Keith Mitchell (Oxford Mail letters February 17) was at great pains to tell us that his professional officers say that the last time library hours were cut evenly over all the county libraries, usage went down by a larger percentage.

May I ask who these professional officers are, when was the last time such a dreadful threat hung over our libraries, and what does he mean by a larger percentage?

The plain fact is that a library closed will almost certainly remain closed, even when the economic situation improves.

An even reduction of opening hours can easily be reversed when finances allow.

Also, there are other library services which could be put on hold, such as the fairly recent ability to return a book borrowed from any county branch to any other branch. That must cost a considerable amount in administration and transport.

I assume that Mr Mitchell has confidence in the Government to rectify the economy within the next four years, after which matters can return to normal.

Or is there another agenda here: the old Conservative yearning to reduce public spending and the opportunistic cynicism of burying an unnecessary cut in Big Society rhetoric?

Let us have no more of this talk of libraries taking funds away from social care and highway maintenance.

An even reduction in funds would mean that the library service would be doing its bit.

Besides, where will all the socially disadvantaged people go for their Internet connections if the smaller libraries close?

That certainly will be a blow to vulnerable people.

But this is a well-trodden path. The people of Oxfordshire are speaking out more clearly in support of their threatened libraries than they have ever done before about any issue.

They are not stupid; they know a fine service when they see one.

Moreover, from my observations of local branches, the footfall has increased considerably over the last few weeks.

We are not playing at politics, Mr Mitchell, whatever you may be doing. We are protecting our children’s inheritance.

Martin Roberts, Stone Close, Botley, Oxford