THEY are the places where many a love affair with the world of books and reading was first kindled.
But now libraries face an uncertain future as cuts to council budgets and the changing way people use their services threaten their place in the community. Since 2012, austerity spending has hit libraries in Scotland hard with six shutting their doors while many remain under threat.
But as the countdown begins for National Library Week, Scotland's authors have come out to defend the places where their imagination's were first fired and their relationship with the written word began.
Award-winning novelist and playwright Louise Welsh said: "Libraries are where I got my first education and access to books. I used to go when I was a girl and think 'what will happen when I've read all the books in the library' — but now I know that I never will, and that's a great thing.
The author, who lives in Glasgow, says that she is "incredibly lucky" to have the Mitchell Library as her local library. "It is never empty. There are always people there studying, browsing, or attending an event. We talk a lot in this country about loneliness, and not just for older people, and libraries are great meeting places which are abuzz with activity. And it's all free to everyone."
Fellow novelist and biographer Rodge Glass said: "Given the scale of the UK's deficit, the budget for libraries is absolutely miniscule and it makes no sense to cut the services they offer to the public.
"Libraries give people an access road into a creative world, sometimes the only one available to them, which can lead them to education and productivity. So to attack that to try and save money is a completely false economy."
The writer joked that the high point of his life was winning a 'local bookworm' competition at his local library when he was 11, saying that it had "all been downhill from there".
The most recent figures show that there were 42 million visits to Scottish libraries between 2015 and 2016. However, this includes 15 million 'virtual visits', made to libraries' online portals, indicating how times have changed.
Novelist Ron Butlin, a former Edinburgh Makar, said that nothing would beat the feel of a physical book. He said: "When I was a child I got my first library card when I was six and that was me set. Libraries allowed me to experiment with books in a way that would not have been possible otherwise. It is a huge thing for someone to be able to read anything that they want. It's a sign of civilisation.
"Books are becoming ever more important in this electronic age. They are like tablets of stone where you can check the facts, real repositories of knowledge and an antidote to ephemeral 'fake news'."
The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS), recently launched a campaign titled Libraries Matter, which aims to highlight the why public and school libraries are important.
The campaign has been backed by Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh who said: “I grew up in a scheme where every house and street pretty much looked the same. As a kid it was essential to have your imagination fuelled by a psychic portal into different worlds. That was my library in Muirhouse."
Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive, Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) said: “Scotland’s libraries continue to be popular, well-loved and trusted spaces. Their links to local communities mean they will continue to be a key part of our culture for years to come.
"Services currently available across Scotland demonstrate the resilient, innovative and inclusive nature of our libraries, from coding clubs and digital skills classes for people of all ages, job seeker workshops and health and wellbeing support groups to film and dance projects, as well as traditional reading clubs."
National Libraries Week takes place from 9-14 October
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