Scottish organisations and networks
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Each August the Edinburgh International Book Festival brings writers from all over the world to Charlotte Square gardens, programming over 650 events annually and attracting over 200,000 visitors. Now running separate schools' programme as well as events exculsively for children and families. Its website includes a selection of audio recordings and transcripts of events with authors including J.K. Rowling, Michael Morpurgo and Jacqueline Wilson.
Live Literature funding (LLF)
Live Literature funding is a unique funding scheme that takes Scottish writers, playwrights, poets, storytellers and their work to every corner of Scottish society. LLF financially supports up to 1500 events a year in schools, libraries, writers groups, prisons, hospitals, community groups and festivals throughout Scotland.
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland holds one of the biggest book collections in Scotland. Browse the catalogue, find out about exhibitions and look for resources in the digital library.
Read Together: The Home Reading Initiative
The Read together website, from the Scottish Executive, is filled with lots of ideas to help promote the sharing of reading between adults and children. This website also gives details of the Home Reading initiative. The Home Reading Initiative funds literacy projects in Scotland that link to reading at home. Details of previously successful projects can be found on the website. You will also find information about 'Reading Champions' as well as lists of recommended books for children of all ages. Reading Champions on the site include Richard Wilson, Fred MacAulay, Sandy Lyle, Cathy Macphail and Matthew Fitt .
Association of Scottish Literacy Studies (ASLS)
The ASLS aims to promote the study, teaching and writing of Scottish literature, and to further the study of the languages of Scotland. The ASLS produces a range of materials covering Scottish language and literature for use in schools, including Teaching Notes and the Scotnotes series of study guides.
Scottish Book Trust
Scottish Book Trust is Scotland's national agency for reading and writing. They are a unique organisation committed to the promotion of reading and books. A wide range of information including links to the Live Literature Scotland scheme, Words at Work, as well as information on authors, book tours, training and much more.
The Scottish Poetry Library
The place for poetry in Scotland: with a remarkable collection of written works, as well as tapes and videos. The emphasis is on contemporary poetry written in Scotland, in Scots, Gaelic and English, but historic Scottish poetry - and contemporary work from almost every part of the world - features too. Find out about National Poetry Day, find poems about Scotland on the interactive poetry map and link into the Best Scottish poems 2004 website.
Also available is the Poet's pub which is part of the Scottish Poetry Library's multi-media essay Access to Scottish Poetry. The essay offers an introduction to twentieth-century Scottish poetry through the eight poets represented in the painting Poets' Pub (1980) by Alexander Moffat. Each of the eight poets is linked with a decade, from the 1920s to the 1990s.
Scottish Storytelling Centre
The Scottish Storytelling Forum is Scotland's national organisation for storytelling. Works extensively with schools, libraries and local authorities on storytelling projects. Separate education section for teachers and librarians. Its detailed website includes Tell-a-Story Day, the Scottish Storytelling Centre Network and Storymaker for Kids.
Literature in Learning
Literature in Learning is a national network to support education staff and creative professionals who are working together to develop creative uses of language with children. The website allows you to find out about current projects and events across the country, tells you about organisations that can support your own projects and provides links to helpful information. You can also join the e-network and become part of the Literature in Learning online community, with regular newsletters, document sharing facilities, web links, group email communication and an interactive calendar of events.
Books from Scotland
Books from Scotland.com is an information and bookselling site dedicated to Scottish books and writers. They offer the very latest information, extracts from interesting, topical books, interviews with Scottish authors and poets, guides to book events across Scotland, and information about children's books and teenage fiction. Books from Scotland.com is part of Publishing Scotland.
Slainte
The SLAINTE website has two distinct components: a set of web pages containing information and services; and a search engine; offering one-stop retrieval of a wide variety of resources, related to librarianship and information management in Scotland. The site also offers information on the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland and the Scottish Library and Information Council. Also find information on training events around the UK, publications and news from the world of libraries.