Cuts in Manchester, “You and Yours” hour-long libraries special

487 libraries (427 buildings and 60 mobiles) currently under threat or recently closed (List below)

– plus five – Manchester– Five to close, all libraries to close on Fridays and Sundays

– plus four – Southwark

– minus eight – Newcastle Upon Tyne – this library service has been in contact and assured VTFL that these libraries will not be unstaffed. Until this is confirmed either way, I have in the interests of accuracy, taken the branches off the list.

– plus one mobile library – Blackburn with Darwen

Summary
The stand out today is the cuts in Manchester, of which the cut of five libraries has featured prominently in all the media coverage I have seen.

You and Yours did an hour-long discussion on libraries featuring Annie Mauger from CILIP, the mayor of Doncaster and a spokesman from the IEA who said at the start that “Books are cheap so that’s not a problem for anybody” and that “amateurs can do the job” of librarians. “Fury doesn’t even come close” to the reaction that the public gave to his views that everyone should have a Kindle and that grandmother should be sent SD cards. The programme was overwhelmed with emails and “Uniquely, they all say the same thing, libraries are not just about books”. People phoning in also seemed very much in support of libraries. 2 out of 700 were in favour of closing libraries. 2. Out. Of. 700. Listen if you can.

Local News – this is representative and not comprehensive – (S) shows items added on Sunday evening

Birmingham – pupil’s bid to save Kings Heath Library – Birmingham Mail

Blackburn With Darwen – Meeting about library cuts – Lancashire Telegraph

Blackburn With Darwen – cuts announced – Lancashire Telegraph

Brent – Lib Dems (opposition) plan to save libraries with £100k trusts – Harrow Observer
Edinburgh – pledges not to close any libraries but £550k still to be cut – New Scotsman

Gloucestershire – “Life of Pi” author Yann Martel compares closing libraries to having a “lobotomy” – Cotswold Journal

Gloucestershire – Don’t downgrade Bourton library – Cotswold Journal

Hampshire – less mobile visits for Twyford – Hampshire Chronicle

Hertfordshire – less mobile stops to be cut – Herts Advertiser 24

Hounslow – Resident campaign at Cranford – Hounslow Chronicle

Isle of Wight – Library rocks to sound of protest – Isle of Wight County Press

Isle of Wight – “Cuts Both Ways” library campaigning website launched – Cutsbothways