LIBRARIES need to be more proactive in reaching out to readers, according to the director of the Scottish Book Trust.
To mark the start of Book Week Scotland, Marc Lambert, whose organisation masterminds this week-long festival for readers, said that "in order to survive the local authority cuts that are coming, and prosper in the 21st century, libraries need to reach out to their local communities in more evident and assertive ways".
"Survival for libraries is not just a matter of meeting the technological changes of the digital age.
"Like any business, it's about the relationship one has and the services one delivers to one's customers."
Book Week Scotland, of which The Herald is media partner, is designed partly to address this issue, but also to remind the public of the importance of their local library. Of the hundreds of events taking place across the country between today and Saturday, many will be hosted by libraries. Author readings and illustrators' workshops are all part of an imaginative programme.
See tomorrow's edition of The Herald for the chance to win books worth £1,500 to be donated to a Scottish primary school of your choice.
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