IT was extremely disappointing that the North Yorkshire County Council executive committee rejected local petitioners’ concerns about the possible closure of 20 North Yorkshire libraries (D&S Times, Jul 10). The small financial concessions that have been offered to create all volunteer libraries will be inadequate to sustain them.
The risk of insufficient volunteers emerging to take on charitable status to manage the 20 libraries recklessly avoids recognising the immeasurable educational, social and cultural benefits that our current library service provides.
An unfair situation has been created in library provision. Too many risks now abound.
The council ignored our suggestion to increase the number of “hybrid” libraries, staffed by volunteers and paid professionals, which would have preserved a secure service in all our communities.
Eileen Driver, Stokesley Library Campaign Group, and John Dean, Save North Yorkshire Libraries.
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