Did you hear about the town of books where they closed the library?
Sounds like a bad joke, doesn't it? Sadly, Hay is now having to steel itself for yet another fight with our local County Council who are trying to impose cuts on our library services. Their ultimatum is that the town has to come forward with a plan for taking over the running of the services, or the County Council will begin consultation on the closure of Hay Library. The internationally famous town of books, closing its library. Insert your own punchline here!
We sell a wide range of books of course, but a library has so many other benefits - a resource to use the internet, browse the papers, meet people - it's the heart of a community.
We are aware that Powys CC are to some extent between a rock and a hard place - the cuts are an indirect result of austerity imposed from Westminster - but Powys are the face of the cuts, so it's Powys we have to fight. Lesley Arrowsmith, scribe supreme of Hay, sums up the state of play perfectly on her blog.
In a week which has also seen Powys exposed to ridicule over their use of outsourced consultants, and hot on the heels of their failed attempt to close our local High School, you might think they'd know how to pick their battles. We'll keep you updated on the fight to save the library service in Hay.
Add a Comment