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Hypocrisy claim over reading challenge
SENIOR councillors who have spent the week promoting a “summer reading challenge” for children have been condemned by campaigners fighting savage cuts to a town’s library service.
Earlier this year, Doncaster Council’s elected mayor, Peter Davies, unveiled plans to close 14 of the borough’s 26 libraries in response to the Government’s austerity spending cuts.
The move immediately spawned the Save Doncaster Libraries protest group, which yesterday criticised Mr Davies and his cabinet member for libraries, Cynthia Ransome, over their support for the reading scheme.
Lauren Smith from the group accused the council of hypocrisy and said: “We find it quite ironic that the libraries are promoting the challenge but then next year there’s going to be half the number of libraries and fewer books for kids to read, fewer services and kids are not going to have the access to that reading challenge.
“The council has had really flawed logic when it comes to cutting library services.”
Yesterday, the council said it had received 7,000 responses to a questionnaire it had distributed in areas to be affected by the loss of a library.
Mr Davies said: “It is completely nonsensical for us not to promote reading or any other library service regardless of any future changes.
“It is not my policy to close any library in Doncaster. I am faced with the challenge to make tough decisions as a result of £80m of Government spending cuts.
“The whole point of the consultation is to explore what local people want from their library service, and for us to see what alternative ways there are to keep them open.“
Libraries currently facing closure are Bawtry, Wheatley, Edenthorpe, Balby, Warmsworth, Sprotbrough, Cantley, Moorends, Denaby, Intake, Rossington, Carcroft, Scawthorpe and Bessacarr.
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