Do we still need libraries?
With 145 libraries shutting in the UK in the last ten years alone and many more facing closure, Anita Rani asked whether we were approaching the final chapter in the story of these beloved public spaces.
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Anita discovered what a lifeline to the community some local libraries are and what some see as the detrimental effect their closure would have on Britain's cultural landscape.
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According to some studies, more people visit libraries in this country than football matches or the cinema. But with the actual numbers of books being borrowed in sharp decline and growing availability of lowcost paperbacks in the high street and online, are libraries becoming redundant in this multimedia age?
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What do you think? Do you still use your local library? Would it matter if it disappeared from your town all together? AndÌýwhere do you stand onÌýlibrary etiquette? What's the longest you've kept a book past it's return date? Share your views.
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