With all of the recent studies showing how the presence of books in the home is a determinant in how well a child does in school, it’s important that in this Internet age we live in that we don’t forget the importance of our local libraries. This article from The Telegraph outlines the joy that libraries can bring, along with their value in today’s society.
“Since buying books is an unimaginable luxury to those struggling to buy groceries, the only viable route towards improving those children’s chances in life is the local lending library. But we all need to support the institution. When user numbers fall and cash-strapped councils have to weigh the claims of libraries against social services, the former can be a soft target unless demand is visibly high. In the spend and splurge years, the middle classes found books were relatively affordable compared to income, particularly when shopping on Amazon, and many people lost the library habit.”