Libraries and books
Sir: The decision of the Buckinghamshire County Library authority to buy no new novels as children's books was, it goes without saying, an outrageous one. It wasn't, in fact, the decision of the County Librarian in the first place: when instructed, along with the other departments, to cut library expenditure, he suggested cutting opening hours and closing several branch libraries. Strong local protest prevented this, so there was no option except to cut the book fund, the very thing which he had wished to avoid.
Unfortunately Buckinghamshire is not alone. When economies are required the book fund is the first target. Eventually, I suppose, public libraries will buy no new books at all.
I have a suggestion which will prevent any further cuts in the book funds of public libraries and which will also force those which have already made cuts to restore their book funds to their previous level. It entails merely a brief addition to the Public Libraries Act: the proportion of the library grant spent on books must never be less than one-third. It does not entail the spending of public money. Basically it means a return to the classic proportions of library spending: one-third books; one-third staff, one-third buildings and maintenance.
John Braine Pentons, Onslow Crescent, Woking, Surrey.
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