The Edinburgh Reporter December 2021

3
Booklovers’ bonus
Word on the street is two new city libraries have opened
Somewhere over the rainbow
there are free books
Stocking up
the library
The Dunard Centre
Enter stage left
- first concert
hall in 100 years
By PHYLLIS STEPHEN
YOUNG EDINBURGH book lovers can now
turn the page with the opening of two new
Little Free Libraries at Pilton Youth &
Children’s Project (PYCP) and at FetLor in
Crewe Road South.
Little Free Libraries (LFL) was started in
Hudson, Wisconsin, with a mission to expand
global access to books and there are now
100,000 volunteer-led free libraries in more
than 100 countries, which share 42 million
books annually.
The new libraries are the result of a
collaboration with Alison McLuckie, a
Consultant Paediatrician with NHS Lothian,
and Western General Hospital research doctor
Mark Stares. Alison and Mark, along with
PYCP Youth Workers Aga, Caryn, Adrianna,
Adele and other volunteers worked with young
people aged 8 to 12 to take the project from the
idea stage to building both libraries.
Alison said: “It is a people-led movement, so
anyone anywhere can pop one up if they have
the motivation to. We were inspired by what
one of my GP colleagues in Wester Hailes had
done. Dr Nora Murray-Cavanagh
commissioned the Edinburgh Tool Library to
make two Little Free Libraries for Wester
Hailes, which are sited at WHALE Arts and at
Clovenstone Community Centre.
“Early literacy is very important and it is
much easier for some families to come by
books than it is for others. I’m a paediatrician,
so my interest is in childhood development,
and I guess I understand, as Nora does, the
importance of being read to as a child and the
importance of early literacy.
“It came from a conversation with my
colleague Mark and Nora about how lovely it
would be to put little libraries in North
Edinburgh in a way that children and young
people had a say in the design and making of
them. I am keen that the libraries are ‘owned’
by their communities. PYCP were really
welcoming of that idea where we supported the
young people who did it themselves.”
Laura McLaren, Project Manager at PYCP,
said: “Our Adventurers group do all sorts of
outdoor activities and learn how to use tools
safely, so this was the ideal project for them.
Our two Little Free Libraries have been really
well used since they opened in summer and it’s
been fantastic to watch children and families
taking books out and returning every week for
more. It’s also been a brilliant project for our
young people to get involved in and they are
really proud stewards of the libraries.”
Scotland’s oldest youth club, FetLor in Crewe
Road South, is the location of the second
library. Although it was not possible during
lockdown for children to be involved in the
design process, there is now a library with
books for pre-school children.
FetLor chief executive, Richie Adams, said:
“I think the community really like the idea of
free libraries, free education and free books
for young people and the community see this
as a good resource. They are outside and free
for everyone to come in and use. We are
incredibly grateful to Alison and Mark and
all the colleagues at NHS Lothian who made
this happen.”
Books in LFLs are free for anyone to pick up,
Library at
FetLor
although users are encouraged to put books
into the library when they can. Other LFLs in
Edinburgh can be found at Leith Walk Police
Box, Starbank Park, Scotland Street, Dublin
Street, and Leith’s “Banana Flats”. Some of these
have been constructed by Edinburgh Tool
Library, whose first library still stands in
Stockbridge Colonies.
PLANNERS HAVE granted planning
permission to the first concert hall to be
built in Edinburgh for a century.
According to IMPACT Scotland the body
which is delivering the new cultural
venue, the £75 million Dunard Centre
“will fill a recognised gap in the region’s
cultural infrastructure and provide a
platform for local, national and
international musicians to perform to
audiences in the very best environment”.
Part of the funding for the new concert
hall is to be sourced from the City Region
Deal, and some of the funding is from the
Dunard Fund, a major philanthropic
donor in the city under the direction of
Carol Grigor.
The new building will be the
permanent home of the Scottish
Chamber Orchestra, and will also be used
by the Edinburgh International Festival.
The promise is that a new building like
this will strengthen Edinburgh as a
festival city and it will also be the main
location for National Youth Choir Of
Scotland as well as an educational hub.
The building will have a 1000 capacity
auditorium with the capacity for live
streaming, digital capture and
broadcasting, flexible multi-purpose
rooms for education, conferencing and
hospitality, a foyer with informal
opportunity for performance and a café/
bar with indoor and outdoor seating.
Fergus Linehan, Festival Director and
CEO of Edinburgh International Festival
and co-chair of IMPACT Scotland,
said:“The Council’s decision is fantastic
news for the city and for music in
Scotland. Edinburgh is a city famous for
its cultural life and home to worldrenowned
arts festivals which generate
over £300 million for the Scottish
economy, but it lags behind many other
cities in its provision of cultural
infrastructure which currently deters
some artists from choosing to perform in
the city.
“By creating a modern hall with
outstanding facilities and acoustics, we
are closing the recognised gap in the
region’s cultural infrastructure and
helping to sustain Edinburgh’s position
as a leading cultural city against national
and international competition.”