'Support for public libraries long overdue'

Libraries are a valuable resource for all of us, valuable for our communities for education, entertainment and enlightenment.

They are also often the only place for those without the resource of a computer to access the internet.

Libraries are access to knowledge, and knowledge is power. The library books I have read have entertained me, moved me and changed my life.

Libraries are unarguably a bastion of civilisation.

Since the start of austerity, there have been hundreds of libraries and thousands of library staff lost across the UK.

It doesn’t have to be like this. There is a petition calling on the government to protect library services by ringfencing government funding for libraries.

The petition can be found at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/228742.

Support for libraries is like the library books I forgot to return on time – overdue.

Matthew Smith

via email