A campaigner has stressed the importance of libraries as another is marked for closure in Merseyside.
St Helens Borough Council recently announced that Peter Street Library will be closed permanently from the end of March. The owners of the site have decided to hire the space out to another organisation.
This is reportedly due to the site's need to secure long term sustainable income to support its running costs. The council had last year planned to close six of the borough's libraries- including Rainhill's, but decided to review this plan following public backlash.
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One of the leading voices in preventing the closure of the libraries was the group Save Our Libraries- Rainhill. They chatted with the ECHO about this recent news.
They said: "It's sad to see any library close because, despite being told the way we use libraries are changing, you cannot get that community interaction unless you are in a community setting with real people and staff. Books provide so much more than words, they provide aspiration, inspiration, learning and they evoke curiosity and imagination, you cannot put a council budget figure on that kind of enrichment.
"In the same way you cannot put a price on educating children and adults alike, libraries provide a space for people to gather and chat as well as learn together. Libraries are levellers, they allow everybody to access books and materials that may be financially impossible to parts within all our communities across St Helens.
"Libraries shouldn't be used to pit one area against another, with the end goal of who deserves theirs more, libraries should be accessible to everybody regardless of postcode. Libraries are a statutory service and St Helens Borough Council should build on their network whilst encouraging organisations to value that and move heaven and earth to retain libraries under threat of closure, level up not down."
St Helens Borough council said: "The timing of the closure has been made in the best interests of the building owners, and the council is now working with them to accommodate this.
"Library members can use any library in the Borough but will also be able to return items to the Peter Street Centre up to May 30 2023 as a deposit box will be in reception. The library staff will move to other libraries."
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