Public libraries in ‘crisis’: How might it affect the public?

How might library closures affect the public?

Transcript

00:00As an academic, I can see and value the libraries. I use them also myself. We can see that because

00:11of technology and other interventions that students find other resources. And of course,

00:18people now, maybe in society, as you said, the lack of funding is difficult. They have

00:25other resources. Maybe they prefer the students to get these. So the impact for me will be

00:30very negative because students having to go to the library, having the physical resources

00:37is very important. Having to know how to find a book or the resources they need. It creates

00:45also the social aspect. Meet other students there, work in groups. I saw many students

00:51working groups in the library. And also it's free access to books for people that they

00:56really want to get more education. Maybe they don't have the opportunity. So while this

01:03is accessible to everyone and benefit many people now, it will be very disadvantage,

01:08very negative and disadvantage people, especially students in the future if this will happen.

01:15Former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen said that reducing people's access to libraries

01:20was a quote, act of cruelty. He went on to call the closure of libraries a quote, decimation.

01:26The CEO of Libraries Connected, an organisation which represents library services in England,

01:32Wales and Northern Ireland said quote, as this data shows, it is not just outright closures

01:38that threaten the library network. It is also a gradual reduction in opening hours,

01:43staff numbers and operating budgets that can leave libraries unable to meet the needs of

01:48their communities. She then added quote, we risk hollowing out our public library network

01:54and storing up huge problems for the future.