Library Closures in Britain

With tough economic times in the EU, Britain has closed some 38 libraries, and more are on the block. The nation’s poet laureate responds:

The poet laureate Andrew Motion has hit out at plans to close down libraries, calling them "extremely short-sighted and counter-productive". His comments follow a report issued this week by public sector union Unison describing the library service as "nearing a crisis point after suffering years of funding cuts, deskilling of the workforce and recent threats of outsourcing".

With 38 libraries closing over the last year and local authorities around the country currently consulting on plans to close more branches and reduce hours, Motion spoke out about the importance of free access to books, research and the internet in libraries. "At a time of recession, all these benefits are of greater importance. Good local libraries become more relevant to people’s needs, not less," he said. "Retreating on facilities that inform, educate and enrich people’s skills and learning would deprive people of uniquely valuable support at a very challenging moment for our nation."