Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 16 May 2012
16 May 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
National Library of Scotland Bill
When I met other culture ministers in Brussels last week, I heard some fascinating insights from Professor Nigel Shadbolt of the University of Southampton about the potential for collaboration between online communities through new web-based methods such as cloud computing, which in turn could revolutionise concepts of access to public data. Those sorts of future developments are the reason why we have been at pains to future proof the terms of the bill.
With regard to forthcoming NLS projects, we can look forward to a major summer exhibition, “Going to the Pictures: Scotland at the Cinema”, which will open on 20 June. It looks at films that have been made in or about Scotland from the early days of cinema up to the present day and will be opened by the actor and filmmaker Richard Jobson. The exhibition tells the story of Scotland at the movies, from the romantic world of photogenic landscapes, brave heroes, and eccentric locals that can be seen in “Highlander”, “Braveheart”, “Rob Roy” and “Local Hero” to more recent depictions of urban life in the likes of “Trainspotting”, “Ae Fond Kiss” and “Hallam Foe”.
US independence day will be celebrated at the National Library with the opening of a treasures display that will highlight the strong links between Scotland and the US founding fathers.
The library is supporting the Borders book festival in June by sponsoring an event with Sir David Frost and is taking part in the Ullapool and Boswell book festivals.
The library is working on a project that will allow smartphone users to call up historical maps, photographs and records of any location in Scotland, which is being developed in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and the National Records of Scotland.
The library has also established a partnership with Wilbourn Associates, a leading firm of chartered environmental surveyors, to provide online access to historical maps of Scotland from Victorian times up to the 1950s.
National libraries have been rather technocratically described as
“specifically established to store a country’s database … to host the legal deposit and the bibliographic control centre of a nation”.
However, like Clare Adamson, I prefer the National Library’s description of itself, which is that it exists
“to advance universal access to knowledge about Scotland and in Scotland.”
It is part of our nation’s collective memory. It is a resource for the people of Scotland to learn about themselves and to challenge their own ideas about Scotland. It is, equally, a window for the world to learn more about Scots and our country.
By setting out simply what the National Library of Scotland should do and also who benefits from it and how, the bill addresses those prosaic and poetic descriptions of why we have a national library.
The bill has been designed to stand the test of time. I am confident that it is sufficiently well crafted to enable it to cope with the technological advances that the National Library will continue to embrace.
With the bill, we have the opportunity today to reform the National Library by setting out clear functions in legislation and to bring in a new modern board structure that will take this great institution forward in the years to come.
We should reflect our thanks to the current chair and previous chairs for their stewardship of the institution, and to all the trustees who have guided the National Library of Scotland.
With the purpose of looking forward, I ask members to endorse the National Library of Scotland Bill at decision time today.
With regard to forthcoming NLS projects, we can look forward to a major summer exhibition, “Going to the Pictures: Scotland at the Cinema”, which will open on 20 June. It looks at films that have been made in or about Scotland from the early days of cinema up to the present day and will be opened by the actor and filmmaker Richard Jobson. The exhibition tells the story of Scotland at the movies, from the romantic world of photogenic landscapes, brave heroes, and eccentric locals that can be seen in “Highlander”, “Braveheart”, “Rob Roy” and “Local Hero” to more recent depictions of urban life in the likes of “Trainspotting”, “Ae Fond Kiss” and “Hallam Foe”.
US independence day will be celebrated at the National Library with the opening of a treasures display that will highlight the strong links between Scotland and the US founding fathers.
The library is supporting the Borders book festival in June by sponsoring an event with Sir David Frost and is taking part in the Ullapool and Boswell book festivals.
The library is working on a project that will allow smartphone users to call up historical maps, photographs and records of any location in Scotland, which is being developed in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and the National Records of Scotland.
The library has also established a partnership with Wilbourn Associates, a leading firm of chartered environmental surveyors, to provide online access to historical maps of Scotland from Victorian times up to the 1950s.
National libraries have been rather technocratically described as
“specifically established to store a country’s database … to host the legal deposit and the bibliographic control centre of a nation”.
However, like Clare Adamson, I prefer the National Library’s description of itself, which is that it exists
“to advance universal access to knowledge about Scotland and in Scotland.”
It is part of our nation’s collective memory. It is a resource for the people of Scotland to learn about themselves and to challenge their own ideas about Scotland. It is, equally, a window for the world to learn more about Scots and our country.
By setting out simply what the National Library of Scotland should do and also who benefits from it and how, the bill addresses those prosaic and poetic descriptions of why we have a national library.
The bill has been designed to stand the test of time. I am confident that it is sufficiently well crafted to enable it to cope with the technological advances that the National Library will continue to embrace.
With the bill, we have the opportunity today to reform the National Library by setting out clear functions in legislation and to bring in a new modern board structure that will take this great institution forward in the years to come.
We should reflect our thanks to the current chair and previous chairs for their stewardship of the institution, and to all the trustees who have guided the National Library of Scotland.
With the purpose of looking forward, I ask members to endorse the National Library of Scotland Bill at decision time today.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The next item of business is a debate on motion S4M-02878, in the name of Fiona Hyslop, on the National Library of Scotland Bill.16:05
The Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs (Fiona Hyslop)
SNP
I thank members of the Education and Culture Committee for their scrutiny of the National Library of Scotland Bill. Throughout the process, members have prov...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (John Scott)
Con
I call Neil Findlay. You have up to seven minutes. Any time that you can save will be gratefully received. 16:15
Neil Findlay (Lothian) (Lab)
Lab
In this era of huge change in information technology, with digital books, online resources, web-based learning, audio books and digital film, the role of mod...
Liz Smith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I add my thanks to those of Neil Findlay to Stewart Maxwell and the clerks. Stewart Maxwell has convened the committee with his normal sense of humour, and w...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
We now move to the open debate. I regret to tell members that we are short of time, so if they can confine themselves to three-minute speeches, it would be m...
Stewart Maxwell (West Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
I thank members for their kind comments about my convenership of the Education and Culture Committee throughout the bill’s passage. I thank in particular the...
Mary Fee (West Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
Over the past couple of centuries, libraries have evolved to become important institutions at the heart of communities across Scotland and the United Kingdom...
Clare Adamson (Central Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
The bill that is being passed today marks a new era for the National Library of Scotland, bringing its governance into the 21st century and freeing it to con...
Annabel Goldie (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
When I read the bill as introduced, I had genuine doubt as to the status in law of the proposed new entity. The existing governance was clear: there was a st...
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
I welcome the Government’s acceptance of an increase in the minimum board size, on which I commented at stage 1.I do not understand the positions of the othe...
Liam McArthur (Orkney Islands) (LD)
LD
I endorse Fiona McLeod’s concluding comments.We have finally managed to get Marco Biagi off the NLS board in order that he can spend more time with his famil...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Con
I offer my congratulations to Orkney library and archive, too.16:44
Liz Smith
Con
The debate has been largely consensual, out of a need to ensure that we maintain and enhance one of Scotland’s great national treasures for exactly the reaso...
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (Lab)
Lab
Scottish Labour, too, welcomes the bill and recognises that reform of the structures that support our National Library is necessary. The fact that the existi...
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
I welcome the tone of the debate and the genuine respect that members across the chamber have expressed for the work of the National Library of Scotland.In r...
The Presiding Officer (Tricia Marwick)
NPA
There is far too much noise in the chamber. I ask members to settle down.
Fiona Hyslop
SNP
When I met other culture ministers in Brussels last week, I heard some fascinating insights from Professor Nigel Shadbolt of the University of Southampton ab...