Rachael Eyre's Blog - Posts Tagged "libraries"
Love Your Library
The UK's libraries are in crisis.
They were once the cornerstone of a community, the cure for rainy day blues. A series of spending cuts have meant that three hundred and forty three British libraries have closed their doors in the past six years, with a further ten percent under threat. Many libraries, including that of my neighbouring town Morecambe, face reduction to a self service system with a limited catalogue.
Never mind local councils are legally obliged to provide their constituents with 'a comprehensive and efficient library service' according to the 1964 Public Libraries and Museum Act. Our clueless Prime Minister David Cameron informed a ten year old boy that libraries are 'less necessary' due to 'technological change.' In his privileged little snow globe, perhaps.
Libraries stand for something revolutionary: universal education. A library card is a passport to thousands of free books. Whatever your socioeconomic background, you can educate yourself and escape to other worlds. Growing up in a one parent, low income household, our library was an absolute necessity; it was babysitter, entertainment centre and fount of knowledge in one. I doubt my sister and I would have been able to pursue our crazy dreams - she as a historian, me as a writer - if the library hadn't inspired us with a deep love of learning and literature.
If you don't have regular Internet access, library computers are a godsend. Everyday transactions - job applications, online banking, keeping in touch with loved ones - are increasingly difficult if you don't have broadband or a Smartphone. Thanks to your library membership you can book an hour's session on one of the machines - and ask a librarian for help if you get stuck.
What about clubs and other events? Libraries are a hub of community activities: ours hosts book clubs, concerts, workshops and festivals. It's nothing out of the ordinary to see a mock up of a crime scene or the shelves emblazoned with Shakespeare quotes. If you're new to the area or live alone, it's a great way to take up a hobby and make friends.
In the past we've taken libraries for granted, cracked jokes about musty old battleaxes who "Ssh!" anything that moves. They've always been there, a fact of life; why would you worry about the sun? Now they're endangered, we need to pull out every last stop, make as much noise as we can. Tell Westminster mandarins that they're still an integral part of people's lives, desperately needed and loved. It'd be awful if the next generation missed out due to a shortsighted government policy.
Love your library. Don't give it up without a fight.
They were once the cornerstone of a community, the cure for rainy day blues. A series of spending cuts have meant that three hundred and forty three British libraries have closed their doors in the past six years, with a further ten percent under threat. Many libraries, including that of my neighbouring town Morecambe, face reduction to a self service system with a limited catalogue.
Never mind local councils are legally obliged to provide their constituents with 'a comprehensive and efficient library service' according to the 1964 Public Libraries and Museum Act. Our clueless Prime Minister David Cameron informed a ten year old boy that libraries are 'less necessary' due to 'technological change.' In his privileged little snow globe, perhaps.
Libraries stand for something revolutionary: universal education. A library card is a passport to thousands of free books. Whatever your socioeconomic background, you can educate yourself and escape to other worlds. Growing up in a one parent, low income household, our library was an absolute necessity; it was babysitter, entertainment centre and fount of knowledge in one. I doubt my sister and I would have been able to pursue our crazy dreams - she as a historian, me as a writer - if the library hadn't inspired us with a deep love of learning and literature.
If you don't have regular Internet access, library computers are a godsend. Everyday transactions - job applications, online banking, keeping in touch with loved ones - are increasingly difficult if you don't have broadband or a Smartphone. Thanks to your library membership you can book an hour's session on one of the machines - and ask a librarian for help if you get stuck.
What about clubs and other events? Libraries are a hub of community activities: ours hosts book clubs, concerts, workshops and festivals. It's nothing out of the ordinary to see a mock up of a crime scene or the shelves emblazoned with Shakespeare quotes. If you're new to the area or live alone, it's a great way to take up a hobby and make friends.
In the past we've taken libraries for granted, cracked jokes about musty old battleaxes who "Ssh!" anything that moves. They've always been there, a fact of life; why would you worry about the sun? Now they're endangered, we need to pull out every last stop, make as much noise as we can. Tell Westminster mandarins that they're still an integral part of people's lives, desperately needed and loved. It'd be awful if the next generation missed out due to a shortsighted government policy.
Love your library. Don't give it up without a fight.
