February 8, 2016

Libraries continue to be a hot topic in the press and National Libraries Day on Friday was a timely reminder of the important role they play in communities across Scotland.

We have undertaken various pieces of work during the past couple of years involving libraries – each of them rewarding in different ways. Our consultation work with the public to gather their views on the role of libraries in future informed the development of the recent National Strategy for Public Libraries in Scotland.

People confirmed to us the important role that libraries play in so many people’s lives, and the evolving role of libraries to being community hubs offering a huge range of services.

For the past two years we have been involved with an innovative programme of leadership development in the libraries sector across the UK and Ireland. Carnegie UK Trust, with its long history of engagement with libraries, commissioned us to evaluate its Library Lab Programme which offered employees in the libraries sector a fabulous opportunity to take part in a leadership skills development programme over an 18 month period at the same time as undertaking a project with the support of a carefully selected mentor.

We are at the mid-way point now, and the call for applicants for the second cohort of participants is currently live on Carnegie UK Trust’s website.

Read our blog about our experiences of evaluating the programme here