Authors join national demonstration against library closures

Authors to join hundreds of protesters in the first national demonstration to protest against library closures.

Children’s laureate, Chris Riddell, and the former children’s laureate Michael Rosen as well as the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, and an estimated 1,800 protesters from across the country will march from the British Library to Trafalgar Square London, to protest a string of closures over the past five years. Guardian UK reported.

Riddell, the author of the Goth Girl series, told Guardian UK that the threat to libraries amounted to a “tragedy for the literary culture of our country”. He added: “Libraries are cultural hubs that, if nurtured by government, have the ability to transform lives. We must all raise our voices to defend them.”

Rosen, who was children’s laureate from 2007 to 2009, added: “How hypocritical of a government that claims to be on the side of the disadvantaged for them to be kicking away the means by which people can get access to knowledge, wisdom, fun and communal life.

“The austerity their cuts are based on is bogus. There is money in unpaid taxes, quantitative easing and hoarded super wealth. What the government is saying is that the poor don’t have the right to have knowledge and wisdom.”

Library services have come under increased pressure due to cuts in funding to councils since David Cameron took office in May 2010.

In a 2013 lecture, award-winning author Neil Gaiman said local authorities that closing libraries to save money was “quite literally stealing from the future to pay for today. They are closing the gates that should be open.”

The march was organised by Unite, the Public and Commercial Services Union and the Barnet branch of Unison.

ALSO READ: This library can now jail you if books are returned late