Dirty work!

Published: 24 February, 2011

• THE library that I mainly use is at West Hampstead, where I also take my daughter to the children’s section. 

And I use Kilburn and Swiss Cottage. 

Looking at books taken out for my daughter (over £50 worth) and myself (over £60 worth) I know there is no way I could afford £110 a fortnight on new books, and I do buy old and new ones for us both anyway.

I was at Camden’s scrutiny committee meeting that decided on amounts to cut and the people there were gleeful about it! They basically were going to get “the friends” groups to do a lot of the dirty work in benignly deciding cuts or taking over the running of libraries – therefore abdicating councils of responsibility. When someone asked why not mention which libraries to cut, it was said “no, there would be protests”. 

Protests are part of democracy and consultation – look at the fiasco with the forests… another completely immoral idea. 

The library consultation document is a farce – like a burglar asking you which items you don’t mind being stolen. Let’s keep all the libraries.

CLARENCE JACKMAN
A Friend of all libraries, NW6