A mobile librarian who drives 22,000 miles a year serving some of Highland Perthshire’s most remote communities has been rewarded for his dedication.
Scott Brown has beaten hundreds of mobile librarians across the UK to be named Mobile Library Champion of the Year 2017.
Among those to nominate Crieff-based Scott were pupils from Glenlyon Primary School who said he is “always smiling” and has something for everyone on the shelves of the van.
Scott, who said he was “chuffed to bits” to receive the award, has driven the mobile library van for 15 years and covers a route from Kinloch Rannoch to Glen Lyon and Blair Atholl to Spittal of Glenshee.
“Working on the mobile library is a very satisfying job,” he said. “The scenery in Highland Perthshire is simply stunning. I enjoy getting out and about and meeting people.
“It’s great now that the mobile libraries do a specific schools route and to see so many kids wanting to read books. At one of my stops there is a lady who is 100-years-old who still comes to the mobile library.
“I just try to help everyone and do the job to the best of my ability. It’s great the customers think well of me enough to nominate me in the first place.”
His boss, Karen Mackay, libraries supervisor at Breadalbane Community Campus in Aberfeldy, said: “Scott goes above and beyond the call of duty. In one incident last winter, he was able to assist a motorist and his companion who were stranded in remote Highland countryside after their vehicle broke down. They were extremely grateful for transport to the next village in the warmth and safety of Scott’s mobile library.”
Alice O’Flynn, a P7 student at Glenlyon Primary School which has just 14 pupils explained why they nominated Scott. “He always makes me happy,” she said.
On his visits to the school he lets the children help with stamping their books and sorting library cards.
Morag Kelly, head of libraries for Culture Perth and Kinross, said it was this level of staff dedication which had helped them reverse the downward trend in library usage.
