Oxgangs Library has beaten competition from other Scottish libraries to be named the best in Scotland at The British Book Awards.
The library came away as one of eight from across the UK and Ireland to be crowned regional and country winners.
Based at 343 Oxgangs Road North, Oxgangs Library beat three other Edinburgh- and Midlothian-based libraries to take the crown, as well as four others based across Scotland.
Kirkliston and South Queensferry Libraries, Midlothian Library Service, Craigmillar Library and Oxgangs Library were the four local names battling it out for the title, whilst Orkney Library, Parkhead Library, West Dunbartonshire Libraries and Glasgow Life Libraries made up the rest of the competition.
Selected by the judges from 42 UK finalists announced last month, the award, sponsored by publisher DK and run in association with The Reading Agency, celebrates libraries that inspire local communities to engage in reading and the services offered by their local libraries.
Oxgangs Library came out on top after judges were impressed by its Secret Santa programme at HMP Edinburgh, wherein the library worked alongside Saughton Library in the prison.
Gift-wrapped books were provided to prisoners to combat loneliness and support mental health, demonstrating innovation, responsiveness to community needs, and the ability to build connections between public and prison library services.
Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and chair of the judges for The British Book Awards, said: “Libraries are at the heart of our reading culture, and the initiatives implemented by these winners show how a love of books can be inculcated across large groups of library users, activating new readers and reactivating lapsed ones.
“Ranging from writing projects to book bingo to a community cohesion programme aimed at refugees, in the National Year of Reading these are standout examples of what can be done and done well.”
The government has announced it will give public libraries a cash boost of up to £150,000 in support of the National Year of Reading, including £5,000 to be split across the five English regional winners of The British Book Awards Library of the Year 2026.
Targeted at areas most in need, the funding is intended to “unlock opportunity, support skills and learning, and reconnect people with reading for pleasure”.
The fund is expected to support projects across 72 library authority areas disadvantaged by high deprivation, weak social infrastructure and low library engagement.
Across the rest of the UK and Ireland, winners included London’s Southwark Libraries, Wales’ Neath Port Talbot Library Service, the Island of Ireland’s Twin Towns Library and North England’s Hull Libraries (Hull Culture and Leisure).
Southwark Libraries, ran the To Be at Southwark Libraries campaign, an initiative focused on welcoming new and lapsed readers into libraries and showing them to be vibrant hubs for reading, learning, creativity, and connection.
The combination of in-person and digital activity showcased the breadth of the library offer and had a significant impact on the local community, leading to increased library visits and loans.
In South-West England, Cornwall Libraries’ Community Cohesion and Library Alchemy projects aimed to welcome new Afghan families to the area who had arrived as part of the national resettlement scheme.
The library team engaged both the families and the wider community, encouraging residents to be welcoming, and highlighting the vital role the library can play in supporting community integration.
North England’s winner, Hull Libraries (Hull Culture and Leisure), launched One Hull of a Read, a pilot reading transition project for Year 6 pupils moving into Year 7.
Every pupil received a copy of the same book, took part in a book launch and author tour, and joined summer activities across the city.
The programme successfully targeted a specific audience, providing children with unique experiences that supported their transition to secondary school, strengthened their engagement with libraries, and fostered a love of reading.
Neath Port Talbot Library Service, the Welsh regional winner, established NPT Children’s BookFest: Write, Draw, Create, providing high-quality events for children aged 5–16 and their families in areas where such events are not usually accessible.
Working in partnership with local parks, theatres, and running a writing competition, the festival engaged new audiences and showcased the library service’s commitment to community outreach and high-quality programming.
The Island of Ireland winner, Twin Towns Library, launched an inclusive writing project, Frances Browne Storytellers: Seeing Beyond Sight, inviting blind and vision-impaired writers from across Ireland to submit original work for development into an anthology.
The project engaged new audiences and strengthened the library’s commitment to inclusive formats and representation.
The Midlands winner, Warwickshire Libraries, ran Book Bingo, a reading challenge delivered both in libraries and online to encourage adults to read more.
The programme engaged participants across the authority, positively impacted library users, and led to an increase in borrowing.
Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The Reading Agency said: “Applications for Library of the Year have once again been exceptional this year, highlighting the ingenuity and innovation that libraries demonstrate every day to connect with new and evolving audiences.
“The regional and country winners, however, truly distinguished themselves through the scale of their ambition and the depth of their impact.”
“At The Reading Agency, we are proud to support libraries in their role as vital community anchors.
“These winners showcase the transformative power of libraries to engage communities in meaningful, lasting ways, and the shortlisted entries demonstrate how thoughtful collaboration and innovation create immediate success and enduring legacy.
“Together, they show how libraries are shaping resilient, inclusive communities across 2026 and beyond.”
The overall regional and country winner of the Library of the Year award will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House on Monday 11 May 2026.
