Describing the UK’s public library service as essential, he called on the government to “supply some emergency relief money to stop local authorities doing this dastardly deed, this process of philistinising our communities”. Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘Refused to intervene in library reductions’ … Ed Vaizey attends the London film festival’s opening night gala. The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip), has asked the government to act, suggesting that further library closures could be against the law. “As we go into [the] autumn statement facing new levels of cuts, it is vital that local authorities recognise that taking library services away piles costs elsewhere in the system,” Poole said. “All eyes will be on libraries minister Rob Wilson ... to come out with a robust plan and relief for public libraries.”

Source: The Guardian October 14, 2016 12:05 UTC