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.
ITV News : 12th February
Library closures are “catastrophic”
Culture Secretary Maria Miller should step in to prevent the “cultural catastrophe” being caused by library closures in areas including Liverpool and Newcastle, author and broadcaster Baroness Bakewell has said.
http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-
THE BOOKSELLER : 12th February
Bakewell condemns library closures ‘catastrophe’
http://www.thebookseller.com/
THE GUARDIAN : 11th February
Harriet Harman: ‘We get the arts’
His position prompted a bewildered response from Hall, who wrote to Jarvis saying, “if as the shadow culture minister you cannot robustly and publicly defend the right of working-class and disadvantaged people to have access to libraries and culture, I do not understand what you are doing holding that brief”.
It has been a mess, which Labour is now attempting hurriedly to tidy away.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
BBC News : 12th February
Hull | Maureen Lipman backs call to save Anlaby Park library
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
The Star : 12th February
Editorial | Sheffield – Be clear over axing libraries
We deserve to know the truth
http://www.thestar.co.uk/
Sunderland Echo : 12th February
Sunderland libraries facing closure under £850,000 savings plan
A report by the executive director of health, housing and adult services recommends shutting down a number of the city’s 20 static libraries in a bid to make savings of £850,000 during 2013/14. The proposals will be presented at a cabinet meeting tomorrow afternoon. Services could instead be spread out into schools and community centres, functioning with the help of volunteers.
http://www.sunderlandecho.com/
Southport Visitor : 12th February
Sefton | Huge consultation response shows love for libraries as more than 12,000 join Southport library campaign
http://www.southportvisiter.
Ealing Gazette : 11th February
‘Private companies could play role in running Ealing libraries’
http://www.ealinggazette.co.
THE BOOKSELLER : 11th February
Authors speak out for National Libraries Day
http://www.thebookseller.com/
Daily Post : 12th February
Petition set up in bid to save Wrexham libraries
“Two of those libraries under threat recently have been refurbished at a cost of hundreds of thousands. It is mindless, a reminder of why we need libraries to educate future generations of the follies of the past.”
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/
THE BOOKSELLER : 12th February
Deary: “libraries have had their day”
http://www.thebookseller.com/
