By Tony Jones
The Queen has lamented library closures across the country as she celebrated a thriving example in Edinburgh.
Camilla told a group of librarians, figures from the city鈥檚 annual literary festival and leading writers that she 鈥渨ished鈥 more people would open such facilities as she officially launched Ratho Library in Newbridge.
Her words were echoed by celebrated Scottish crime writer Sir Ian Rankin, who praised the resources his local centre provided when he was growing up, saying: 鈥淲ithout libraries I wouldn鈥檛 be here.鈥
The Queen, who has a passion for reading and officially supports a number of literary organisations, also chatted to Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, and told her: 鈥淚鈥檓 very partial to crime novels.鈥
In an impromptu speech, she said her visit 鈥渉as just reinforced my belief in what wonderful places libraries are, literally from toddlers to pensioners 鈥 they manage to inspire a love of reading of books鈥.
She added: 鈥淭o actually see a new library like this鈥 I wish a lot of other people would follow your example and open more libraries all over the country, because I think, sadly, a lot of them have been closing down.
鈥淪o to see something as wonderful as this being reopened is all to the credit to all of you who鈥檝e made it happen.鈥
The BBC reported in September that more than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed over to volunteer groups in the UK since 2016 after the corporation submitted freedom of information requests.
In contrast, City of Edinburgh Council has made a commitment to its 28 public libraries to continue developing the resources as thriving community spaces.
Sir Ian, famed for his series of Inspector Rebus books, is also Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh, and said following the royal visit: 鈥淟ibraries are an easy cut and I can understand why councils do it 鈥 it鈥檚 an invisible cut, almost.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 such a crucial thing 鈥 libraries are crucial for every generation, from the very beginning to the very end.鈥漇ir Ian added that to 鈥渂e a reader is to be a citizen of the world as fully as you can be鈥.
Camilla鈥檚 visit also marked the launch of a five-year initiative by the Edinburgh International Book Festival in partnership with Edinburgh City Libraries.
Called Paper Trails, the project supported by Sir Ian will operate in five local libraries, including Ratho Library, to promote literature in local communities, including using the mobile library service to bring authors and artists into care homes.
The community of Ratho was served by a mobile library while the permanent facility was rebuilt, opening in the spring, and Camilla toured a similar mobile unit and joked with Sir Ian when she spotted some of his novels on the shelves.
She quipped 鈥淚鈥檓 sure they go down very well with the readers,鈥 before donating a collection of books.
During her visit, the Queen also sat down with a group of children from a nursery which shares its premises with the library and also met a group of budding authors and poets from the Citizen Collective Young People鈥檚 Writers Programme.
She told them: 鈥淚 can see I鈥檝e met you at very early stages in your career 鈥 good luck.鈥