Scottish Poetry Library facts for kids
The Scottish Poetry Library is a special place for all things related to Scottish poetry. It's like a treasure chest filled with poems from Scotland! Since 1999, you can find this library at 5 Crichton's Close. This spot is in the historic Old Town of Edinburgh, near the Canongate.
How the Library Started
The Scottish Poetry Library began in 1984. A poet named Tessa Ransford had the idea to create it. Tom Hubbard was the very first librarian. Today, Asif Khan is the Director, a role he started in June 2016. He works with a team of people who help manage the books, plan fun events, and teach about poetry.
The library is a charity, which means it works for the public good. It gets support from an organization called Creative Scotland. This helps the library do many important things. They help more people enjoy poetry and learn to read better. They also offer creative writing classes for different groups, schools, and other libraries. The library also helps poets and performers share their work in Scotland and other countries.
What the Library Does
The Scottish Poetry Library does a lot to help people feel good through poetry. For example, they use poems to help people with memory problems. They also give special poetry books to new doctors, teachers, nurses, and midwives in Scotland. These books are called "Tools of the Trade."
In 2020, the library looked at all the groups in Scotland that use words to help people feel better. Because of this, they started workshops for people recovering from long-COVID. They also held classes for teachers and mothers. They even worked with another group called Lapidus Scotland to help people heal and renew after the pandemic.
The library also works with groups in other countries. They have partnered with organizations in Wales and Ireland. They also work with Scottish Government offices in places like Dublin, Paris, and Berlin. They even worked with cultural groups in Quebec, Canada!
The library helps celebrate Scottish poetry. They support the Callum MacDonald Memorial Award for poetry pamphlets. In 2021, they also helped with the Best Poetry Book award for books written in Scottish Gaelic. The library is part of many groups that support literature and libraries. They also help new writers get started through the Scottish Book Trust. In 2016, the library won an award for its many different programs.
In 2020, the library started its Ambassadors program again. These Ambassadors help share the library's work in different parts of Scotland. They also promote poetry written in Scottish Gaelic and Scots languages. The first Ambassadors included Aoife Lyall, Ceitidh Campbell, Hugh McMillan, and Thomas Clark.
The Library Building
The Scottish Poetry Library has been in its current home since 1999. It's located at 5 Crichton's Close, a small street near the Canongate in Edinburgh's historic Old Town. The building was designed by Malcolm Fraser Architects.
The building was so well-designed that it was nominated for "Building of the Year" in 2000. People have even called it "a poem in glass and stone." In 2005, a magazine called Prospect listed it as one of the 100 best modern Scottish buildings.
