A digest of today’s news items, reproduced here, with kind permission from Shirley Burnham who collated it.  For up to date libraries news follow @ShirleyBurnham on Twitter

BBC News : 8th February
Protesters stage sit-in at Levenshulme Library
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21390911

THE GUARDIAN : 9th February
Alison Flood – National Libraries Day celebrates beleaguered services
Swindon Libraries, Newcastle, Liverpool – included in this article 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/culture-cuts-blog/2013/feb/09/national-libraries-day-beleaguered-service?INTCMP=SRCH

Don’t Privatise Libraries : 9th February
Swindon Labour and Libraries
http://dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/swindon-labour-and-libraries.html

Swindon Advertiser : 9th February
Campaigners ready to fight library cuts in Swindon 
She said: “It’s not good news for us in Old Town to be cut from 18 staffed hours to 10 per week – nearly 50 per cent. You will remember we fought as hard in the past to keep our frontline staff as we did for our library itself.”
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10217185.Campaigners_ready_to_fight_library_cuts_in_Swindon/

Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard : 9th February
Campaigners from Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries hit out at Gloucestershire
County Council’s “patchy and amateurish” approach to libraries
http://www.wiltsglosstandard.co.uk/news/10216924.Campaigners_hit_out_at_council___s____patchy_and_amateurish____approach_to_libraries/?ref=nt

Inside Croydon : 9th February
National Libraries Day: a pledge for Croydon
Timothy Godfrey restates a commitment to hand the running of the borough’s libraries back to the communities
http://insidecroydon.com/2013/02/09/national-libraries-day-a-pledge-for-croydon/

Manchester Evening News : 8th February
Dozens occupy Levenshulme library in protest against council closure plans 
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/between-40-and-50-people-refused-1303028

Oxford Mail : 9th February
Ed Vaizey MP enchants young audience with The Gruffalo
“I loved reading it to the kids, and getting the chance to show how important and successful libraries remain.”
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10217744.MP_enchants_young_audience_with_The_Gruffalo/

THE GUARDIAN : 8th February
Terry Pratchett: ‘I taught myself more in the library than the school taught me’ – video
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2013/feb/08/terry-pratchett-library-video?INTCMP=SRCH

THE GUARDIAN : 8th February
Matt Haig: Why I love my library 
‘A library is a book in building form…It is paradise.’ On the eve of National Libraries Day, novelist Matt Haig explains why he loves libraries
http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2013/feb/08/matt-haig-why-i-love-my-library?INTCMP=SRCH

This Is Hull & East Riding : 9th February
Campaign launched to save popular library
“The old Labour Party would be appalled by the idea of closing a public library. Libraries were originally intended to educate the workers.  This just seems to be so wrong.”
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Campaign-launched-save-popular-library/story-18100033-detail/story.html#axzz2KOBv0w3l

Libraries News Round-up: 13 March 2016

DAILY MIRROR : 13th March Tory social housing sell-off could force councils to flog libraries and parks to fill £2 billion black hole http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-social-housing-sell-could-7548924?ICID=FB_mirror_main Swindon Advertiser : 13th March Library campaigners show…