Save Our Libraries

When is our government, the people we elect to care for this country and its inhabitants, going to realise that libraries are a central feature of communities and that closing them down will be detrimental to society?

It's not like this anymore!!!



It's not just about the books! Libraries offer so much more than just books. Gone are the days when libraries are dark buildings with row upon row of books with a strict librarian glaring over the top of her glasses at any one who dares make a noise, if they ever were the days they happened long before I was around. These days libraries still have row upon row of books but also computers so the 23% of the population who do not have internet access can access it. Not to mention the great many events which are held. Library staff have such a wide range of skills why discard them? A librarian is a font of knowledge, use them wisely.

Look at it now! community.newcastle.gov.uk/libraries

Some of my happiest memories of my childhood were spent in the library, at school we used to go once a week to our local library where the lovely librarian would read to us, when I got a bit older with a better reading ability my mam would take me on a Saturday morning and I had a great time finding new books to get lost in. Now its great, I live opposite my local library so can go almost any time, it was even better when they did free reservations!

My grandma uses the library as a meeting place for the local walkers club, she's made some good friends through that. There's also weight loss groups which meet there, although I suspect that's more to do with the gym which shares the building.

After reading other peoples views on library closures I have been made aware that there are strong links between reading ability and educational achievement, so why put todays youth at a disadvantage? They're already being born into a time where unemployment is the highest it's been for 17 years! Then the government is going to take away opportunities for them to develop outside of a school environment, how does this make sense to people? Yes, the last governement did not fix the deficit but I really don't think that closing libraries is the way for this government to address it.

My local library is awesome, I love it, I would be lost without it!