Orkney Library in Kirkwall is one of 13 projects which have awarded funding from the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF). The Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) is an annual £450,000 administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council on behalf of the Scottish Government that sees £200,000 given to support creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.

Orkney Library, famous for its social media posts and its balls, has received £11,000 for its project: ‘Interactive Orcadian Flora Trail’, tackling social isolation in Orkney.

The project will work with St Colms Café and Crafts in the spring and summer of 2025 and see five raised, wheelchair accessible planters being made for native plants. Sensory panels, sound chimes and a wooden finger maze will also be installed.

QR codes will be mounted on each of the planters for folk to scan and hear the Orcadian dialect, see pieces of artwork on the panels, as well as find information on the webpages for the project and learn about what other resources can be accessed inside the building.

Vikki Kerr, Team Manager (Libraries and Archives), said:

“We have lots of our own resources within the library showing which plants thrive best in Orkney’s sometimes harsh conditions, so we will make use of those to decide which plants to place in the trail.

“We are delighted to be partnering up with St Colms Cafe and Crafts and we are also working alongside a local dialect group, Orkney Voices, in bringing the trail to life with the creation of poems and original works around some of the native plants to be used in the raised planters. These will be recorded and dedicated project webpages will be created on the library and archive website, telling the story of the project, the art produced as part of it, as well as resources that people can find in the library and the archive to tell them more about local Orkney flowers, plants and habitats.”

The 13 projects are:

• ‘Innovation Station’, a new teaching hub in Aberdeen City Library
• ‘Sensory Library Services’, for library users with additional support needs in Angus
• ‘Cultural Connections’, expanding the collections of Gaelic and Ukrainian language books in Dumfries and Galloway
• ‘Creating Social Engagement through Digital Activities’ with children and young people in East Dunbartonshire
• ‘Libraries and Remakery Partnership Project’, hosting tech donation boxes throughout Edinburgh
• ‘EDI: Change-making Leadership and Practice Development in Public Libraries’, management training in Glasgow
• ‘Library Digital Learning Stations’, promoting accessible, self-paced learning opportunities in Midlothian
• ‘Tech Trolley: Outreach for Inclusive Futures’, facilitating intergenerational learning in Moray
• ‘Beyond Ramps: Creating Safe and Supportive Library Spaces For All’, tackling barriers for physically disabled library users in North Lanarkshire
• ‘Interactive Orcadian Flora Trail’, tackling social isolation in Orkney
• ‘Inclusive Libraries’, Live Borders making libraries more accessible to people with autism
• ‘Libraries Empower Connections’, taking on child poverty and digital exclusion in West Dunbartonshire
• ‘Fèis Ghàidhlig Leabharlainn’ (Libraries Gaelic Festival), literary arts workshops and events celebrating Gaelic language in the Western Isles

Alison Nolan, Chief Executive of (SLIC), said:

“Public libraries offer truly diverse value to their communities. They provide access to vital services and resources, a wealth of social activities and are hubs for expression and creativity.

“Investment is so important for the continued provision of these services, and the Public Library Improvement Fund is one of the ways in which we bolster our public libraries.

“People, place and partnership are the pillars of our strategy for Scotland’s libraries, and this year’s winners captured the spirit of that vision. These thirteen projects expand on the vision of a library as solely a centre of literacy – they encourage civil engagement, expand people’s skillsets and celebrate the richness of local heritage.”

Free Public Libraries: Providing an Essential Community Service

Fiona Grahame