Campaign to save libraries ramps up
CAMPAIGNERS opposed to the planned closures of libraries across the county are planning to step up their fight this week by holding a series of public meetings, ‘read-ins’ and protests.
Eight libraries across the county, including those in St James in Northampton, Moulton, Roade and Woodford Halse, are all facing the axe as part of plans by Northamptonshire County Council to save £73 million.
Residents, literary experts and students have all rounded on the planned closures, with county author Alan Moore saying the move threatens to ‘take literacy away from the people’.
Tomorrow, a demonstration will be held at libraries in Moulton and St James with further protests in St James and Roade next Saturday.
Ella Swannell, a founder member of the Friends of Moulton Library, said: “We are very, very passionate about keeping it running.
“It has been there all of my life and it has been part of my family’s life for a long, long time and the community is very strongly in favour of keeping it. We want to keep it open, we really do, because it is so wonderful to so many people.”
Mrs Swannell said the library was used by around 28,000 people last year and hosts more than a dozen local clubs and groups, as well as police and council surgeries.
She added: “We are hoping people will come out, show the strength of feeling for the library. Everyone says their library is important but we feel it is especially important for Moulton.”
The protest will be held at the library from 10am tomorrow.
A protest will also be held at St James Library, Northampton, tomorrow from midday until 2pm, with a read-in then planned for Saturday, February 5, with writer Alan Moore.
Next Saturday villagers in Roade will also hold a read-in, to demonstrate the strength of feeling about the planned closure.
David Meneely, from the Friends of Roade Library group, said: “The library is used, it is used by children in Ashton, Stoke Bruerne and as far away as Hanslope. Our worry as a village is you could end up with lots of nice houses but nothing else here for people to use.”
The read-in will be held from 10.30am until 1.30pm at the library. The county council consultation ends on February 8.
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There are 6 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
pratchett
Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 11:15 AMmy friend works in a library and i can assure you they are not on inflated salaries as she get less than £7.00 an hour its not the frontline staff that get overpaid its the string pullers at the top and have the big final salary pensions and pay offs
TheCount
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 04:14 PM"Rosemary50" I would prefer to be able to eat and pay my fuiel bills than pay for someone elses bookssalarypension etc etc etc. Stop being selfish, buy your own books, you can get them off a market stall for 50p. It's not just the libraires that are the problem, it's the whole public sector, it's too big, grossly over-paid and their salary scheme is a pnzi scheme and unsustainable for the rest of the country.
willi eckaslyke
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 01:20 PMRosemary...those19th century toffs didn't perceive it to be vulgar for the working classes to be literate - they perceived it to be DANGEROUS
Rosemary50
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 12:10 PM#1 I suppose you would rather go back to the 19th Century when it was regarded as vulgar by the upper classes to see a working man read! I do accept that cuts should be made, but at the top! .The headteacher from St James wrote a letter to the chron explaining that it is vital to support children from deprived families who would otherwise have no easy access to books or computers. NCC seem to see St James as an easy target for cuts, they have not hit areas such as East Hunsbury where they have spent thousands on a new surestart centre and library extensions. .A fraction of the money spent would have kept St James library open. Lets hope councillors begin to understand the depth of feeling tomorrow and cancel plans to close St James library.
HrolfK
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 10:46 AMThe Count isn't starving, keep the books.
TheCount
Friday, January 28, 2011 at 10:04 AMDont save the libraries, tax us less so we can eat....or should we eat books ?
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