I volunteer at my local library in Richmond, North Yorkshire, in the prime minister’s constituency. It’s a lovely place, staffed by committed librarians who rely on a group of willing volunteers. I feel privileged to be able to work there. I visit libraries wherever I go and am always charmed.
I read with interest Aida Edemariam’s long read on libraries (‘If there’s nowhere else to go, this is where they come’: how Britain’s libraries provide much more than books 25 June) and recognised many of the situations she described. As I was reaching the conclusion, I received an email from our volunteer coordinator who was trying to find someone to fill a shift on Saturday. If a volunteer can’t be found to support the librarian, the library has to remain closed. Sadly, this scenario occurs occasionally.
Henry Ward Beecher once said: “A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” And Albert Einstein commented: “The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.”
The chronic underfunding of libraries, and the closure of many, is something I sincerely hope that the new Labour government will address as a matter of urgency.
Ben Ruston
Richmond, North Yorkshire
• The long read brought tears to my eyes. For 70 years, I have been a member of a library wherever I have lived. Yesterday, I enjoyed our fortnightly book group meeting at Penistone library, where we discussed North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and put the world to rights.
In the article, the care and compassion that is shown by Amanda Giles and Terry Curran who run Battle library in Reading lightened my day. Carl Sagan said: “Books break the shackles of time.” This article showed that libraries can help people loosen the shackles of life.
Gill Vincent
Sheffield
• Aida Edemariam’s piece reminded me of Manchester’s central library (where incidentally my father and grandfather made the brass handrails on the staircase leading to the library theatre below). I was a frequent user as a sixth former in the late 1950s, when staff actively discouraged people from occupying its long tables for warmth and a sleep rather than studying. This rule was regularly circumvented by a man at my table who took a heavy tome from the shelves and spent much time copying its contents on to his newspaper. I can’t now remember if he was a Manchester Guardian reader.
Dr Roger Merry
Keynsham, Somerset
• One thing I thought that is missing from the article is the role of the library in the economy of a town. Our library in Folkestone (a Grade II-listed building) has been closed for 18 months due to repairs, which the council says it can’t afford. I used to go to the library every weekend and then walk to the shops. I don’t do that any more and I can’t be the only one.
Jenny Rayner
Folkestone, Kent
• As a retired librarian, I read the article with great interest and pride. I hope that many more people become aware of the vast range of services that libraries provide. They fill the many gaps left by the state, yet they are constantly under threat of closure. Libraries need to be supported at all times.
Lindesay Burton
Broxburn, West Lothian
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