How misguided and short-sighted is this decision? The library closures will surely exacerbate the falling UK literacy rate, especially amongst children. To quote today's Bookseller...

'The case for the importance of libraries to children's reading is backed up by the latest library loan figures released by the Public Lending Right (PLR), which show children's authors dominant among the most borrowed writers.

Seven of the 10 most borrowed authors in the year from July 2009 to June 2010 were children's writers... This is the second year running children's authors have taken seven of the top 10.

Children's authors have been rising steadily up the top ranks since 2005–06, when only four featured in the top 10. The rise matches the increase in children's library borrowing, following reader development work focused on children'.

(Link to full article: the additional comment says it all!)

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/kids-d...mment-form