Is your local library on borrowed time?

Key quote "Libraries are different than they were 30 years ago. It is not about borrowing books anymore, it is about IT learning opportunities, newspapers, the internet and a whole range of things. The information explosion from the web means we need libraries even more as they identify quality information, and preserve it so that it is accessible to as many people as possible" - Elaine Fulton, director Scottish Library and Information Council

Story in full SIXTEEN libraries closed down in Scotland in the last year, latest figures reveal, prompting fears for the future of the service north of the Border.

The number of libraries in Scotland was 555 in 2002, rising to 559 by 2004, according to the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). But in 2004-5 the number fell to 545 as a swathe of smaller libraries closed in rural areas or were merged with other institutions.

Elaine Fulton, the director of the SLIC, says libraries, which are funded by local councils, must "fight to survive" by keeping up with the latest technologies.

But Stewart Stevenson, SNP MSP for Banff and Buchan, says the loss of libraries to rural communities is a "national shame". "How can the Executive preside over these closures without offering assistance to keep the libraries up and running?" asks Stevenson. "Libraries offer so much to communities, and for places to lose this facility should be seen as a national shame." He added that, while people prefer to watch television or use the internet rather than read books, this was no excuse to let libraries fail. "While we embrace new technology and the information revolution, we must also remember the vital role that the library plays to communities.

"The local library is a place of learning, but it is also a place for entertainment and a community hub. The library is seen as an open, neutral space where people from all social and economic backgrounds can come together and mix. In common with other parts of Scotland, the number of key facilities in rural areas has fallen by 35 per cent since 1981.

"The information explosion from the web means we need libraries even more as they identify quality information, and preserve it so that it is accessible to as many people as possible."

Areas that have lost libraries include Port Glasgow and Greenock in Inverclyde and Spateston near Paisley. In Fife, eight libraries have shut down since 2002 - more than in any other local authority area. Libraries in Lochgelly and Strathmiglo were among the most recent to close, but a spokesperson for the council says: "These were all small libraries, only open part-time. All had very limited stock and very low usage, which is why they closed. They were replaced with a mobile library service."

Fulton admits libraries must now "fight to survive" by introducing modern technologies such as the internet and transforming their buildings into a learning centre for the whole community. "Libraries are different than they were 30 years ago. It is not about borrowing books anymore, it is about IT learning opportunities, newspapers, the internet and a whole range of things."

The latest Audit Scotland report on libraries found the amount of borrowing in 2003-4 fell by more than 1.5 million items to 32.5 million. However, almost 300,000 Scots used libraries to access learning centres and computer terminals. While the number of Scots borrowing that year dipped only slightly from the previous year - to just over 1.2 million - they took out fewer items.

The report also indicates councils are failing to add enough new books for adults and children every year. Fulton says the SLIC, an independent advisory body that helps councils and educational institutes maintain libraries, is working with the executive to develop a "public library matrix" that will connect local communities and enable communication between learning and council services. The Executive has also promised an additional 500,000 a year over the next two years to improve standards.

"For the individual communities they see a sense of loss [when a library closes] but libraries have to deliver a service for the local community," says Fulton.

"If we begin to see more and bigger services closing in communities we would have concerns, but if the service is being used then the local authority will not allow that to happen. Focus is not on the number of libraries that are open, it is about continuing investment in services."

Catherine Lockerbie, the director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, believes that books are more popular than ever. "People have a greater and greater appetite to read and engage with books," she said.

"If it is the case that there is less library provision, it is an anomaly because we can see that the appetite and desire for books is there."

Lockerbie adds: "Libraries are a fundamental part of Scottish cultural life, so it is distressing if that sector is being eroded. Libraries are changing, there is no doubt about that, they are becoming information centres for learning and the internet. But, for Scottish books and publishers, it is essential libraries should be buying and supplying books."

She adds that libraries are essential to publishing and literature: "They are not just isolated, under-funded buildings where you borrow out-of-date books, they should be vibrant focal points for the community."

Mark Lambert, the chief executive of the Scottish Book Trust, says that libraries are "absolutely fundamental to the community and the fabric of our society for the democratic accessing of information, knowledge books", especially in rural areas.

But he admits that libraries across the UK need more investment and innovative thinking in order to survive: "Library infrastructure in Britain as a whole requires a serious amount of investment and a fresh vision."