Mike4 wrote:
You seem to be missing the point. Can you explain why fiction books should be free to read, funded by the rate-payer?
There is nothing stopping people buying <shock horror> the books they wish to read.
You can make an economic or even 'save-the-planet' argument for why it's better to have a book read by a dozen people rather than a dozen of the same book read by those people.
But IMO libraries offer a more intangible social value than simply supplying books. They are a place where people can browse, chat to (usually friendly) staff, spend time away from a home environment, take their kids on wet afternoons (our library runs a small creche where kids are introduced to books), or simply become aware of just how vast the world of literature is. Yes, you can browse books online but for me it's just not the same. Maybe I'm old-fashioned but wandering the stacks of a library is a far more satisfying experience than sitting at a computer.
Libraries are a part of our society and heritage that I would be sad to see go.
BoE