Scottish Public Libraries and their role in community cohesion and resilience during lockdown

在“正常”时期，公共图书馆是重要的社区枢纽，但像其他公共空间一样，在疫情封锁期间被关闭。近年来，苏格兰的公共图书馆通过苏格兰政府的倡议(例如公共图书馆改善基金)或通过国家加强公共图书馆的战略(雄心和机会2015-2020年)得到了大力支持，并被视为高度值得信赖的公共空间。它们在支持弱势或被社会排斥的社区成员(例如，通过支持在线福利申领)、帮助福祉(例如，麦克米伦癌症中心)和发展识字能力(例如，书虫)、支持经济增长(例如，合作中心)方面发挥了重要作用。封锁意味着他们被迫大幅调整自己的产品，而且往往是创造性的。许多人报告电子书借阅激增(如阿伯丁)，他们建立了在线读书俱乐部(格拉斯哥等人)，3D打印机创建了个人防护用品，或在线讲故事会议(设得兰)。这项研究将考察他们如何应对封锁、重新想象的服务，并探索对服务本身和最终用户的影响。它还将努力了解社区成员的困难，如如果无法实际访问图书馆，在线访问对他们来说是有问题的，甚至是不可能的。还将在提供法定普遍服务的背景下探讨服务提供方面的差距(已解雇员工的文化或娱乐信托基金的服务与仍由地方当局直接控制的服务之间的差异)。研究将为政策和对服务治理和弹性的理解提供信息。

In 'normal' times public libraries are crucial community hubs but have, like other public spaces, been closed during the pandemic lockdown. In recent years, public libraries in Scotland have been strongly supported through Scottish Government initiatives (e.g. Public Library Improvement Fund) or through a national strategy for their enhancement (Ambition and Opportunity 2015-20) and are seen as highly trusted public spaces. They play a major role in supporting disadvantaged or socially-excluded members of the community (e.g. through supporting online benefit claims), aiding wellbeing (e.g. Macmillan Cancer centres) and developing literacy (e.g. Bookbug), supporting economic growth (e.g. co-working hubs). The lockdown means they have been compelled to adapt their offerings significantly and, often, creatively. Many have reported surges in the borrowing of e-books (e.g. Aberdeen), they have developed online book clubs (Glasgow et al), 3D printers creating PPE, or online storytelling sessions (Shetland). This research will examine how they have responded to the lockdown, reimagined services and explore the impact on both the services themselves and the end users. It will also seek to understand the difficulties such as those members of the community for whom online access is problematic or even impossible if unable to visit the library physically.The disparity in service provision (between those services in cultural or leisure trusts which have furloughed employees and those remaining in direct local authority control) will also be explored as in the context of the provision of statutory universal service. The researchwill inform policy and understanding of service governance and resilience.