This stupid escapade does not undo the very good work the library does, but it should never have happened. 'I couldn't say definitely that I will not donate any more money if they stick to their guns on this, but it has certainly given me pause for thought. That makes me incredibly sad.' Shah, who last year received a salary of between £105,000 and £110,000 in addition to pension contributions of £41,000, decided to exclude the book with the support of Sir Drummond Bone, the chairman of the National Library of Scotland (NLS). An insider within the cultural sector in Scotland said the decision was symptomatic of a wider trend of managers being seen to cave in to demands of young, activist staff members who have little resilience or tolerance of views different to their own. Graham became a major donor to the NLS as he credited free access to books at Cambuslang public library in his childhood as shaping his life and allowing him to go on to pursue a highly successful career in television. He sold his television company, Wall to Wall, in which he purchased a 33 per cent share for £1 in 1987, for about £25 million two decades later. Although the library receives the bulk of its funding from the Scottish government, private donors such as Graham, who has been repeatedly acknowledged by the library for his philanthropy, are also essential to its work. Graham has been one of the library's major donors over the past decade, funding major projects such as the digitisation of medieval manuscripts. He funds a scholarship at the library which is named in his honour, as is a room at the National Library of Scotland's moving image library at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. Graham's generosity in supporting the centenary celebrations was singled out for praise by Shah at the launch of the Dear Library exhibition in June. Graham said he was initially impressed with it, before discovering that The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht, which included a contribution from JK Rowling, had been excluded. 'On the opening night of the exhibition, I thought it was fantastic, because I found at least two books in there that I consider to be among the worst ever written,' Graham said. 'I said to Amina I thought that was great, because the whole point was that while some people are inspired by a book, others will hate it. That's the joy of the society we live in and the freedom that we have. 'There are books that are beyond the pale, but there are very few of them. You need to be very careful before you ban anything. 'This book [The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht] was clearly selected to be included, and frankly the management were then bullied out of that by a staff lobby group. 'They say they've removed this book to protect relationships with stakeholders. But they certainly didn't consult me and if they had, I would have voiced strong opposition. I am angry and disappointed at the decision to remove the book as well as the implication that as a stakeholder, I am somehow supportive of it, which I am not.' Kate Forbes, the deputy first minister, has found herself at the centre of a similar row after staff and performers at Edinburgh's Summerhall arts venue criticised her views on trans rights. Summerhall's bosses said Forbes had been permitted to speak at the venue as 'an oversight' after some of the artists set up a 'safe room' while the 5ft 2in politician was present as they were 'terrified' because of her opinions. A whistleblower who works within the arts sector in Scotland said that activist staff members were becoming increasingly powerful within major publicly funded institutions. 'I have been in so many meetings where it is just taken as a given that everyone there is in lockstep on these issues — that everyone hates JK Rowling and that books like The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht are dangerous and harmful,' a source claimed. 'The internal LGBT networks are given carte blanche and it is very isolating to those of us who do not agree with their extreme views, who are forced to self-censor or face, at best, being socially ostracised at work. 'It sounds ridiculous but those of us who don't agree with them feel like we're in an underground network like the French resistance or something, secretly sending each other supportive messages.' The insider added: 'A major part of the problem across the cultural sector is the infantilisation of younger staff members, who can't cope with any type of conflict or opposition to their views. 'This has now led to the ridiculous situation where people intolerant of ideas and books are not only working in our national library, but are calling the shots. Management are terrified and pander to them every time they have a tantrum.' The NLS has sought to defend its decision not to platform the book at its exhibition by claiming there were only 200 spaces for public display, and it received more than 500 nominations. However, documents released under a freedom of information request show that all books with two or more nominations were initially to be included in the public display, with the Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht obtaining four. Joanna Cherry, the former SNP MP and one of the essayists in the book, accused Shah of attempting to mislead her own staff with a message that claimed the library was not 'banning or censoring' books. Although the library does hold a copy of the book — a legal obligation given its statutory role — its exclusion from the Dear Library exhibition was the direct result of complaints from the LGBT staff network who did not like its contents, the documents show. 'I'm concerned that the librarian seems to be misleading her staff as well as the public and the media about what has occurred here,' Cherry said. 'The issue is not whether the book is available within the library's collections but her decision to withdraw it from an exhibition where it had rightly earned its place because of the prejudiced demands of a small group of her staff.' Cherry added: 'There is an increasing pattern in Scottish society where zealots masquerading as LGBTQ+ activists seek to censor women who want to talk about their rights. 'This book was written by feminists, survivors and lesbians. To remove it from an exhibition is not only an attack on freedom of expression, it is also discriminatory.' Hunter Blackburn said: 'We are very saddened that it has come to this, but we understand why Mr Graham has reached what must have been a very difficult decision for him. 'We will continue to seek for this to be resolved by the library making an unreserved apology, putting the book back in the exhibition where it won its rightful place, and, it becomes increasingly clear, undertaking a root-and-branch review of its internal culture and practices.' A spokeswoman for the NLS said: 'We are engaged in a robust and respectful conversation with Mr Graham about this matter, and we will accept his decision regardless of the outcome. 'It goes without saying we are indebted to Mr Graham for his support to the national library over the years. His assistance has helped us to preserve collections, reach new audiences and give young people's careers that much needed start through our apprenticeship programme.'
Spectator
3 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
The National's latest journalistic mishap
Well, well, well. Back to Scotland's self-identifying 'newspaper', which has planted itself at the centre of a row over the delisting of a gender critical book from a national library exhibition. Women's rights campaigners flagged concerns after The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht – a selection of gender critical essays – was removed from the National Library of Scotland's Dear Library exhibition, after having been previously selected. The Times ran the initial story, titled 'censorship row as library bans gender-critical book'. The National then took it upon themselves to claim this wasn't true – insisting the National Library had 'debunked' accusations of censorship. But Scotland's only pro-independence newspaper doesn't appear to have examined the facts all that thoroughly – and has even been accused of defamation over its piece. Crikey! For the institution's Dear Library display, the public had been asked to nominate books that had helped shape their lives. A selection of these would then be included in a ten-month exhibition celebrating the library's centenary. The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht received twice as many nominations required to guarantee inclusion in the display, and its selection was assessed using equality, diversity and inclusion criteria, according to emails seen via Freedom of Information requests. Internal memos outline why the book was to be included in the display: multiple people put it forward, it was to be one of 200 books 'not being platformed or elevated above others' and that the removal of the book from the exhibition list would prompt 'an accusation of censorship'. Consequently an email was circulated that confirmed The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht was to be included in the exhibition. But not everyone was willing to accept this reasoning. The library's internal staff LGBT network mounted a campaign to remove the gender-critical tome from the selection. In one email, a staff member queried whether 'a non-fiction work advocating for racist, homophobic or other discriminatory and exclusionary viewpoints' would have passed vetting and been selected for the curated display. Some even claimed that the book 'essentially promotes hate speech to a particular'. Pressure piled on Amina Shah, the national librarian, who eventually caved in to the outrage. For its part, the National Library of Scotland said in a statement that while 523 books had been nominated, only 200 could be displayed, adding: 'Anyone can visit our reading rooms and access this book as well as the 200 other titles that were not selected for display.' The National was quick to jump on accusations of censorship by the book's authors, Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn – and even released a video in which one of their reporters attempted a fact check: You may have heard that a gender critical book has been banned from an exhibition by the National Library of Scotland. Well, it hasn't. It's not true… Editors have claimed their book is being excluded after pressure from staff. They've called it censorship… They said the book was singled out by staff, who they say had threatened to disrupt the exhibition if it was included. But here's the truth. Their book is one of 200 others not to have been selected for the exhibition. The book is in the National Library. Anyone can read it. It's just not in a showcase celebrating Scotland's literary milestones, which is a curated selection, not an open mic. It seems to have escaped the attention of the paper's sharpest minds that the book, er, was initially included before being subsequently removed due to pressure – with there being email evidence to back the development up. Hunter Blackburn has claimed the journal's video is defamatory – effectively accused the book's authors of lying – while Dalgety has urged the newspaper to apologise. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story, eh?
Scotsman
15-06-2025
- General
- Scotsman
Inside plans to transform the century-old National Library in Edinburgh founded by McVitie's biscuit money
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was founded by a generous grant from the entrepreneur behind one of Britain's much-loved biscuits and a donation of books from the Faculty of Advocates, which could no longer manage its extensive collection. Now the National Library of Scotland (NLS) is marking its 100th year as it unveils plans for a major overhaul of its landmark Edinburgh building to create a weddings and events space and 'let in light' to the 1950s construction. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The National Library of Scotland is based on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh. | NLS The library is planning a major appeal to revamp its George IV Bridge building to "open it up" to the public. Due to be unveiled in its next five-year strategic review in September, Amina Shah, national librarian and chief executive of NLS, said the project would involve creating a new, flexible, 'open' space in the library where large scale events could be held. Plans are also likely to include ways of making the building, which she described as 'austere', more welcoming to passing visitors, including the creation of more natural light and increased accessibility. The National Library's history The existing building was finished and officially opened in 1956, more than three decades after the concept of the National Library was established in an Act of Parliament - and following years of delays in the wake of the Second World War. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The collection was boosted by a £100,000 donation from Sir Alexander Grant, managing director of digestive biscuit maker McVitie and Price, followed by a second grant of the same size to help fund the new building. It is believed that by the time the plans eventually came to fruition, architectural tastes had changed, making the new construction, on the site of the former Sheriff Court in Edinburgh, less well received. Ms Shah said: 'When you walk past it, it's austere. It's a listed building, so it's difficult, but we need to let light in.' She referenced a motto used by Fife-born industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who donated millions to establish free public libraries around the world. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: '[Andrew] Carnegie said 'let there be light'. There is this whole idea about libraries and light, but actually our building looks closed from the outside. We want to open it up. 'We feel really passionately and strongly that Scotland deserves a beautiful national library space.' However, Ms Shah would not be drawn on the potential cost of the project, saying it was still in its early stages. She recently consulted colleagues at Cambridge University library, which held a capital appeal for a staged project, which she said could be used as a blueprint for the plan. 'A lot,' she answered in response to a question about the cost. 'I think the key is for us to think about stages. We could do bits and pieces in a planned and organised way, rather than asking for an infinite amount of money, which it might be difficult to achieve. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We will definitely start looking at that seriously in our next financial strategy. Just as our ancestors decided it would be a good idea to have a National Library without a building at all, just £100,000 to start, they built that on a conversation and an ambition and certainly, we'll be thinking about what the library could do in the future.' Amina Shah is national librarian and chief executive of the National Library of Scotland. | NLS Ms Shah hopes the library can shake off an historic image of it as a closed, formal building for specialist researchers. Visitor numbers to the library have increased by 30 per cent since the previous five-year strategy was launched in 2020. However, Ms Shah feels there is more to be done. She said: 'We're keen to have a more welcoming space on George IV Bridge. The main building of the National Library was built at a time where it was about keeping books in and people out. But now, we want to be really much more welcoming, so that it's not intimidating for people. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The library and its collections belong to everybody in Scotland, and we want to make sure that everybody knows that, and that they feel welcome and we reach out to them.' Work has already begun to change the public impression of the library, including the creation of a new 'treasures gallery', established in 2022, which allows the library to rotate some of its collection on display to visitors and tourists. NLS has also recently begun to tour rare and interesting books around Scotland, including Mary, Queen of Scots' last letter, which will next year be loaned to Perth Museum. How a donation from a biscuit entrepreneur allowed the creation of the National Library of Scotland The history of the National Library of Scotland dates back to the late 1600s, when the Advocates Library was founded in Edinburgh. Under the 1710 Copyright Act, the library was given the legal right to claim a copy of every book published in Britain. It subsequently added books and manuscripts to the collections by purchase as well as legal deposit, creating a national library in all, but name. However, by the 1920s, the upkeep of such a major collection was too much for a private body. With an endowment of £100,000 provided by Sir Alexander Grant, managing director of digestive biscuit maker McVitie and Price, the library's contents were presented to the nation. The National Library of Scotland was formally constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1925. Sir Alexander gave a further £100,000 — making his combined donations the equivalent of around £6 million today — for a new library building to be built on George IV Bridge. Government funding was secured that matched Sir Alexander's donation. Construction started on the building in 1938. However, work was halted due to the Second World War. The library was finally officially opened in 1956. 'It's just a connection with history,' Ms Shah said. 'When people actually see the live document, they get really excited and thrilled by it. So we're really excited to dip our toe in the water of this new way of working with local libraries and museums.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Money has been made available through external funders for this specific project, However, the library is looking at other ways of making money out of its assets to expend the initiative. Ms Shah said the library needed to look to alternative funding sources, including potentially charging certain users. A pilot programme with VisitScotland has seen US tourists given special tours of Gaelic archives, which are the largest of their kind in the world. 'We're working on a small-scale project at the moment with VisitScotland, where we're taking visitors from the States and giving them tours of our Gaelic collections,' said Ms Shah. 'They pay for that in advance. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A 1939 letter delaying the construction of the National Library of Scotland building due to the Second World War. | NLS 'These are the sorts of things that we're really keen on looking at. We want to attract more tourists. We want people to be able to drop in and be wowed by the amazing collections that we've got, and feel curious to find out more about their Scottish heritage. We're trying our best with limited resource or within the resource that we have. 'If we want to survive, we need to innovate and thrive, and we need to think of different ways of doing things. And what we have found is that many people from overseas do want to support us. 'We want to make it easier for people to join the library, whether that's for people in Canada or America who could use our resources online. We're working on ways to make that more accessible. We don't want to monetise it for people from Scotland, but in our new strategy we are thinking about entrepreneurial ways forward.' Ms Shah hopes a new events space could emulate the New York Public Library, which features in the Sex and the City film as a possible wedding location for Carrie and Mr Big. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There, they do weddings and they do events,' she said. 'They have a brilliant event space. Currently, our event space isn't really of that size. It's great, we've got a brilliant event program, but we just feel that with a much more flexible, opened-up space, we could offer so much more for the people of Scotland.' She is also aware of the public interest in 'the stack' - the 11-storey book and paper archive beneath the George IV Bridge library's ground floor. 'People love the stack,' she said, referencing a recent renovation to the V&A's East Storehouse in London, which has opened up the workings of its own archive collection to visitors. 'People can see the conservators at work and you can see the behind the scenes. It used to be that we would try to hide away all that, but there's some really interesting ways, I think, that museums and libraries and others are working to let people see that stuff.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Shah describes the work of the library as being like an iceberg, 'It's not just all floating above the water,' she said. 'What you see is one thing, but actually there's a lot of work that goes underneath, and it's very important work. It's really important that we continue to collect, protect and share the nation's printed and recorded memory. That's what we're here for. 'It's important because [the behind-the-scenes work] is part of that iceberg. We want to stimulate people's curiosity about it.' Despite the 11 storeys, the library is running out of space in its archive, storing a copy of everything printed, from knitting patterns and football programs to government information, children's books, adult books and maps. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A second storage building was taken on in the 1980s on Edinburgh's Causewayside. However, Ms Shah estimates that has just a decade of capacity now still remaining. This is despite work to maximise storage, including the creation of a dedicated factory in Edinburgh's Sighthill area that makes special preservation boxes designed to be space effective. She said the library was in discussion with other organisations, including National Museums Scotland, National Galleries Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland, over possible collaboration on storage and archiving. The renovation plans come as the library marks its centenary year with a new exhibition launching next week dedicated to the importance of libraries. Dear Library will feature the favourite books of celebrities ,including Ian Rankin, Pat Nevin and Val McDermid, as well as Alan Cumming, and is billed as a 'love letter to libraries'. A man who needs no introduction to fans of crime fictions, Rebus-creator Ian Rankin is taking part in numerous events at this year's festival. We're particularly looking forward to 'The Whisky Knight' at 10pm on Friday, September 12. A mixture of chat and song, it will see Sir Ian joined by singers-turned-crime writers James Yorkston and Colin MacIntyre, along with debut novelist Natalie Jayne Clark. Thie audience will also be able to enjoy a wee dram. | AFP via Getty Images Titled Dear Library after a poem by Jackie Kay, whose archive the library acquired last year, the exhibition also features librarians and libraries in popular culture, protest banners and badges reflecting libraries under threat, and vintage film footage bringing past libraries to life. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Shah said: 'While there's a huge amount to celebrate and think about for us - as in what is it to be a national library and in this day, and what will it be in 100 years' time - we have a leadership role for the sector. 'We need to think about the network of really strong school libraries, public libraries, university libraries, mobile libraries, college libraries, prison libraries. I like to think of it more as a connecting role, so that we bring all these others together and consider what we can do for them. 'Libraries as a concept is something that if it wasn't invented already, you'd make it up. Communities coming together to share knowledge, share information. 'It's one of the last really accessible spaces that belong to people and I personally feel that we need it more than ever in an increasingly divided world. Libraries and literacy are the foundation blocks in communities that allow some of that to happen. You know, they support well-being. They support equalities. They empower individuals.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad However, the number of libraries is declining, both in terms of public facilities and in Scottish schools. A recent report from the Scottish Book Trust found the number of libraries in Scotland had dropped from 604 in 208 to 507 last year. A separate study from the National Literacy Trust found reading enjoyment among children and young people in the UK had fallen to its lowest level in two decades. 'Sometimes, libraries are absolutely recognised for the brilliant community, engaging and empowering resources that they are, and they can be right in the centre of the hub of the community,' said Ms Shah, who worked in the public library sector in Dundee for 14 years. 'But other times they can be neglected. And funding is challenging for local authorities and they have to make difficult decisions. 'But it's actually the most vulnerable people in society who use libraries often, and often the people who are the policy makers don't realise that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
