Libraries being closed in the UK too...

[Hannah Bell]

Librarians in Southampton carried out a two-day strike, August 12 and 16, to oppose plans by the Conservative-led City Council to close Millbrook and Thornhill libraries and replace at least seven paid workers with volunteers this year. City councillors have also announced a reduction of £140,000 in the library budget over the next two years...

The strike follows a previous one held in June. Another was originally planned for July but was delayed after the public services union Unison took part in further negotiations. However, an overwhelming majority of the 82 Unison members voted in opposition to the new proposals and in favour of strike action. In addition, they are also refusing to train incoming voluntary staff or participate in other changes.

The cuts in Southampton are part of wider reductions in library services across Hampshire announced by the county council at the end of July that will result in the loss of 58 jobs to “save” £1.5 million. They will result in a drastically reduced quality of service, and worse, no service at all for local communities.

Opponents to the cuts have explained that the service is already chronically deprived, with one Hampshire-based author, John Pilkington, describing libraries as already “pared to the bone”.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/aug2010/libr-a19.shtml