Take two minutes to make the minister mind!

Sheffield’s libraries need your help.

All they ask is a minute or two to send a letter to libraries minister Ed Vaizey in a last-ditch plea
to make him intervene.  They’ve even provided a template letter (though many will want to add
a few words of their own…)

You don’t have to live in Sheffield to care about this. It concerns us all.

Broomhill Library Action Group explains…

“Background facts

You may have seen media reports about the Minister for Culture & the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey, conducting an inquiry into Sheffield City Council’s plans for public libraries. He has just issued a letter stating that he is ‘minded not to’ intervene. But before he makes a final decision he wants to know what you think!

The minister has a duty, under the Public Libraries & Museums Act 1964, to superintend library provision and to intervene if a council is failing to provide a “comprehensive and efficient library service” for all who want to use it.

Death by a thousand cuts

Broomhill Library Action Group have always maintained that the council’s plans result in a service that does not meet these requirements. We presented many arguments, backed up with data, to
support our claim. Nonetheless the minister has chosen to disregard our evidence, and has
sent a letter saying that he is “not currently minded” to intervene.

Nine other library campaign groups around the country have tried to get the minister to intervene. He has rejected all of these. We believe the minister is not only wrong, but that we need to
persuade him he is wrong!

The minister has asked for further representations to be presented by 20 November 2014.

We are therefore asking as many people as possible to write to the minister, and to tell him to organise an inquiry to protect this valuable service.

We need you to state your support for an ongoing ‘comprehensive andefficient’ library service in Sheffield.

A cut and paste template is provided, into which people can just insert their own name and library, or can alter as they please – emails need to be sent by 20 NOVEMBER 2014 to: Ministerial Support
Team enquiries@culture.gsi.gov.uk.

Please send it on to all your friends.

Thank you.

We will make a difference.”

BLAG template letter – for people outside Sheffield

And in PDF for those who cannot access the file above:

BLAG template letter – for people outside Sheffield – PDF