I think you make a very good point here. A c. 55% cut (cos 20% on a total already reduced by 30% is more than 50%) is going to mean armageddon for a lot of local services, not least libraries. There’s no way to pretend that libraries are not going to close in that sort of scenario. It would also be impressive if less than half the staff lost their jobs too.

So, as you say, campaigners are left with a stark choice. We either accept the almost unhinged level of cuts proposed and look into how to deal with them or we reject them. I find it hard to accept that the public, the electorate, will accept such high levels. However, if they do … then it’s all over, no matter what is pretended. The barbarians will have won. The local library with paid staff will end.

If, however, the process, the deepest cuts in library history and then some, can be delayed, prolonged until saner heads prevail then campaigners will be doing a great service to the country. Because, as has been said time and time again, when a library is closed, it does not (generally) reopen.

Indeed. On top of huge cuts to local authorities, we are about to see more. This is a big challenge to the library campaigning community as the self evident truth that there would inevitably be less libraries and less librarians will be even more evident now, especially as councils have to devote even more of their scarce resources to the problems that the recession causes, which will mean more on social services and less on everything else.

So the argument “you can’t shut libraries, you can’t sack librarians” won’t stack up. Yes, you can argue that there should be no cuts, but with all three main parties committed to some form of austerity that is not an argument that is going to work, even if there is an election. Tragically, and very shortsightedly, for all public services there will be further cuts.

So, what arguments can library campaigners advance now? Save every library, save every librarian is not realistic. How do we make a case for libraries? Because now this isn’t just about proving their value, it will be about proposing ways to keep some of them open in what will be very tough times. And the answers to those questions might just be some of the things that people have been fighting against because one thing is true. If 20% cuts are following 30% cuts then councils won’t be able to afford current levels of service, whatever Pickles disingenuous claims about “back office” might be.