Playgrounds of the mind

Sponge Bob Square Pants, the animated children’s Programme, does not always champion libraries. But in a recent episode there was a reference to libraries being the playgrounds for the mind.

Of course I have always thought that.

But it is odd that it should come from the mouth of a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea.

We are fortunate in Hillingdon that we have 16 branch libraries and a central library in Uxbridge town centre.

But as another sage said a while ago: ‘we must use them if we don’t want to lose them.’

The libraries, including the home library and mobile service in the borough, dispense books, CDs, large print books and internet access, a reference and local history service.

Local libraries hold literary meetings, run book sales, disseminate a great range of information about the community and run literary festivals.

Currently, 478 libraries have closed in the UK since 2010. Nearly 130 libraries have closed in the UK in 2019.

Almost 3,000 volunteers have been used to run library services. There are now 4,100 public libraries and 950 academic libraries in the UK.

The number of librarians has been cut nationwide by 8,000. Even though 107 million visits have been made to libraries.

It is probably the only place where those without mobile phones or Internet access can discharge important business like paying bills and getting helpful information on many issues crucial to their lives.

Andrew Carnegie, the great Scottish philanthropist who founded all kinds of libraries, said that: ‘ libraries are a never failing spring in the desert.’

Let us hope that in this age of Brexit uncertainty and ever more national and local government cuts that the enduring importance of libraries to our communities is upheld by new Digital Culture, Media and Sports Minister Nicky Morgan and our Hillingdon Council.

At this moment the latter group have kept faith with libraries.

If you would like to support libraries per se please access: www. librarycampaign.com