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June 10, 2006
The Observer
Buy the Observer today (Sunday 11 June). There are a number of public library news items coming up in the next week and Rachel Cooke of the Observer has been writing about them. Her article is on page 7 of the Review Section.
David Lammy, the Minister, when asked about 105 library closures said "Communities come and go"
Rachel asks "Where, precisely, is Little Chalfont going?"
John Dolan of the MLA told her that the MLA had achieved the opening of new libraries in Brighton and Bournemouth. Next Tuesday at the the Royal Society of Literature I'm sure Mr Dolan will be asked to stop saying that the new Brighton library is wonderful: it has no books in it. Perhaps he just wouldn't notice.
Rachel has a blog at the Observer which already has some interesting comments from readers.
Posted by Perkins at June 10, 2006 11:03 AM
Comments
When you say it has no books in it, do you mean to add the word 'yet' ? The alternative hardly bears thinking about.
Susan- have you not seen the new library in Brighton? It is a vast (but interesting) glass railway station in which all the money was spent on the building leaving little for book shelves and next to nothing for books. The council cannot afford to staff the opening hours - nor to wash the windows. The people of Brighton are very cross and many councillors have lost their seats. Tim
Posted by: SUSAN HILL at June 11, 2006 5:15 PM
Er...it has got books in it, I borrow them, and so do a lot of other people. Possibly not enough, but books there certianly are.
The criticism that can reasonably be made is that the opening hourse are still not enough. For such a wonderful building in that location not to be open on Sundays is absurd.
Tom- Sorry, I did exaggerate; but you've made the point better than I have. Tim
Posted by: Tom Roper at June 13, 2006 9:26 AM