Somerset County Council is planning to close 20 libraries and cut back on mobile libraries that travel to rural areas due to cut backs of £1.4 m in the library budget from Central Government. This move is also happening in other parts of the UK with a total of 375 libraries under threat. It will leave towns such as Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Highbridge, Cheddar, Ilminster and Martock without a library. Their argument is that there are larger libraries in towns nearby, in my opinion closing libraries in these towns will seriously affect the elderly and less able people in those towns. Libraries are not just about books they are also used for Internet facilities such as research, job hunting and house hunting.
I am saddened that they are thinking about taking away such a wonderful resource in the community. I visit the library nearly every week and often go during my lunch hour to read magazines and newspapers.
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That is sad. I can imagine the loss to the elderly and less mobile people.
ReplyDeletegovernments find ways to cut, cut, cut nowadays. that's all they do.
ReplyDeletesad to hear about this.
We're seeing the same thing here in the states and as a former librarian/teacher I am so saddened to see it happening in so many places! Thanks for the reminder of just who is being shortchanged!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
How very sad - we are still waiting to hear the cuts our council will be making. I use our mobile library every week - a good place to catch up with the neighbours.
ReplyDeleteSadly budget cuts often affect the most vulnerable in our society. I'm sorry you will lose your library. I love books and I love libraries.
ReplyDeleteThat's a shame ! especially for elderly people as you say and then if you have to take a train to get a book in a library you can also buy it, the transport is an extra cost. Politicians have a strange method to save money !
ReplyDelete