UK: Libraries seen as easy touch when it comes to balancing the books

[Joanne98]

Up to 800 – a fifth of the total – could close as local authorities look for savings


An arm slung defensively across his chest, shoulders sagging, Councillor James Powney gave a presentation entitled Transforming Brent's Libraries.

Explaining why the north-west London council was closing six out of 12 was the unenviable job that faced him in a cavernous town hall conference room this week. "It's the easy option – who cares about books?" someone shouted. "This is our heritage, this is our children's future," yelled another woman.

Under a barrage of heckling, Powney said: "If you want a library to stay open, it will not come from beating me up. There is no point in mugging someone with no money." The shouting did not subside.

Brent is one of hundreds of councils planning to close public libraries in an attempt to meet huge cuts imposed by central government. Nearly 400 are threatened with closure, and with half of councils yet to announce their plans, the final number could be as many as 800 – a fifth of all libraries.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/07/library-closures-brent-council

[CBGLuthier]

1. 1000's of years of civilization and we have not learned a thing.

[SharonAnn]

2. Like the people here in East TN. Want taxes cut and services/schools increased.

Guess they just can't "do the math".

[LeftishBrit]

3. In Oxfordshire, nearly half of our public libraries are scheduled for closure

20 out of 43 libraries.

The one that I usually use is staying open, but no doubt will suffer from insufficient supply for the demand, when it becomes practically the only library in the city. Many rural communities will lose their libraries altogether.

And the lovely Tory leader of the County Council, the ineffable Keith Mitchell, is telling people that if they want to continue having the libraries, they should run them themselves on a volunteer basis.

Two well-known local writers - Philip Pullman ('His Dark Materials') and Colin Dexter ('Inspector Morse') - are campaigning against the closures.

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/8761338.Authors_call_for_U_turn_over_library_closures/