Why scrap service that is a lifeline to elderly?

I HAVE recently been informed that Swansea Council under a cost-cutting exercise has decided to remove the library service that delivers to members of the community that are unable to attend a library.

It so happens that a relative of mine (aunt) is one of those users. She is in her eighties and is confined to her flat, she also has poor eyesight and suffers from a number of other health-related ailments.

I know from speaking to her that she relies on the delivery of her talking books which are packed and delivered to her on a six-weekly basis.

She doesn’t get to see many people and looks forward to the contact with the person that delivers to her. She also doesn’t sleep very well and often stays up all night listening to the CDS that she receives.

I don’t understand why the council is looking to remove this service when it is clearly of great value to its users. I am from Swansea originally and know that some of the areas have an abundance of libraries and others not at all, e.g. the Gower peninsula.

In the area from Brynhyfryd to Sketty, which is around four miles, there are five libraries. The question needs to be asked, if there are savings to be made, why are there so many libraries in one area?

I would think if the council needed to save money, one or more of these libraries that are so close to each other could be considered less important than the complete removal of the delivery service.

I mean, if one of these libraries were removed then surely the people who were using it could travel less than a mile to the next one.

It seems like a hasty decision to remove such a valuable delivery service and I hope the powers that be see sense and continue to provide what is obviously a lifeline to some elderly or infirm people in the Swansea area.

JACK DAVIES via email