Sir – Perhaps we should have just an ounce of sympathy for Keith Mitchell.
He may seem to be relishing his decimation of the library service, but he’s surely dealing with a genuine financial problem. So can anyone suggest another way of finding the money?
How about paying to use the service? At present, you pay around £3 each to borrow DVDs and audiobooks, but you take out printed books absolutely free. Why? I’d certainly be willing to pay a small charge for every book I borrow — say £1 for hardbacks, 50p for paperbacks (I would keep it free for children and older people, though). How much would that bring in? It would go a fair way, at least, to bridging the funding gap — and surely far preferable to closing 20 libraries altogether.
Peter Furtado, Oxford
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here