Authors say plan to shut more than 20 public libraries could have devastating effect on Scotland’s cultural future

The writers Val McDermid and Damian Barr have urged councils in Scotland to abandon plans to close more than 20 public libraries, with the worst affected in rural areas.

A number of councils across Scotland have proposed cuts in library services, including shutting 13 in Aberdeenshire, seven in Moray and five in Perthshire, as they wrestle with significant funding pressures.