Hansard

The National Library of Scotland is an extremely important resource for the people of Scotland, so any changes to its structure and operating procedures must be given careful consideration.

Originally set up in the 1680s as the library of the Faculty of Advocates, it was formed as the National Library of Scotland when the contents of the faculty’s library were presented to the nation, together with an endowment of £100,000 from Sir Alexander Grant of Forres, because the upkeep of the collection had become too much for a private body. Officially established as the National Library of Scotland by the National Library of Scotland Act 1925, it is Scotland’s only legal deposit library, which means that it is entitled to receive a copy of all printed items that are published in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

As well as the collections that it has received via legal deposit, the National Library has acquired books, maps, music and manuscripts through gift, loan or purchase, and it has a wide collection of important items that relate to the history of Scotland, the Scots and our culture. It has a collection of more than 7 million books, 14 million printed items and more than 2 million maps. It also holds many ancient family manuscripts, including those of clan Sinclair, which date back as far as 1488.

The library holds the last letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots, which was shown publicly to mark the opening of the new library visitor centre in September 2009. It holds a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, which was the first major book to be produced on a printing press; the letter that Charles Darwin submitted with the manuscript of “On the Origin of Species”; the Chepman and Myllar prints, which are the only known copies of nine of the earliest books to be printed in Scotland, and which were produced on Scotland’s first printing press in approximately 1508; the first pictorial survey of Scotland, which was published in 1693 by John Slezer; and, perhaps most important, copies of the first two “Oor Wullie” annuals, which were published in 1940 and 1942. They date back far beyond my collection, which grows every two years thanks to Christmas presents from my mum.

The library is now a non-departmental public body that is funded by the Scottish Government, and it is also a registered Scottish charity. It is responsible for a budget of just under £15 million for the current financial year. The library employs approximately 300 staff, and it attracts thousands of people to the library and to the outreach programmes that are held across Scotland, including roadshows and support for local book festivals.

On the changes that are proposed to the library, one of the key recommendations is a reduction in the size of its board. I know from the cabinet secretary’s evidence to the committee and her comments today that she is not in favour of larger boards, but I am pleased that she has committed to increasing the minimum number of board members from seven. A recent report for the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator indicated that charities with a low number of trustees are the most likely to fail and that those with nine members or more perform best. I am in a similar position to that of the committee in that I do not feel able to make a recommendation on what the optimum number of board members would be, but I am content that the Government has taken note of the report for OSCR, which supports having a board that has a minimum of nine members and the right number of people to cover the range of skills and experience that it feels are required.

At the same time, I welcome the Government’s expectation that the board should represent broader society and the opportunity that there will be for the board to gender balance its membership and to increase opportunities for younger people to join it, to help drive forward a future digital participation strategy.

Another proposed change is the provision for a ministerial power of direction, which has proved to be relatively contentious. I understand why the cabinet secretary favours such a power, as it will allow for proper audit and accountability to Government. The library is funded by taxpayers’ money, so it is beneficial to have a direct line of ministerial accountability.

Regardless of that, the proposal has still proved to be relatively contentious. National Museums Scotland, the National Library of Wales, the British Library and the National Library of Scotland, among others, have all expressed concern about a power of ministerial direction and its implications for the board and the charitable status of the library, although I note that the Government took advice from OSCR, which confirmed that the library is exempt from certain aspects of the charity test. That means that the power of direction is compatible with the library’s charitable status.