Every community in Scotland would be promised access to a library under plans announced by the Scottish Greens.
The party said access to a library would be provided through a public library, a school library or a mobile library service.
The Greens said libraries are an essential local service which provide support “far beyond books alone”.
They vowed to work with councils, which run libraries, to ensure they receive “consistent financial support” – although the party did not provide any figures.
For children and young people, libraries open up a world of imagination and opportunity, and for us older people, they can provide connection and companionship
Mark Ruskell, the Scottish Green candidate for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “Libraries are an essential part of any thriving community.
“For so many people they are a lifeline, offering access to learning, technology, information and a welcoming public space at the heart of local life.
“Our libraries are more than just books. For children and young people, libraries open up a world of imagination and opportunity, and for us older people, they can provide connection and companionship when it’s needed the most.”
Mr Ruskell said for many people who cannot afford reliable internet access at home, libraries “offer a vital source of practical support to get them connected to the world around them, opening up job opportunities for jobseekers, and giving those with the least a lifeline to give them a chance”.
He said too many libraries in Scotland have been “hollowed out or lost all together, after years of brutal financial pressure on local councils”.
He added: “Communities deserve better than seeing these cherished spaces and the community wellbeing they represent quietly disappear.
“The Scottish Greens are demanding better. With more MSPs in Holyrood, we will recognise libraries as an essential community service and make sure every community has access to one, whether that is through a public library, school library or mobile service.
“We will also ensure councils have the vital financial backing they need to keep these hubs open by ensuring those with the broadest shoulders pay what they should.
“On May 7, people can vote Scottish Greens to protect the services that bring communities together and make sure no community is left without access to a library.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat culture spokesperson and candidate for Inverness and Nairn Neil Alexander said: “Across Scotland, libraries are sanctuaries of learning and connection.
“To protect them, Scottish Liberal Democrats would end bruising SNP cuts to local authorities and give councils the fair deal they deserve.
“We have also made a manifesto pledge to revolutionise the school library experience through a new nationwide E-library Service, which would increase access to books and raise literary standards among children.
“It’s how we will make sure every child can develop a love of reading that they can take through the rest of their lives.”
Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: “The Greens have a brass neck promising this to Scots.
“The savage council cuts they are lambasting are ones they have happily helped the SNP impose on local authorities for years which has resulted in libraries shutting all across Scotland.
“And the extremist Greens would undoubtedly have caveats to their pledge.
“They should come clean on whether libraries would only be stocking books that are to their liking, rather than allowing people to freely read what they want.”
Ben Macpherson, SNP candidate for Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith, said: “The SNP is committed to the importance of public libraries and believes that everyone should have access to library services.
“That’s why we have increased funding to the Scottish Library and Information Council to £1.035 million this year, on top of our general revenue funding to local authorities which has also increased.
“In government, the SNP has provided nearly £22 million for free books for children and teenagers over the last five years, and a re-elected SNP government will go even further by partnering with the Dollywood Foundation to deliver a nationwide Imagination Library programme, to ensure that every child can grow up with books at home.
“We are also working with innovative organisations looking to expand the role of libraries – to share tools, musical instruments, and other items, for the benefit of all.”
Scottish Labour’s local government spokesperson, Mark Griffin, said: “It takes a brass neck for the Greens to talk about libraries after years of helping the SNP hollow out local government funding.
“Thanks to the budget cuts inflicted by the SNP and the Greens, too many communities cannot deliver on the basics anymore and libraries across the country are under threat.
“Only Scottish Labour will end SNP neglect of local services, deliver fair funding for communities and give the next generation a better future.”