When growing up, there was only one place that mattered: my neighbourhood library. Armed with a list of titles I fancied - the next Enid Blyton or Nancy Drew series, or the latest Alistair Maclean - I would head for the shelves and borrow the maximum allowance of 6 books every week. These days, our options have expanded considerably. It is easy to buy a book and download it onto an e-reader like Kindle or iPad, and start reading straightaway. But is that an affordable way for children to get hold of 6 books every week?!
And so we come back to the importance of the local library. I've been looking into trends and it turns out that libraries are struggling in many countries. Footfall - especially the number of adult visitors - has dropped substantially since the arrival of e-books. This has coincided with a drop in funding, as local authorities battle to provide for other services within their communities. In the UK, funding almost halved between 2010 and 2022/2023. Over 180 libraries have actually closed since 2016. In some parts of the world, the threats to local libraries sometimes come from special interest groups who wish to influence what books libraries can or cannot offer.
Library visits by children are still popular. They provide not just books but also interaction with other children and the ongoing pleasure of a story to read at home. So let's try to support our local libraries, perhaps even encourage sponsorship to keep them afloat?
Reading is, after all, a most valuable companion.
As that great author, C.S. Lewis wrote:
We read to know we are not alone...
No comments:
Post a Comment