As a result of lengthy financial mismanagement, Nottingham City Council has proposed the closure of several city libraries. The proposed closures come as the City Council faces debts upwards of £1bn; with failures such as the disastrous Robin Hood Energy to blame.

Why should public services, or more specifically, libraries, which offer a plethora of resources and opportunities, suffer because of the financial ineptness of those currently occupying Loxley House?

Libraries are a vital part of the fabric in communities. The most recently available statistics show that 22,680 annual visits were made to Basford Library, 7,920 visits at the Radford and Lenton library, and 38,820 visits in Aspley. 

As areas on the lower socioeconomic scale, removing these libraries, and the resources they offer would be disastrous. The proposal is one that is designed to hit and hurt the disadvantaged. 

This proposal comes at a point in time in which the city does not currently possess a central library. In 2020, lacking extreme foresight, the previous city library based on Angel Row was closed, with all books held there being moved into storage.

Local libraries must remain open.