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November 2, 2006
Mark Field writes to The Times
Mark Field, the shadow minister for culture, wrote a letter that is printed in The Times today.
This is a clear signal not only to the Labour Government but to the quangoes and leech-like bodies which surround it: DCMS, MLA, ACL, SCL, TRA, IdeA, LLUK, CILIP, SLIC,CYMAL, IIP and the regional MLA offices.
It is also a clear message of policy and leadership to the Conservative Councils around the country who, sadly, have been in the forefront of the movement to diminish the core role of maintaining high quality book collections in public libraries.
We are not alone.
Posted by Perkins at November 2, 2006 9:42 AM
Comments
I recently spent half term with a grandson, aged 9,part of whose homework was to discover as much as possible about ancient Egyptian toys. We nosed in bookshops and then went to a city library. I was shocked by how few books were there and how many shelves of DVD's and videos. Books about ancient Egypt were neither plentiful nor illuminating. Google in the computer corridor produced lots of facts and I thought how the paucity of books and the plentiful supply of computer information would erode people like my grandson's view of books as sources of information. Without encouragement, another time he'll head straight for the computer and as you have said,confirm a falling demand for books.
Posted by: sheila at November 2, 2006 11:04 PM