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

Alan Gibbons Blog : 5th February
Campaign for the Book statement about proposed Liverpool library closures
http://alangibbons.net/2013/02/campaign-for-the-book-statement-about-proposed-liverpool-library-closures/

Public Libraries News : 5th February
Liverpool “does a Newcastle”
http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2013/02/liverpool-does-a-newcastle.html

Chronicle Live : 6th February
Campaigners hand over Newcastle library petition
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/communities/newcastle/2013/02/06/campaigners-hand-over-newcastle-library-petition-72703-32755441/

Leigh Day & Co (Law Firm) : 6th February
Friern Barnet Community Library opens
http://ca.linexlegal.com/register  ( register to read, free of charge)

THE BOOKSELLER : 6th February
Friern Barnet library to be volunteer-run
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/friern-barnet-library-be-volunteer-run.html

DAILY MIRROR : 6th February
The book stops here: Campaigners win battle to run UK’s first people’s library 
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/friern-barnet-library-campaigners-win-1588273

Times Series : 6th February
Friern Barnet Library will not be sold but council deal is ‘not perfect’, say occupiers
She said: “It is a pragmatic solution that we will happily accept as there is no alternative. But we believe libraries should be publicly run, with qualified librarians and assistants. This is not a perfect solution but the council has budged and this is what was on offer.”
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/10208798.Library_will_not_be_sold_but_council_deal_is__not_perfect_/

Guardian Series : 6th February
New hope for volunteer-run library plans in Leytonstone
But now campaigners have been given hope after being allocated a room at the Epicentre community centre in Leytonstone under a three-month agreement.  …. Campaigner Howard Smeed said: “At the moment we’re looking at opening it for three hours every Saturday, but we’d like to expand that if possible.”
http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/10209421.New_hope_for_volunteer_run_library_plans/

This Is Plymouth : 6th February
Plymouth libraries are ‘desperately in need of WiFi’, council is told
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Plymouth-libraries-desperately-need-WiFi-council/story-18066416-detail/story.html#axzz2K7h7yn3b