One of the worst things that any government could countenance is the closure of our libraries. They are not just a place from where we can borrow books, but an integral part of our education.
Being a war baby, my early education was sadly lacking due to unqualified teachers. Fortunately my mother introduced me to the library and I could read before I went to school. Later through reading books by Georgette Heyer and Jean Plaidy I was introduced to history. My curiosity about the characters and their eras made me curious to learn more – which I did. With books from the library.
Not everyone can afford to buy books, nor do they necessarily have storage space for them so the library is vitally important for the bookworms.
The unemployed can make use of the library, not just for the books, but for the newspapers – checking the sits. vac.
So far as the elderly and disabled are concerned, the local library is a life-line.
Having lived in America, I have seen how their library system works. Qualified librarians run them with the aid of volunteers. And they are even open for a few hours on Sunday afternoon which allows people who work six days a week the chance to browse.
I think it is time that the Government brought in legislation making charitable donations tax free. Then we could have a charity for the libraries and people would happily contribute to the fund. It would also encourage those wealthy people who hide their money away to keep more of it in this country and give it to charity!
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