Despite being a big reader I haven't visited a public library since I left high school. I've just come across your website whilst researching a project I'm doing at work and I have to say that your site has really inspired me! I never really thought about the other services public libraries could offer and how central they are to the community. The winners from the 07 awards sound so committed and enthusiastic - brilliant! I'm going to write down the address of my nearest library and go and check it out soon...

i would love libraries more if they still had coffee shops and better opening hours

i really like libaries because i like looking at the books. when ever i go i look in the W section because i luv jaqueline wilson's books. I also look in the U secton because i like Jeanu Ure's books and also in the so little time books (mary-kate and ashley) i absouletely adore both of them but i like mary-kate more becauese she is more like me and ashley is quite girl but i still luv her. by da' way i am ... yrs old

Because I love reading and from the library I can get a lot of knowledge and improve my job skills

Actually , it's my department , I loved it so much , and I feel that the world without libraries is really nothing , because it can make our Culture :D so i hope that I can do my best to help them :D & to support my country too :D

The first time I went into a library was when I was seven years old. I just stood there like a child in a sweet shop,thrilled with the choice but not knowing where to look first. That was the start of my love of books and a library my favourite place to be. My family are now avid readers too and thanks to that we all have a good general knowledge. We read for pleasure, to be entertained, informed and enlightened. What other hobby gives so much and for free? Instead of closing down small village libraries the government should be extending them and adding more facilities.

Better opening times for working people. i.e. late nights and weekends.

Ilove libaries

I do love them, easy to use

I love books and reading. I really like the initiative: 2008 The National Year of Reading. Unfortunately in this borough, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Coubcil are shutting five libraries. I really dislike to be negative, but this is a local and national disgrace.

BEKA: you get to read loads of book from all the brilliant authors around the world. And you can use the computers. YANET: I love the books especially the Jacqueline Wilson books. And the computers are so fun I can MSN all day, but I think it is unfair that some sites are blocked. Like "ILOVEIM" I need to windows live messanger to my friends.

When I was little I used to go to the Acomb library in York. I completely loved reading, I'd take out as many books as I could, read them all, then do exactly the same on my next visit. I got a lot of stick from friends at school because I loved reading and it was seen as "uncool." But quite a few years ago I lost my library card, and I guess well somebody picked it up, because a while later I got letters saying I had overdue books. I think it's a shame somebody would take advantage of a free library like that. Well, now I'm still in love with reading, as a child I always said I wanted to be a librarian as, what a dream it is to be surrounded by a structure of your society. Especially if it contains the things you love the most. The methods of learning, socialising, finding different perspectives and perhaps just a place to find your favourite fiction books. Well, now I'm 17, in my last year of A-Levels. Hoping to apply for a job at the new Acomb library. Fingers crossed eh?

I love libraries but why does the government keep closing them?

I love libraries so much that I've designed a new board game - Bookchase® - which includes a Library Card - the 1st in the world. It is being properly launched in 2008 but sold out in Waterstone's before Christmas. Check out www.bookchase.info

The library is the greatest of all stuctures ever build by man which surpasses in magnificence not just the one of the wonders of the world but all of them! Those wonders we seldom visit or see and they remain where they are as lifeless monuments with little or no attraction whatsoever, for the passage of time has gradually erased them from our memories whereas the incomparable and everlasting premise that is called library can only be described as the most civilized achievement ever founded by man. Zestful and hospitable, filled with treasures of knowledge and so well preserved and maintained, to provide refuge and comfort to all kinds of people - specially to those whose hours are vacant of sufficient activity. England is predominantly outstanding for its libraries and deserves to be praised for such an unstoppable tradition that provides such a gigantic service to its people as well as those from abroad. Gratefulness and gratification are well deserved by those who with gentleness and politeness are contributing to the well keeping and maintenance of these buildings which contain limitless and endless works of the human mind! In my case and on my part I can sincerely and truthfully say how impressed I am and thanks to those who had the ingenuity to create them!

Libraries are the most magnificent structures that man has ever visiualized to create from the era of Alexander of Macedon to present times. A thesaurus of unaccountable treasure of knowledge and an immeasurable source of learning and understanding from the elite to the pauper! A place of refuge, pastime and enjoyment during the dull and dreary hours of winter as well as the zestful and invigorating days of summer. Thank you to all those who by their services and contribution have created an achievement of such great value...

Libraries are our streetcorner universities. Hubs of the community where you can read, learn and create. Free access to the world of literature,learning and your local community and council

My local library is a magnet to me - I just can't keep away. It provides an escape from reality - anywhere you want to go. It is also a wonderful source of information about almost any subject. And it is a great place to meet friends, enjoy a coffee and a chat (about books, of course).

Cos they have lots of nice books, my fav readers are Jacqueline Wilson and Jean Ure. Camden town libary is the best.

Libraries are an amazing places, they make the world bigger than your exerience and a big world smaller - its the way I found a friend I lost in Japan 20 years ago by reading her comment on this site

I like london libraries as they have good computer services and relatively good opening hours

Love the library. I go quite a lot for a coffee or hot chocolate while selecting some book and waiting for the train on Saturdays. My other choice would be the EXPENSIVE coffee shop (AND NO BOOKS!)

Libraries are an invaluable community resource, jam packed with fantastic material to inspire and excite people of all ages. My family and I are regular uses of our local library and my two young children love to visit and spend time there.

I love Dinnington library because not only can I choose books but the staff are very helpful. I love using the computors and for nearly two years of research have found the answer to my illness via the Internet and useful books.

because you get to read lots of books!

I love reading and libraries provide a free / cheap and easy way to read many more books for free!

Because I can find any info I want, through books, internet and tapes. Also I get a chance to read on my own.

I love libraries they're the best, you get to read your book and not only that, you can print out anything

As soon as I enter a library I feel at home. The best libraries contain a varied collection of marvellous books and I'm sure this gives them a special atmosphere. Now that I'm retired I volunteer at a hospital library in London where the variety, for such a small space, is excellent. We need libraries for ever!

I love them because I like to browse at books & borrow books to read for pleasure. I enjoy travel books & use them for planning trips. I borrow maps to use when out walking in the countryside. I've found DIY books most useful recently and medical books too, following a hospital visit. I use the computers in the library for checking the internet.

i like it beacuse i like reading great stories.

I love our little library in wall heath in the black country; the staff are so friendly and helpful, they are much more than librarians. I have chronic fatigue and often the library is the only place i can get to; its less than 5 minutes away and has been an absolute lifeline, not only providing information about my illness, but a place to go and chat to people and get out of the house for a little while. I am now heartbroken because the local council propose to close it down.They want to improve the library in the next town and make us all use that - but its a bus ride away, and i can barely make it there to shop most weeks, never mind carry four books back as well. We have a campaingn going, but its fairly small, nothing like the response they had to save the school (which they won) people who don't use the library don't seem to care about it, and don't do much to help those of us that do. i wish we could do something to stop this.

well i really love libraries because they are fun and you can here the latest band albums out and you can read loads of books and its nice place to be and when you are feeling down it cheers you up and staff and people there are kind and respectful thanks

libraries are a jewel which we should all treasure, when you can read a book you always have a friend to read in bed, or take to the beach or the park. Join you library today

Libraries are friendly places and the staff are very helpful. I can borrow books and browse the internet.

School is fun but libraries are more fun

I love my school Library

The library can broaden your mind beyond anything you've ever imagined. Sometimes I go to a section, having to research a topic on something that doesn't actually fascinate me, and after flipping through and perusing the books for a while, I end up finding ten books in that section that I want to take home.

Libraries are our thoughtful window on the world. The world would be a far duller place without them.

Urban Art - Birmingham:I have seen many of the homeless people enter the room that they use for this project and seen them come out later. They go in dejected with their lot in love and come out of the room a couple of hours elated, with real joy in their faces. They have had the joy of planning a project and seeing it come to fruition and on to being admired by, and a source of joy for the general Birmingham City Centre commuters and passers-by. Based on this result, my experience as a non-librarian I endorse the project to other City and County libraries, even extending it beyond the realms of art.

Libraries are a great place to surround yourself with learning and all those who love reading. As part of the Harry Potter fandom, the wizard rock movement play largely in libraries and I can think of no better place. Libraries are a wonderful and very appropriate place to rock it out with other Potter fans.

As a child I discovered the past, the future, places of myth, legend and pure imagination in the tiny library at the end of my road. Now, through the local library, I take my kids in the hope that they discover new worlds to enchant them.

The Get it Loud initiative at Lancaster is fantastic! All too often, young people miss out on live music, due to age restrictions, distance to travel and late night shows and Get it Loud sets this straight by bringing the most exciting new talent to Lancaster. It's friendly, it's fun and there's something really exciting about listening to great music surrounded by books! :-)

Libraries should innovate and do something special - Get It Loud should win as it gets us all talking at school. JB x

Great idea of Birmingham Central Library to put art on the wall outside, which got us into the library! Really good work and most importantly, the youngsters really felt a connection.

I think it is great that libraires are changing and listening to young people. I use my library for all purposes. When I was younger i didn't like the library much becuase I felt I had to be quiet and the staff were quite strict. Libraires are actually a fun place to be in now.

duffield library has been of great personal support to me, I sustained a head injury 5 years ago and without their patience and kind support my quality of life would have been much poorer.

I was recently in my local library (Wingerworth) and listened to a member of staff enthusiastically telling a young person about the book reading scheme....got to be good, getting children to read!

Bromley library is the best. The staff help us so much and are great. Bromley, Kent

Can't recommend Get It Loud in Libraries, up in Lancaster enough!! Really good to see a library trying to reach out to people who wouldn't normally come through the door. 10 out of 10 for recognising that a fun and positive library experience - even if that is bouncing along to a cool band - can really change peoples' minds about libraries. I've been to nearly all the gigs and it's the only place in Lancaster and the area that you can see 'known' live bands/singers, plus the prices are ridiculously reasonable and there's such a mixed bag of people. The last gig I saw was the Tiny Masters of Today and there were loads of kids (under 10s!) bouncing along happily to the music, as well as some older folk too - what better way to encourage young people that their local libraries are fun places to be and should be used.

All the birmingham libraries are fantastic; we are so lucky here that the staff are really freindly and efficiant. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to say thank you; the library is one of few places that all people really are truly welcome; there is so much for people to do; you've just got to be part of what is happening / or pick up a leaflet; it really is as simple as that. thanks...

Birmingham Central Library is sooooo awesome. It's got everything u need. Plus the staff are so dedicated. In my opinion they deserve the 1st prize for they sheer determination throughout the years that i have been visiting this library.

It's great to see and hear that children are once again gaining the rewards and benefits of reading. Rewards and benefits that you just don't get when watching TV or playing computer games. We all could do more to encourage people of all ages to read more and libraries are really helping to achieve this with help from people who really care about people

Books, books and more books! I don't like libraries that just have computers, it is the printed word that really turns me on. And not just new books! Some of my old friends are as warm and comforting when I re-read tham. And in libraries you know you are sharing your friends with others! A communal experience. I started as a child and I hope I will never stop!

Libraries are great I have borrowed books I could never afford to buy. I have done a computer course, met my local councillor and spent quiet afternoons. I have always been helped by a very pleasant cheerful and helpful staff

Get it loud should win - it's made people smile a lot of libraries.I saw mr hudson at 3 libraries last year under the project. Music in the library is COOL!!!!!!!

I think there should be more libraries like central library. It's staff and the atomosphere is so brilliant it makes u feel right at home.

I take Orson (aged 2) to Clapham Library each Friday at 10.30. We have a welcome song, then a story. We sing nursey rhymes and action songs with percussion instruments. Afterwards we choose a book for Orson to take home. I think this is a wonderful session, the staff are so good and Orson is learning to appreciate his local library. Being new to the area he also gets to meet local children, he particularly enjoys seeing the babies! How good to know that as he gets older there will be many more things to enjoy at Clapham Library.

I think Grangetown library members and staff are doing a fantastic job

Lambeth Library does a fantastic job in providing a facility to which children can go after school when they cannot return home as their parents are working. It is good to see that the library are now taking this several stages further.

Mr. Hudson and the library were brilliant. Well done, Lancaster!

My mum (age 68) started taking my daughter (Kiran) to the library when she was 2 years old. Kiran now 4 1/2 years old has read all the Oxford Tree books for beginners and many many other books. Kiran loves books, she loves reading them, listening to the stories, looking at the pictures and acting out the stories. The staff at the library (Acocks Green, Birmingham)are friendly and helpful. Kiran enjoys the whole experience of going to the library, finishing books and when completing the set books getting certificates acknowledging her achievement. Kiran starts Reception beg. of September and she can't wait to tell her new teacher about all the books she's read. Thank you for providing a wonderful service.

As a librarian desperate to engage teenagers, I am thrilled by the idea of Book Pushers and will be telling everyone i can influence what a good idea it is

Music at Lancaster is just wonderful; the library is safe and friendly, the bands are great and at 15 I can go!!

I am voting Get It Loud as it is quite a radical concept, puts libraries into peoples brains with a whacking great major chord, and wakes people up to possibilities!!

They are a wonderful interactive facility which helps all age groups. It's great to see that the libraries of today are going that 'extra mile' and providing extra services which help to engage hard to reach individuals.

I LOVE libraries, I always have. I used to visit with my mother and my two sisters every Saturday. I LOVED it – I always took and read the Thomas the Tank Engine series. I think that got me hooked from a very young age. I commute daily into work by bus so I LOVE the fact I have the opportunity to visit my local library almost every Saturday and pick up a novel to read during the week. It is a communal place and therefore a local community is formed which glints the visits with a personal touch. Visiting the library has also many other benefits. You can use computers to surf the web – whether you’re just checking emails or maybe preparing for a job interview. I also used the library extensively when doing the groundwork into setting up my own company – using marketing books, directories and library photocopier. Libraries are also a great resource for job-hunting as most stock local newspapers as well as computers / photocopiers. All-in-all the library is the quiet place of retreat where you can lock yourself away mentally and be absorbed by a great read. Whereas many leading bookstores have tie-ins with global coffee chains these days, complete with brightly lit areas, leather sofas etc, I believe that this is definitely the way forward for the modern library – if libraries were given a face-lift and more background work was done nationally to change the preconception that libraries are tarred with – being boring and quiet, then I’d be ecstatic. In this respect, I fully support the LoveLibraries and DesigningLibraries campaigns that MLA have initiated in recent years – well done.

LIBRARIES ARE ONE OF THE BEST FREE THINGS LEFT ABOUT SOCIETY. MY LOCAL LIBRARY [NEWQUAY] HAS THE MOST HELPFUL STAFF WHO ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP AND WILL ORDER ME ANYTHING I WANT. KEEP LIBRARIES OPEN IS WHAT I SAY!!!

My library in Leigh on Sea Essex is housed in an old Victorian building, in the middle of some beautiful landscaped gardens with a fantastic view of the Thames. The perfect environment to settle down with a good book or go online for some information.

You're always sure of finding something intersting and thought-provoking. No-one bothers you, you can take as long as you want, and best of all - it's free !

i know our library is the best becases i know most of the staff at Lancaster they are the best

i think that grangetown library is the best library in the world and i have been to Spain Library aswell as Redcar & Cleveland Library. I hope they win the love libraries competition becuase i will be soooooo happy please everyone VOTE GRANGETOWN --- CLUBS--youth forum , reading group, fashoinable , gardening group , mag group , knitting club and many many many more please vote GRANGETOWN LIBRARY they ARE the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Information every where and it is all accessible and free!

libraries are such a great help

I love my library because it is the only place on this planet where I feel totally at peace. It is another world with many other little worlds all connected, all worth landing on, all worth spending time in, they are called books. I wish I could remain there forever.

LIBRARIES HELP PEOPLE TO LEARN

I love my local library for many reasons: As a place of reference to look up items. I do have a computer but for me a book is so much more usewr friendly. To find something enjoyable to read - fiction and non-fiction. Somewhere to take my grandchildren to look at books and just enjoy the environment or for them to take part in one of the many activities the librarians put on for the children.

Libraries have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. In fact, I loved them so much that I qualified as a librarian after I left school and am still a member of CILIP even though I now earn my living as a writer. I still love libraries, however, and use them for research for my novels as well as for just browsing around and trying out new authors - and I was delighted to be able to use the library in my home town of Morley to launch my latest novel on Valentine's Day this year.

I wish to nominate the all the staff at Buntingford library in Hertfordshire as TOP TEN LIBRARIANS. They are extremely helpfull and understanding to my sons special needs(he has Autism). They are wonderful ladies and deserve recognition. They go out of their way to help him. We are regular library users at least 3 times a week. They go beyond the call of duty to help my son, which in turn makes my life easier.

Because libraries are the place where the real love starts. So we must encourage libraries to open more branches and to be available every where.

I think that public libraries are brilliant institutions worth keeping because they provide a service to all from cradle to grave. Anything the enquirer wants within reason is possible. Most of the library services are free and often it is the first point for anything to read or to do or to find straight information without any bias. Keep the good work and hope that central government puts in more money in these types of flagship services.

I love libraries! They are cool because you can go on the internet, borrow books for free, and buy things. I love learning things from the books I read.

I think libraries are frankly the best thing taxes offer. I am fifteen and I know there are doctors and dentist and whatever... But these aren't interesting!!! i can get practically ANYTHING i want to read from bead making projects, to cooking, drawing, yoga, languagues or just plain fiction books, which keep up with what comes out in book shops very well!!! I hope libraries are never cut off. They are formed from an amazing idea which does not disappoint. One of the few good 'free' facilites left! :)

I love books right now, my daughter is reading the pirates of pompei and it seems like I can't seperate them!

I love libraries and have since developed a love of books from a tender age. But it's not just books that are on offer - audio books, CD's, DVD's, maps, exhibitions, internet access, careers advice - it's a wealth of information that is avaialble virtually free. I think they are a sadly under used facility and therefore a prime target for a reduction in service due to government cuts in spending.

I love libraries, even though I am "old." There are new titles and tunes, new formats and friendships.

I love libraries as you have so many books to read, so much knowledge ready for you to absorb, and you can have a good old read without having to carry the books home. Libraries are great!!

I love the way books give you so much description and it feels like you are there.

Get It Loud in Libraries, the award winning project designed to attract new users into the library space through great live music after hours, has a new website. www.myspace.com/getitloudinlibraries has all the latest news and info re the forthcoming shows at Lancaster Library.

i love books and the way they take you places

I love libraries, because I like to read the daily newspapers there as well as using the free computers.

I just want to say how great Bromley Central Library is to visit. There are so many new books and the staff are very helpful.

I volunteer at Calderdale Libraries and run 3 Readers' Groups. I was plotting a "Rescue Libraries" campaign on a back to books theme, before finding the Love Libraries Campaign! Remember when we used to have Lending Libraries? It was all about books, reading, story-telling, children and adults reading together, holding actual books, talking to librarians, having a ticket (that precious ticket making you a member of an enormous group of readers). Readers need writers, publishers, poets, performance writers to be part of the library world. Love Libraries is wonderful!!!

I'm a librarian at Pakistan School of Fashion Design, Lahore, Pakistan. I tkink that libraries are the mirror of history. I love libraries because they preserve knowledge and history of nations for the future gentrations. It means they link our past with our present and future. Libraries tell us what did our forefathers and will tell our future gentration that what have done by us.

I'm a 23 year old librarian and I think this campaign is great. I was at the Northern Childrens Book Festiaval yesterday and saw people wearing your T-shirts. We also have your cool stickers designed by kids to give out in our library. I definitley think younger people need to help other younger mebers of the public to take an active interest in their local libraries, as there is a distinct lack of young people using libraries for the right reasons. I hope that seeing younger than 'the stereotype librarians' working in libraries will help break the other stereotype most younger people have that libraries are boring and for old people.

I love libraries because i find it interesting and enjoyable. Furthermore, it is an excellent source of information.

I love my library though I am sorry to see it is not on the list. It is Leigh on Sea in Broadway West and is housed in an architecturally old building. It has a warm friendly atmosphere, and a great set of gardens. It also has a great area for children upstairs where they can chill out. I just love books full stop! and I have just renewed my library book on line which means no last minute panic when it is due for renewal.

I love libraries. on evey saturday i was go to the libary.

I think the library has got so much better these past couple of years, the range of books available is fantastic, I've always been a great lover of books and love going to the library, my local library is fantastic but they are not enough seating areas to just sit, relax and read a book and thats the only thing that lets our library down!

I joined my local library when i was 5 years old and am now 63, I think library's are great.

Grimsby library is ace. They always help me. I like Denise best

it is good to have libraries beuause we can lean thank you

Libraries are magic spaces, and as yet one of the last places where you can go without someone trying to sell you something! It is important to keep the staff, rather than make them into souless self-service with no human element. Many people would have no other human contact, staff in supermarkets are pushed to serve faster and faster- it is bad for both customer and staff- keep libraries human!

I work in a library, read for pleasure and for study purposes.As a teenager I helped out my neighbour who was the local children's librarian. I took my children to storytimes. How my life would have been so different without them!

I love libraries because they are a world of worlds.

Thought I could renew my books on line but can't find link. Is there a special web address? Please let me know and make it more obvious to others.

NUNSTHORPE LIBARY RULES OK

i like the computers at my library but i think they could improve i mean libraries in the sandwell borough which is in the west midlands sandwell near birmingham longer opening hours

I love my library because I am librarian and I love working with readers, besides it gives me money as well...

Well done on the new nunsthorpe library I like it, it feels friendlier and safer than the old one. great new books as well

I love libraries because, in an age where bookshops are becoming superfluous because people are increasingly buying books over the internet, we need somewhere to go to look at books.

I THINK THE LIBRARY IS COOL BECAUSE YOU LEARN AND HAVE LOADS TO CHOOSE OUT OF TO DO

I love the libary because it is differnt to your home in the libray there are lots fun good books, friendly staff and it is comfortable for childeren. I LOVE THE LIBARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Northampton "Chronicle and Echo" reports that there has been a 16 per cent drop in the number of 12-15 year olds who borrow books in the county, a nine 9. cent drop among younger children and the number of adults borrowing has fallen by 14 per cent. Northamptonshire's County Councillors who don't love libraries cut opening hours substantially and increased children's fines this year.

they are u good

My library, Scartho, is great, but they could do with some more books. Also, they are not that easy to find, for example, there are not as many signs to tell me where to look as I would like. The staff are very friendly, though.

Libraries nowadays are full of information, they upgrade our socio-economic-and political view of global vision by overwhelming us through Books, Documents, Pictures etc

Whilst I commend you on using retail bookselling skills to promote libraries stock, it would be remiss to point out that bookshops could benefit from some diversity training from libraries. Stockholding bookshops do not sell cover-to-cover, large print, community languages, or have much in the way of foreign languages [unless they are academic shops]. As their wages are so low, they do not reflect the age, class and BME diversity of our society. Above all, bookshops serve the needs of the middle sectors of society, not the most excluded. [They are generally save places for women and LGBT workers though]

I love libraries because I love to learn new things everyday and being busy. I also get to use free internet computers, do some research and read great books to enlighten myself and to my stimulate my mind from daily stress. Dj Ola

I lived in Lancaster for a year in the 1990s. Joining the local library, and reading the books there, helped me feel comfortable in a new country. Thanks!

Vast number of books to choose from & a great service for getting books from other libraries. Free use of a computer - good for people who haven't got the money or the room for one at home. I feel sorry for people who haven't access to a library - my London friend's local library was closed!

If you love libraries and love great modern pop music and live in the North of England, then October will be an exciting month for you. Mr Hudson and The Library, a great new band are playing in Lancaster, Accrington, Chester, Sunderland, Edinburgh and Blacburn libraries.This chap will soon be massive but wants to play the library circuit first. See www.myspace.com/mrhudson for full library details.

A library is one of the assets of any town. How empty is Hockley, Essex, when it is closed. The staff could not be more pleasant and helpful and it is such a pleasure to wander in at any time to browse the book selection or use the PC, have a chat and a laugh with the staff or other regulars. What more can one say? We must all ensure our libraries are well used and defend them against closure by the authorities on the grounds of cost.

my local libary in glossop is great, for just a small town it offers a wide choice of books, cds dvd etc and the activities that go on for ages of children is wonderful at a time when it needed ie after school in holidays. I feel that the fact their have a book of the month for children and adults on display with reccomdeations from people who read the book ie the general public of that area is great and the fact there at least four copies of that book is also womderful. The sam is true of cds and dvd\'s as well as computer games, all of which encourages children and young people to use the libary which in my opinion is after there to getting children back into libaries and take away the idea of it being a place that is for nerds or swots or the old and is only full of books and nothing of interest to or average child. I have seen more and more children going into the libary because of the last dvd is out, and some then go on to look at what else is on offer. It is not a place where children are told to be quite but a place where children are encouraged to explore. On top of all this my libary offers a very good resevation service, doesn\'t take long for a book to come and they have even bought books, that haven\'t been available, and phone to tell it had arrived all within a month!, as well as access over the internet to resevre books and renew books, and for thos who don\'t have a computer or just don\'t like then a telephone service that is open to 8pm weekend days with people at the end of the phone and not some automated machine. What could you ask for , well the staff are wonderful, even when it\'s nearly seven on friday night, and i come in to get a cd, book etc, always smiles

I have loved libraries since a child when we couldn't afford books. I think they open up a whole new world to you,and get excited by all the interesting topics covered. I'm sure it gave me a good sounding inEnglish and letter writing. I also love the atmosphere.

I regulary use the library in Stafford. I find that the customer service is excellent. The staff are exceptionally helpful and polite. When I have ordered books via the internet, they have arrived promptly. This sort of service should be available at all libraries!

I love libraries because they offer you free books to read and there are reading challanges during the summer holidays. The libary that is the closest to me is on my street so i regulary use it. I use it to get books to read, To get information books to help with my homework at school or to get leaflets and bus time tables all my friends have a library card. I thimk everybody should have a libary card after all they are free

In an attempt to follow consultancy led government guidelines to improve the service, the libraries have fallen from an excellent lending facility of 30 years ago to a populist delivery shell. Why do you close libraries at lunch time? Much better to finance the dinner hour than needlessly equip lower management with expensive and superfluous office furniture. Also the need for excesive inter branch travel and expenses incurred warrant a re re-think, it\'s surprising how much money could be saved. Looking at a plus side of the refurbishment of Middlesbrough central library, the benefit for all visitors, is that it dealt with the removal of the lethal asbestos and who knows what else?

I regularly use two libraries. Northampton Central and Hunsbury branch library. The staff at Central's local studies section have helped me a lot in my research for my Masters Degree which is greatly appreciated, and they also put on a good variety of well run activities for children over the school holidays which my kids always enjoy attending. Hunsbury Branch is a much more modern building which makes you feel like spending time there browsing. The choice of books is good and the staff helpful. Again there is often an activity for my kids during the holidays and theses are always good fun.

Loved your story by Eva Ibbotson in The Week. And I love libraries because I can choose to read what I want rather than watching what someone chooses to broadcast on TV. And I love the way you can book in an out using a scanner. What I don't like is the attitude of a lot of library staff: not friendly or helpful; make you feel that you are interrupting what they are doing, and do not smile. PLEASE send out an order to them all reminding them to smile, and that the waiting customer comes first.

My local branch library on Thorntree has been a most invaluable resource in using the computors in accessing data for research into my family history. The staff are most helpful and give a pleasent welcome.

I think it's important for libraries to move forward and attract new readers but I hope in that shift those of us who love libraries as a place for quiet work, contemplation and study will not be forgotten

Love the idea of the campaign - just don't forget to stock the libraries with BOOKS ... the most important function of the library!!

My local library is Darwen libarary. The building is lovely and the staff are great! If i were to add up how much money i've saved on books and dvds i am sure it would be touching £500.

I love libraries because they are a treasure chest of opportunity themselves - and that is just the beginning of the journey that books enable through sharing ideas, experiences and aspirations. And the sharing goes on from there to be about connecting with people through the joy of what has been absorbed, through an improved understanding and the often urgent need to share something of this with another.

My local library is the Battersea Library in Lavender Hill. I love going to the library for some peace and quiet from the stresses of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and work. I can relax, read the newspaper, browse the DVDs, go on the internet, check out what authors my kids could be reading, take out books (of course, go the music library and take out CDs. It would be nice if there could be a coffee shop attached just to make it a perfect day out!

I love libaries because there are lots of graet books to read so thats why I come to the libary EVERY day.

I love libaries because there are lots of graet books to read so thats why I come to the libary EVERY day.Its great and fun plus you get to borgrow dvds and cassetes, also you get to colour in. You can read in comfortable places or at home.The libaries a great place to be when you are bored.

Frimley Green in Surrey is my local library and it is absolutely wonderful! Maxine the Manager works extremely hard to organise all sorts of activities including both adult and teen reading groups, coffee mornings, fetes, story reading and craft activities for children, quizzes etc. It is a huge asset to the local community and a really relaxing place to choose or read books, use the computer or come for a chat. Well done to all the team!

I love my libraries i visit all of them at some point during the month in Harrow they are a treasure i take out on average 6 books a fortnight sometimes more! Books stimulate the imagination and i encourage my children to get books out rather than sit in front of the tv or pc screen use them or lose them i say. Try it turn off the tv and sit and read a good book take control of your life !

Nice site!

Why is Love Libraries only concerned with English libraries? Are the celebrities involved in supporting all UK libraries? What about Welsh, and Scottish libraries? Also are you doing anything to support campaigns to keep libraries open?

I love the new look to Richmond library but WHY OH WHY could you not have put air conditioning into the building...I realise you have a budget - but really its pretty nasty in there with this heat...come on Richmond Council - stump up some money to make this venue a great place for all to come in ALL weather!

Why not have a section for Old Librarians of Now who have made a huge contribution in the face of very difficult resource challenges in creating new and exciting library spaces and services. Love Libraries should celebrate the best of people and services and celebrate generously across the whole country.

I love libraries because it have many books and I can learn a lots of things

Hi i just want to say that i love higate library all i want is if they can have a water machine because i get really hot. And as well my cousin needs a drink. please help us. make it free so that u don't have to pay.Higate library is the best best best best best best best!!!

i think libraries could do better specaily libraries in staffordshire which should have better opening hours

Kay, if you go to www.goodlibraryguide.com/blog/ and contact me through that we will try to do what we can to help approach your local council.

My local paper has today announced plans for a £1m+ revamp of the local library. This is wonderful news for those of us who find the current set up tired, dark and gloomy but the press article prioritises IT resources and customer service resources (what ever they are) and there is barely a mention about books. It will be interesting to watch the paper's letters page of the next few editions to see how local rate payers react to the spend. I feel that I will need to defend the service from those who feel the dosh could be better spent elsewhere.

It puts out the message that you should move south. The north is too far away.

why is there yet again the usual emphasis on the south of england? all three renovated libraries could not be much further south if you tried. almost all of the librarians of the future are predictably from the south of england. does the message this sends out to the rest of the country not even occur to you?

i love librarys because they always have the books i need. if they werent invented then i would be very sad

Richmond is inspiring - I just wish Winchester could have been improved in this way, rather than wishing on us a \"Discovery Centre\" the people of the city don\'t want and is simply a prestige jaunt for service leaders

i really love computers

I have used libraries since I was old enough to join. Now eighty-two years of age, with my wife I lead a Theatre & Literature Group in U3A We have an excellent relationship with our local library and our group read and discuss at least ten books each year. Our local library seems always busy and we are puzzled to hear so much talk about Counties closing their libraries.

I'm at home at the moment with a young baby, and going to the library is a fantastic way to get out, meet other people, and all for free! In the last fortnight I have used the learning centre, gone to 'Rhyme Time' with my baby and of course done the old-fashioned thing and borrowed some books for me and my baby. I love my library! (Swiss Cottage)

i do not love libraires though i work in one

Entering the library door whether I am in New York, Seattle, London or Goteborg is like entering Narnia. The ability to leave materialism behind in exchange for a book, and not any book but one that others have read and will read after you. The feeling of shared passion when opening the front page and seeing the repeated stamp mark..a testament to our love of words. Community and creativity are all the more special when acquired away from the bookstore.

Some of my first memories are of my Dad taking me to our local library on a Saturday. I loved the feeling of walking out with an armful of books. After 6 years working in a bookshop I now work in a library, and feel like I have "come home"!

It would be nice if the libraries could stock more classical literature. Croydon Library has a very limited supply of Russian and French Novels (the English Translated ones).

Libraries are the antidote to consumerism. You learn the value of sharing, of taking care of things so that other people can use them. It is a delight to take out books or CDs or movies, or do research, for free. Where else in life do you get so much for so little?

I have been using libraries since I was five and now teach Secondary English.

Our community - unsuccessfully - tried to save a library in Inverclyde in 2004. Inverclyde Council decided to close the library, which had been in the East End of Greenock for almost 70 years, for cost-cutting reasons; it subsequently transpired that local authority financing was far from exact. We engaged with SLAINTE, but they were useless - token body without much bite. To date we have one second-hasnd bookshop in the local authority - which has 1/4 adult literacy problems - and one 'Bargain Books' shop.

am a nomad - so wherever I go I always home in on the local library - this gives me a sense of belonging immediately and of course the wealth of books - cannot be without one. I feel somewhat saddened that technology is overtaking the personal touch - checking in/out books - a great pity to lose that - the library really is the poorer. I have always previously enjoyed the contact with the librarians - and appreciated their knowledge and help. We do have a cafe and also the library is open on a Sunday - they do a great job.

I felt I had to say what a wonderful transformation this is. It has always been a pleasure to visit my local library in Richmond. With friendly, patient and very helpful staff (they have been my saviour on numerous ocassions when I have needed information and advice at very short notice),it is now my perfect haven. With light open spaces, wonderful new books and newspapers to read. Love Libraries/Love Staff - they compliment each other perfectly and are a credit to the service. Thank you for creating such a wonderful library.

A wonderful breath of fresh air. So welcoming and friendly!

30 years ago, my library first introduced me to the world of classical music (scores and LPs). 30 years later, I have studied music and earned a living from it. I am still a member of numerous libraries and (although a very slow reader) I have had a book or two on the go probably ever since.

Lovely sense of space, excellent computer area - great idea for the coffee section, best of luck.

What a fantastic space! Wishing you great success.

It looks so much more spacious, lots of new books.

Fresh, bright, light and airy. Love the feel of the computer area and "Today's Specials" and "New Books".

They stimulate the imagination and let you take a magic carpet ride to other worlds.

Brilliant! Great use of space. Fantastic having the cafe idea.

Love the new look and fab new selection of books.

Fantastic! Well done!

The new library is much better than the old one. It will be a pleasure to use the new library.

At Last! Library extraordinaire! Lovely layout.

Delighted to see the improvements - and you had the very book I needed.

I do appreciate the magazines & newspapers and the welcoming light and cheerful atmosphere.

I love the focus on reading. The books are so easily available and the library is very welcoming.

Lovely new library, very spacious - a pleasure to visit.

I am part of the West Wycombe Library Action Group, a community group formed in response to Buckinghamshire County Council withdrawing funding for our library (and 7 others) in buckinghamshire from August 31st. We are currently working towards a plan for the community running of our village library (about £15 thou anually) previously. I am excited to hear about any pro-library campaigns and am wondering if there is anyway we could get in touch with some advice/information from anyone involved in this campaign. Many Thanks gemma. gemmaelizabethrogers@yahoo.co.uk

Love the different zones , &sofas and chairs ... As always your staff are friendly , go the extra mile and make me feel welcome ;not a nuisance for asking for information and help

worth the wait -love the increased music section and the cafe

very refreshing -especially liked the way both discusssipns for children and adults are presented .this is very positive as it highlights that everyone is getting a choice to be engaged .

Much more relaxing and inviting nice to have a drink as well .well done

complete transformed -bright light and airy with books very much at the forefront .well done

Very impressed

A breath of fresh air! Lots of great new books. Yippee!

The library looks great and well presented and much easier to get in and move around. WELL DONE

WOW! We love it, so light and cheery and so much more space. Love the kids area especially. Well done!

Absolutely brilliant! Better than most libraries I've been in.

Looks fabulous - fresh, bright and new. New books are great too. Looking forward to coming back!

Fabulous as ever. New library brill! Staff excellent, service with a smile, books superb. Thank You!

What a marvelous transformation. Very well done. A pleasure to come in.

I think the transformation is brilliant! If this is the yardstick - the rest of the country is in for a treat!

I love my local library in Strood in Kent. The range of books is fantastic for such a small library and they always have little books displays for you to browse if you are not sure what book you want to read next. The staff are lovely too. I love my local library and often enthuse about it to all I know - so much so that they think that I am a bit wierd!

I had never really used a libraries facilities before I moved to St. Pauls Cray. St. Pauls Cray library is wonderful for its size and the librarians are always so helpful even when they are rushed off their feet. I use the library at least twice a week with my 3 year old daughter. It should be commended!

We have a wonderfull libarary at Frimley Green and a wonderfull librarian to go with it.We also have Friends of the Libarary who work very hard on our behalf.Add a lovely tranquil garden and who could ask for more

i think libraries are great but we need to have more of them. also they should get more manga books and a wider range of books.

Over ten years ago the MLA estimated that it would cost £650 million to bring the fabric and interiors of our libraries up to scratch. These costs have risen substantially and the Love Libraries activities prove the point. Cosmetic treatment to Richmnond library cost £90,000. Applying this figure to the rest of the UK would mean finding nearly £400,000,000 for interiors alone. This is a very big number which library authorities will be unable to meet without substantial government assistance. Come on Tessa Jowell! Come on Hugo Swire! Let\'s see more money and less mouth.

Swindon Central Library was a disgrace. Housed in 4 or 5 portakabins for some 40 years, there was little scope for anything much. There is nothing wrong with the stock, although perhaps there could be more of it, but I was one of very few among my friends and acquaintances who used the place. Now the library has moved to temporary accommodation and already there is light and space. We are getting a new building in the centre of our town and about time too. I think libraries are important in our towns and cities. They need to be more amenable and pleasant. Get the citizens in and get them borrowing. I think we all ought to consider how the spaces in libraries could be used too. Surely, it's not just about borrowing and reading.

Improving just three libraries is not tackling the real issues facing the public library service. My local authority is stuggling to provide an adequate service as a result of budget cuts and high overhead costs. For example, the book stocks in the lending library have been reduced by 20% in the past five years.

* more spacious * easier to look at * looks more fresh books

what a fantastic space .Wishing you great success

lovely sense of space , excellent computer area -great idea for the coffee section -best of luck !

the library looks fantastic much more spacious

What a transformation! This has been a great day for libraries and a great day for Northfleet. New stock, new layout, new furniture and the wonderful Reading Garden. All local people should beat a path to Coldharbour's door and see for themselves.

I love libraries because they don't just have books, but CDS, DVDs, games as well as internet access. You don't have to buy the books - so it's cheaper!

The new library is modern, bright and the children's area is lovely. The garden area is lovely.

I love the light! It's so welcoming and airy. I like the outdoor area too.

The space and light are very nice. Big 'thumbs up'!

I love libraries because they give me access to lots and lots of books. I can always find out what I wnt from books, computers or librarians. They're also free! And they run book groups!

I love libraries because I just love books. They're terrific if you want a book from somewhere else and the staff are so helpful and friendly. The new library is really great!

I've always found the library a great place for relaxation and very welcoming. I've always looked forward to visiting the library - it's an event for me and my family.

The choice of books is really good. My little girl loves them and enjoys rhyme time. I've also met other mothers here.

I love the reading chairs and reading garden!

The new library is so bright and open and airy. The atmosphere's very soothing.

Richmond Library "brilliant great use of space and love the cafe idea"

Richmond library "it's much better and the people working in this library are so profesional so helpful

the library looks dazzling and spacious . Well Done

FANTASTIC ! WELL DONE

"it's a marvellous thing you have doen here . congratulations to the library team . I'm sure it will re inforce the library wonderful family atmosphere

"fresh bright , light airy .Love the feel of the computer area and todays specilas and New books

I found the new open library very friendly and nice and with a lovely atmosphere and also very enjoyable for children

FANTASTIC ! WELL DONE

It's the one thing I like spending my council tax on !

Richmond library "its a very nice nad pleasent change and children are enjoying the change a lot

"it looks so much more spacious ,lots of new books

Great new library , which combined with it's existing family atmosphere will be an example to libraries every where

love the new modern layout i am now worried i wont be able to get into my favourite library. good job

Battersea Park Library is a model for libraries everywhere. Bright and cheerful, with helpful friendly librarians it is a pleasure to belong to it.

I was born to parents who were librarians, so I've grown up in, worked in and studied in libraries. The Public Library system of the UK is one of our great national treasures. Not to fund it properly, would be a national disaster. Beware the siren voices that preach that the Internet shall rule the earth. Electronic media change standards seemingly as fast as viruses mutate. In a few years time, we shall all need to discover a Rosetta stone to read our own electronic history. That slowly evolving medium, the book,is and will remain, worth its weight in gold.

I think Library Reading Groups are a great idea. They beat book clubs in smelly pubs anyway. I think it would be a very sad day if libraries were to close - they are not just great places to go and browse, choose a weekly book and relax but they are also Great Learning Institutions!!

My first visit to a library was the Long Blondes concert at Lancster Library-really, really good!

Northamptonshire County Council has admitted that after cuts made in opening hours use of libraries will fall by 24 per cent, the time taken to order a book will be longer and and the number of children taking part in out-of-school activities is expected to fall.

I was an only child from a strict single parent home with very few books and not a lot of fun. Discovering the local library with all its free books which I could actually take home and replenish at will opened up my life.

The library I work at is fab! We have a very mixed, caring community. We host at least 12 'classes' a week Mostly IT based but including Yoga! We are well loved and very well used - there is a strong feel of 'belonging' to the community and NOT just another faceless council building - we really are much more than books.

I love librabries because the stock various types of book from fiction through Non-fiction.

I work as Volunteer Manager for the West Suffolk Voluntary Association for the Blind and have been working with Suffolk Libraries in general, and MaryAnne Robinson in particular, to set up Reading Groups for Visually Impaired People using books from Calibre. We have two Groups so far and they are being a great success for people who are often isolated. They really make a difference.

I have belonged to the local library since a very small child. It's the excitement of never quite knowing which book you will choose. our local library, Grant Thorald in Grimsby has excellent staff Rob, Moira & all he others, who are always polite, helpfull & friendly, which make it a pleasure to visit. Long may it last. I couldn't be without the use of the library service as I couldn't afford to buy all the books!

I've belonged to libraries since I could read. As a child visits to the library were always a highlight of my week. Whenever I've moved to a new area I've always joined my local library as soon as possible. At the moment I belong to 4 different libraries - I'm a library-holic, addicted to the pleasure of never quite knowing what I'm going to find on the shelves. The quality of my life would be dramatically reduced if we did not have a free library service - I'm an avid reader and simply could not afford to buy all the books I get through, 2 or 3 a week.

I am a single mom and live in Shirley, Solihull. I love my local library, more so for my 5 year old son. Every 6 weeks I renew his books and it saves me a fortune in paying out for new books. Every night at bedtime we sit together and enjoy a story - we've done this since he was a baby. I even find time to pick out a gem of a book for myself - I love to escape into someone else's world for a while.

I live in Norwich. The libraries are wonderful. The people who work in them are wonderful. The ladies at St William's Way are extra wonderful. The loss of this service would only compare with the loss of the BBC. They must be valued and treasured for the gems that they are.

Just read about the issues with Libraries on the BBCs news website. For me libraries are never open when I need them to be. I'm at work, they're open. I finish work, they're shut (defintely the small local ones). Plus when they are open the book is at some other library in the county. I suggest that libraries get together all their stock (scrap council boundaries) and adopt the rent-by-post-dvd model that screenselect and co use. This is great, it has a good search engine to find what you're looking for. Then you pick your choices and, when available, they post it to you. Once you're done you post it back. Now I know people will say what about the postal costs? I'd be happy to pay a reduced postal cost or even a small monthly subscripton. Let's face it, once e-Book readers are good enough and cheap enough the next generation will be reading books using them and the physical book will be redundant. So it makes sense to start a web service that can move from physical books to e-books when the time is right.

Surely the fact that you are posting comments on the internet, rather than on a library noticeboard, should give you a clue that libraries need to move with the times. No they should not get rid of the books, but they should not bring in other activities to the detriment of their core activity, i.e. as a place of learning & lending. My children love borrowing new books from the library but they also love to go for group activities, such as rhythm time (singing & rhymes) and story telling. They also love playing with the cat that spends a lot of time in our local library.

I have really appreciated the free internet access at my local library, but equally I despair of the narrow range of books available. Most of the library is taken up by the fiction section, where most of the books are outdated. It would be nice to be able to find some books I can use for my homework every now and again.

In reply to Dick Turpin's posting of 1 June 2006. No such decision has been made to close 12 libraries in Devon. The Council is currently carrying out a full review of the service to establish what people use and want libraries for, and how we can best meet those needs. The initial analysis which was carried out to pinpoint the 12 libraries whose futures are specifically under consideration used the following criteria: Community Need The aim was to provide a reasonable assessment of the extent to which each library catchment area was “disadvantaged” using the following indicators: *Social deprivation (Overall IMD 2000 Index of Multiple Deprivation) 2000 – as background see also http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1128450 http://www.odpm.gov.uk/pub/453/MethodologyforanindexofmultipledeprivationreportforformalconsultationPDF251Kb_id1128453.pdf *Geographical access to services *Public transport index - based on availability of public transport to parishes within each library catchment area (from LTP – Local Transport Plan) *Isolation index - based on the number of other libraries within 10km and 20 km of each library Usage level The usage level indicators were:  Issues per opening hour  Visits per opening hour  Enquiries per opening hour Based on library performance data from 1999 to 2002/03 (the last complete and validated year at the time of the evaluation), the % change in each of these indicators over the previous three years. Final results Other factors taken into account:  The need to address forthcoming requirements in the future new communities eg Cranbrook in East Devon, affecting Clyst Vale  Previous commitments already made to improving library buildings  Alternative improved premises being sought in town centres ie Cullompton I hope this clarifies the issue and would urge all LoveLibraries readers living in Devon to take part in the consultation at http://www.devon.gov.uk/index/culturetourism/libraries/libraryconsultation2006.htm

I agree totally with what Amanda said below. I know of a library that has tried to move away from 'books' and I was not impressed with this library at all (I shall not name and shame the location but it is NOT in the London area). I am very concerned for our future generation, as the way things are going libraries will be full of internet terminals and nothing else. By the way I really do love this website. There should be a blog on it, that would be good.

I am passionate about reading and about libraries, but want to weep when I go into my local library which has been 'made over' into a Discovery Centre (the first of many, I understand). Yes, it's bright and cheerful-looking, and yes, it has a range of facilities such as cafe, internet terminals, Playstation rental, hip-hop classes, children's story-area and so on, but these facilities have been carved out of the space, and out of the budget, for books. The book collection is woefully inadequate - but all the Council care about is the number of people through the door, not what they do when they are inside. In attempting to attract the non-literate (they now need a security guard to control the excesses of some of their customers), they have alienated the literate. This is not inclusiveness, this is just swapping one set of customers for another. Taking away the books in order to provide a 'non-stuffy' environment will not help increase literacy and a love of reading - and ultimately, this is surely what libraries should be about.

I think Book Clubs held in libraries would be a very good idea. This would encourage people to use the libraries more. There could be a room set aside for this or it could be held after the library closed (or ideally on a Sunday). I have attended many book clubs, recently, which are usually all held in 'smelly pubs'. However, as books and people who like books usually prefer a nice quiet enviornment then a library would be more suitable.

How much does David get paid then? And John? Do they work for the Love Libraries team? I thought the idea was to listen to what people thought, not to tell them off for thinking it.

Libraries are wonderful! I use my local library regularly, and have done for as long as I can remember. When my kids were younger, we used to borrow hundreds of books, to their enormous benefit. It's tremendous to have available such variety and quality. Now retired, I still have access to a range and quality of books that would be beyond my means to buy. This enhances my life enormously.

PS: Really loved how Karen Christensen's comment plugged the titles to three of her books before she'd even started. Shameless.

Bravo David! Whilst I think it should be noted that you may well like to check your own typos everything else you said was spot on. Libraries suffer because they are poorly funded, the staff included. Somehow they do a great job of making the place relevant and exciting. Well done David for flagging this up and also bravo for dealing with Mr. Brandler's narrow-sighted, rather trivial way of looking at things.

I think the online ordering facility at Croydon Library is excellent. I have used this on a number of occasions to order my books. At any time of the day or night you can find out if a book is in stock and you can just collect it when it is convenient.

Regarding Mr John Brandler's comments posted on the fifth of June. Od dear, oh dear... this comment was so banal and down right silly that I felt I just had to reply. Firstly may I suggest that a little time spent in his local library may do him the world of good judging by the poor quality of his spelling and grammar. I believe the dewey number for books on improving your writing should be in the 800s somewhere. Secondly I do find these "grumpy old men" style comments a little tiresome. Mr Brandler retells a story that itself was already a secondary source involving the poor treatment of his grandchidlren. Whilst the library may not have done all it could, to come to the conclusion that library standards are in freefall based upon one second-hand tale of woe seems a little pessimistic to say the least. I once ate a rotten apple. It didn't mean that I gave up eating. Thirdly, the attack on library staff. One bad egg means all librarians are over-payed, puffed up pariahs of literary doom does it? No, not really. Mr Brandler should check his facts before making ill-informed comments on the cushy, utopian lifestyle library staff have. Every academic study carried out over the last ten years has pointed to the low-pay and poor career progression offered in this area of work. Most Library Assistants earn little more than minimum wage, work long weeks, and don't get proper compensation for evening/weekend work. Mr Brandler will undoubtedly find that across most councils library assistants are on the lowest pay grade of the institution. This is certainly the case in my local council of Lancashire. Finally Mr. Brandler drags up the age old adage that things aren't what they used to be. I'm sure he also thinks this is the case with music, film, television et al. Again a terrible symptom of the "grumpy old man" complex. I have used libraries my whole life, academic and public, across many counties and know this to be an out and out lie. They offer so much more than they used to, for example free IT use, cheap music and film hire to name but a few. The ironic thing with libraries is that whilst their budgets have been squeezed and the buildings have rotted due to neglect, the entire mantra of why libraries should and DO exist has only strengthened. They are universities for the everyman. How sad that Mr. Bradler will probably accept none of this. Libraries and their staff are far from perfect, I am honest enough to admit that. However, to denegrate an entire institution and what it stands for on the back of one bad example and a hazy, lazy recollection of yesteryear is scandalous, wrong and downright silly.

I just adore reading, and love my local library in Gillingham Kent.It has just had an amazing refurb;. With help from the friendly staff, I always manage to find a " good read.

I use two or three libraries in East Sussex; I can usually find the books I want easily thanks to a search facility that is open to the internet, and book them for a small fee. The facilities are great. I am an avid reader but can't afford to buy all the books I want, so the libraries have been a great benefit to me.

The Hayes Library is one of the most friendly and helpful libraries in the Bromley area. The staff are extremely pleasant and unfailingly willing to assist with any queries which may arise.

I'm a children's librarian from the United States and I think your campaign for improving the overall physical appearance of local public libraries is a wonderful idea. The logo and slogan "Love Libraries" is quite catchy.

i like are libery because it is not to crouded all of the time and all the people who work there are nice an all ways carme not nasty to us but some othere libraries are nusty so that is what i like them all for kk coll dod

Glenfield Library Lovely helpful and friendly staff, nice cool surroundings, easy to use

Anyone who cares about libraries should take a look at Tim Coates's ideas for making them better at www.goodlibraryguide.com/blog.

I'm an author (Rachel's Roses, The Armchair Environmentalist, and more) and I love libraries. I'm saddened and bewildered, though, by the reports of closings and mismanagement that are being so widely discussed. Every community deserves a library, and with proper management I'm sure they can have a thriving one. By the way, libraries in the UK help authors in a particular way. Every year I get a cheque for Public Lending Right because people are reading copies of my books, borrowed from libraries. I feel especially pleased when I see that even my first book, Home Ecology (1989), is being checked out regularly!

Hello, I just want to say to everyone that you should really appreciate your local library. Don't let our libraries go because they mean so much to our communities. Use them don't lose them.

The trouble is that its OK that WE think Libraries are great , but if the STAFF - who of course are local government so can\\\\\\\'t be sacked , moved or penalised - don\\\\\\\'t like their work --- read on The Chief Librarian Chipping Ongar Library High Street Chipping Ongar Essex 5th June 2006 Dear Librarian. Last Saturday my partner, Linda , brought her grandchildren to Ongar to show them where their parents had got married in Greenstead Church and the Castle. The children are Joseph 13 and Eve 9. Having walked around the Castle she took the children into the Library to learn more about the castle. There were two women behind the counter who were extremely busy having a private conversation. Linda & the children waited quietly ( it is a library) – and waited and waited for several minutes. Then waited some more while the women ignored them. Eventually a younger woman came out from a back storeroom and Linda asked for some information. At that point one of the two women said there was some , but it was “out the back” and difficult to get to. So Linda & the children left. Is this how libraries have become that when a child has an enquiring mind they are rejected as troublesome interrupting a conversation ? How dare you ask a question and expect to get information in a library ! I am fortunate enough that when I grew up Essex County Libraries were professional. How things change. John Brandler cc

Why is the Government giving money to Richmond Libraries? Two years ago a report, which caused the Culture Select Committee of Parliament to call for action, showed how Richmond library service wastes 40% of the taxpayers money it receives. If there is to be a makeover of Richmond Libraries, this is the matter that should have been sorted out. Providing extra money to decorate a building that should have always been properly maintained and adding some free publishers\\\' overstocks is not the model for other councils. If these matters have not been resolved over the past 3 months it will be fair to observe that \\\"Love Libraries\\\" is a cosmetic, meaningless, rather sinister, publicity stunt.

As a child I couldn't get enough books to read. I spent half my life in libraries, scrounged extra tickets from anyone in my family that would give them to me, joined (I'm sure illegally - several different branch libraries that I could travel to on my bus pass, and generally got through about 12 to 20 books a week. I could never have afforded to buy enough to keep me going and my idea of paradise was to be left for the afternoon in the huge childrens department that used to be Leicester's City Centre Library among thousands of books, all potentially an entrance into other worlds, times and lives and I got a Saturday job in the Library as soon as I was 16 - staff tickets were great and no fines! That love of books has remained with me ever since and has been passed on to my own children.

12 libraries are to close in Devon. When asked why certain towns have been picked the chief librarian said "I'm afraid that the data you have requested is not readily available, as we are dependant on a separate section of Devon County Council to provide it, and while they are doing their best to track down the "raw data" which they originally used and to indicate how it was assessed and ranked in order to produce the final outcome, they have other urgent priorities, so cannot provide an immediate reply. It is proving particularly difficult in this instance because the member of staff who carried out the work, more or less single handed, has since retired. So please bear with us, and as soon as we are able to provide any further information we will do so. Lynn Osborne Head of Library and Information Services Tel 01392 384315 Email Lynn.osborne@devon.gov.uk

I think people should support libraries by visiting them regularly. If we do not, then in the future, libraries will be closed. This would be a real shame, as books give everyone so much pleasure. I have recently been to the British Library, this is a wonderful place, the best day out I have had in a long time.

At my local authority a recent job evaluation of all council employees has resulted in cleaners and dinner ladies being paid more than library staff. What hope is there when things like this happen?

Here in Hove, enthusastic readers and diligent, knowledgable staff have been delighted the past week at the re-opening of Hove's Carnegie Library, a Grade ll* listed building which, bogglingly, Brighton Council proposed to close down and use for some other, unspecified purpose (theories and rumours abound on that score). Hearteningly, after a campaign of almost three years, the building is saved and, with the repairs and redecoration, looks very good, and will no doubt evolve as readers use it. This shows what can be done for a relatively modest outlay - a sum akin to that often doled out to "consultants" who state the obvious. Indeed, this pleasing design and decoration was done "in house". The country has a great deal to l;earn from the Hove case - where the campaign had the advantage of being run amidst a hung Council.. Had New Labour been in overall control, as it was a few months before the sudden proposal to close down the Library, then we should have lost it. A lesson learned from all this is that when it comes to libraries, votes are all-important, and this case is reverberating here as Councillrors and aspirant Councillors solicit votes for next year's Election. How heartening it is to see from this site the countrywide relish of books, and we must now ensure that the stock level across the country is restored to the 1996 level - or even higher.

Because I\'m librarian :)

Libraries offer a place for people of all ages to not only take out books but to widen their knowledge and interests. Without Barnsley Library, which I have been a member of for over ten years, I doubt I would be reading the kind of intriguing and high standard literature that I am. Thankyou so much!

It would be so nice if libraries had a really nice, comfortable and clean place to sit and read. The seating area currently provided isn't all that inviting, especially for adults. A chair stuck inbetween the shelves just doesn't cut it anymore. I have a 7 year old and it would be nice to have some comfy sofas (like you get in bookshops) to be able to sit together and take our time looking at the books. How about a place to have a drink or a snack as well. The library is used for study and reasearch sometimes. It would be nice to able to go have a short break with a snack and drink and then go back to work.

libraries is place where can get knowledge about all around the world .i love libraries.

FUND LIBRARIES PROPERLY AND PAY THE STAFF COMMENSURATE WITH THEIR QUALIFICATIONS ETC

I have just tried to order a book for my teenage daughter. The new system is awful! All the librarians are complaining about it and I think it is not at all user friendly. It has blocked my card and gone to a run error for no apparent reason.

My childhood was spent in Sydenham Library - I have very fond memories. Even now in my mid-30s I enjoy spending my time at Croydon and Bromley Libraries. A love of books is the best gift you can give anyone - thanks mum!!

Or look at www.goodlibraryguide.com/blog/ where all are welcome.

This is a message for Alan Davis in Devon. Alan if you contact me, we may be able to help prevent some of the closures. tim.coates@yahoo.com

Devon County Council are "Improving Devon's Library Services" they propose to close Colyton and 11 others. The library in Colyton is at the heart of this small self-contained town. They do not appear to have considered the "community effect" as I understand Mr Lammy asked them too. There is now an on-going "consultation" exercise that must be extremely expensive and time consuming. They say they will also consult with local Parish Councils, had this been done in the first place the efforts to counter the proposed closures could have been put towards the development of improvement plans.

As the daughter of 2 librarians I would either grow up to love libraries or to loath them! I grew up to love them. Libraries became my second homes. My father was Leicester City Librarian and I used to do my homework every night in the central reference library on Bishop street waiting for him to pick me up when he finished work. I am consequently addicted to the written word and like the posting below - its like coming home.

i don't remember the first time I visited a library, my mother must have taken me along from my birth. I remember going to the Workman's hall Library, which had a large bronze bust of Anuerin Bevan (By Jacob Epstien I believe) in the entrance hall. there was the reading room, full of large wooden things that newspapers were laid out to read. Then the Main Library, but off that a room with glass all around the top. that is where I was allowed to dissapear all on my own and that is where i discovered "Biggles". It was so calm and such a pleasure. Since then I have used libraries for research and only two years ago stared work in the library service. Its like coming home.

I was brought up in a small Welsh, mining town during the 1950s and 1960s where the Miners' Workhall Library was available only to the children of miners. There was no public library and I felt, literally, starved of books. Now that I am able to use libraries every week, I still feel incredibly lucky and , even today, I experience a thrill and a sense of pleasure and fullfilment every time I enter a library building.

My local library is a tiny one in the Devonshire village of Appledore,it is also one of several threatened with the current closures.It is very welcoming,and I know all age groups use it,it is a really essential part of our community.There is a strong campaign here to keep it open,let's all stand up to the government and let them know that readers will not let their beloved libraries be closed!

I live in San Francisco where we have a huge and quite grand modern library downtown. But it is my local library that sees me the most. The Glen Park Branch. It's a quaint and funny little library occupying an old store front from the turn of the last century. Mostly I order my books from the library on the internet and they are delivered to the lovely old shopfront. Unfortunately and fortunately the shop front will be closed soon and the libary at GlenPark will be moving into a new building which is concrete, square and I am told will have more room for books and Cd's. It will be a shame to see the old library go and I suppose nice to browse the new books section with some elbow room. I have just read in the Guardian that authors recieve a 3p lending rights payment in the UK, they receive nothing here. Well thanks for your time. If you're in San Francisco in the next few months check out the Main Library, but come down and see a little village library that would be more at hom in a Lancashire Village than a major "American City." See ya.

Having used Dudley Library from pre-school age to actually becoming a member of staff, I feel the need to voice how wonderful the service is. Although the stock has changed over the years there is always something for everyone, from CD's, DVD's computer and Internet access, not to mention Information Services and the good old book. The public are able to access the entire catalogue and reserve items totally free wherever they may be in the Dudley Borough.The staff are always friendly and approachable( I'm a cheeky devil!). The doors are always open to all.

MAny local people enjoy using their library, including pupils at our school who use the library for homework and internet access because they do not have a chance at home. However, the local council in Dorset is seeking to close many small libraries in rural areas. Perhaps some support could be given to the local protest groups. More information can be found on th Dorset Evening Echo website. Thanks you. Pauline O'Sullivan Secondary School teacher

I work in Newcastle library in co.down N.Ireland. We have the best view of any library, out of the window we gaze upon the beauty of the mourne mountains and from the front door we look at the Irish sea. On a clear day we can see the Isle Of Man and Scotland. If you are ever in this part of the world ,please do call in.

Newton Heath Library in Manchester has changed dramatically over the years. It is now bright, inviting and friendly.It not only has the usual library items but has public computers and a homework club. Adults can even have free computer lessons in a reaaly warm atmosphere. If you live local check out Newton Heath Library or even your own local library. You will be in for a surprise.

I grew up with lib raries and books from the early days of Biggles and the Famous five to my current 50plus years when i still enjoy a good book from the library. Bucks Count Council is in the process of closing eight local libraries to save a pittance on the rates. Is it not possible at this time that you are trying to improve certain other libraries that Mr Lammer and anyone else with influence can attempt to persuade Bucks County Council to have second thoughts about closing these libraries

Audenshaw is one of the towns in Tameside MBC. It used to have two libraries, but Tameside has now closed both, the remaining one last August. With the money saved, they say they will buy more books for the libraries in the other Tameside Towns. By doing this they will meet some Government target, although probably less books will be borrowed. Audenshaw residents now have to take buses if they are determined to borrow a book. I have stopped borrowing.

The library is a magic portal to other worlds. You can time travel, read other people's thoughts, make friends with the dead and lose yourself. The power of the imagination. Should be prescribed by the NHS. And in libraries, it's free and it's for everyone.

As an ex-librarian, and a keen reader,I am shocked at the state of the library in Ilkley, a branch of Bradford Libraries. The stock is poor, and many of the staff are unwelcoming. There is a computerised service for requests, but I am charged £1 per book, if I ask for a book not already in stock ! Is this charge legal ? I had always thought public libraries were supposed to be a free service to the reader ! The library is staffed mainly by part-time casual workers, and there appears to be little access to professional librarians. The library has an uncared for look, and it is rarely busy, even on Saturdays. Ilkey deserves better than this; there are many dedicated readers here, and the library should be a focal point. The children's library is in a small and cramped room, and is also poorly maintained. I could go on...and on....perhaps this is a candidate for one of your make-over campaigns ?

I love libraries, a phenomenal amount. But York City needs to realise that not everyone in the city has access to the university libraries or is an old lady. If I want out of date politics textbooks or bad romance novels, I know where to go. It's an odd state of affairs when your local village library has better services. A good one in many ways, and I do love the multiple returning options. Also a big thank you to the wonderful world of Leamington Spa library which has a fantastic selection.

I moved from Macclesfield to manchester and have been put off going to the local libraries here by the limited collections they have. How can you expect people to borrow stuff that is out of sync with the times. If Macclesfield can allow renewals online why has manchester fallen so far behind?

2006 Winners STAFF TEAM Sighthill library, Edinburgh OUTSTANDING TEAM OF THE YEAR 2006 Sponsored by Unison The library team at Sighthill in Edinburgh had problems with a group of disruptive youngsters who hung around the site and indulged in vandalism, graffiti and under-age drinking. The staff team found an innovative way to tackle the problem, engaging with the young people rather than confronting them, and providing them with activities as an alternative to antisocial behaviour. These include a football and literacy project called Reading the Game. Participants play football as Sighthill United against other youth and local teams, but also take part in football-related reading and literacy projects. Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme has been organised through the library, while ‘Youth Boox’ harnesses young people’s own tastes by allowing them to choose CDs and books for the library within a pre-set budget. The library team’s outstanding work, which has already won them several awards, has had a dramatic impact on the lives of the young people and the community, opening up opportunities that were not there before.

Our Council is planning to close 13 libraries, claiming that there is no need for so many [not even one per village]-how does that square with this campaign?! The local library gives my kids independance in a safe environment - they can walk there, they order books they want if they aren't in stock, they learn how to research, they learn to love finding out about anything and everything.

I love my local libraries. They have helpfule knowledgeable staff who seem to know just about everything. They are also very good at finding obscure or new books just printed. A great service.

This is a response to Catherine Howard of the Reading Agency, who are managing the projects: Catherine- thank you, but your web section "Background and Research" doesn't say that any work was done prior to now and it would be interesting to know what conclusions were drawn and therefore what the project managers are specifically aiming to achieve in the makeover. The entries against each library reveal very little about "what a transformation is going to do, that customers will notice". If you are going to measure, as you say, a change in customer "satisfaction and use", what were those measures before you started? How much money is being spent and from where is it coming? and what is the role of the local councils, who currently manage the libraries?

All three projects are informed by ongoing consultation and public engagement with the local communities, which started well before the March launch date. We also applying learning gained from earlier service development projects, using customer feedback and the impact of the development on satisfaction and use levels. Following the launch in March we used the publicity to encourage many more people to express their views before designs and service developments were finalised. However, consultation is ongoing - users and non-users are helping us throughout the project implementation and have already expressed their satisfaction at seeing their suggestions included in the implementation plan. At Coldharbour they are deliberately leaving the teenage area unfinished so that they can involve new teenage users of the library, attracted by the publicity surrounding the launch, to get involved in designing their own space

Right now, I am very proud to be a library professional. I’ve worked really hard to get here, have a bagful of qualifications and am on the road to being chartered. I have the satisfaction of waking up every morning and knowing that I love my job and most importantly I love, and have always loved libraries. This site really warms my heart as it shows clearly how much people value the job that I and other library workers do, and how important the library is to so many of us. It’s not all easy, it’s not brilliantly paid and like any job librarianship has its challenges, but there is a special joy to helping a reader find a book, and them coming back the next week to tell you they enjoyed it. Libraries and Library staff have an increasing number of demands placed on them, these demands often conflict with each other and people who work in libraries do incredibly well to reconcile these difficulties. Some people want a quiet place to read or study, some people want free access to the internet. Some people want up to the minute business and technical information, others want historical records and archives. Babies and children need storytimes and picture books, teenagers and young adults should have resources to help them with their homework. There is no way that every library can hold every book for every eventuality – but there are systems in place to get it for you. And similarly, there may be times when one person wants to read in peace, and 20 babies arrive for a Story Rhyme-time, but we learn to share and be flexible. We all deserve bright, beautiful books to capture our imaginations and reflect our experience.– we all have different needs. But the one thing that this website can show, is that whatever we ask of the library – it tries to supply it. It is vital that all people feel valued and welcome, that we all feel that the library is for us, and that for me is the nub - I think the reason that we love libraries is that they have something for everybody, you just have to go and look for it.

I use Marylebone Library, and I love that they always have copies of the latest bestsellers. I work in the area, and it's much easier for me to visit this library than the one where I live, which is shut by the time I've finished my long commute home. The web catalogue is excellent, and I've never had any problems with renewing items. Maybe Andy should try it so he doesn't have to pay those fines!

I\'m not a celebrity author, just an author enormously grateful for the London libraries\' support. They put me in touch with readers of \"A Visit From Voltaire,\" boosted it in bulletins and relayed my reading lists to groups around the country. I think new \"Big\" reading programmes, \"tEXt Festivals,\" digital access, and specialized assistance are all welcome frosting on the cake, which is the basic pleasure of free access to a treasure house of thought for all ages. One of the earliest joyful smells of my childhood was the aroma of books in the Detroit, Michican library. I read all the Oz books fed to me weekly by a librarian travelling in a mobile library van in Colorado Springs. I researched my Voltaire comedy in Voltaire\'s own library (open to the public) in Geneva. And I love the UK librarians who seem to truly care about \"spreading the word.\" But sadly, not all of the UK libraries seem yet online and their regional websites all differ, a problem for overseas authors trying to get back to someone in particular in the network. Dinah Lee Küng

Create a London Library Service so I can go to library where I work and where I live to return all my books, pay fines, make requests and USE THE SAME CARD. Instead I have half a dozen library cards for different boroughs. Come on it can't be that hard to talk to each other!

Newquay library may be ugly, but it can't be 'grizzly' (as in bear). Surely you mean 'grisly'?

The General Readers Library in Manchester Central Library reminds me of my days as a junior librarian in Stoke Poges in 1954 (I was in charge of Romance). It smells the same and has the same wallpaper and parque flooring, although ours was proper wood and not imitation cork. It could probably do with a multi-million pound facelift, or failing that, one of those Glade Plug-Ins wouldn't go amiss.

libraries are places where children should be encouraged to go to and felt welcome instead in my library the workers make children feel like they in the way and discourage them form reserving books, just so they can relax! thing better improve or there will be no such things as libaries in the next century!!!!!!!!!

Anybody could make over a library with the input of hard cash and a design team (eg. Richmond, Newquay) but what can we do with three part-time staff, a Saturday shelver and two pots of paint. Call Laurence Llewelyn Bowen?

I love libraries because every time I leave one, my bag full of fresh, unread books, I feel like I'm the richest person in the world.

The following isn't exactly about loving libraries (other than those in my dreams, and those remembered with a fond nostalgia). Still, you've asked us to "Have Our Say"... In my city you can hardly move for cafes, restaurants, and pubs. And, our Central Library being in the heart of the city, many eateries are only a stone's throw away. There are huge numbers of books that are not on our Library shelves. Because they haven't been catalogued. And the reason they haven't been catalogued is because the Library Service can only afford to pay for a cataloguer to come in two days a week. And what is the Library Service spending its money on? A feasibility study to see whether they should be selling coffee and sandwiches. I ask you....! Thirty years ago a post as a Library Assistant was the first rung on the ladder to a worthwhile and satisfying career. Nowadays library assistants are not full-time - not even part-time - but casual employees in a dead-end occupation classified as unskilled manual work that pays little more than the hourly minimum rate, intended for women with absolutely no ambition who have no aims in life other than to earn a little "pin money". Is this feminism or what? The library profession - such as it is - relies far too much on the goodwill of a gullible public who Love Books so much that they'll gladly spend their time campaigning to save a service that the fat cats of the Library Association can't be bothered to speak up for, and forking out for stock when library funds have run out owing to every last penny having been spent on celebrity architects, PR parasites, and pretentious art installations - vide the British Library. Rather like the Church of England Commissioners who can lose tens of millions of pounds on the assumption that there are hordes of little old ladies out there who will sacrifice every last penny of their widow's pensions in order to make up the shortfall for a "worthy cause". Meanwhile libraries save money by shortening their hours and reducing their staff whilst Management continues fretting about vital issues like whether staff should wear name badges or not. And another would-be Chartered Librarian is sitting there in tears because s/he can't write the report they need to attain Chartered status in the hideous corporate jargon required.

My local library is in Sydney Australia. One of the first things I did when I moved to my local neighbourhood was get a library card for my local library. I remember walking there after school every day to wait for my mum to pick me up and I'd sit in a corner and read. My local library has opened me up to so many new worlds. Unfortunately they decided to rebuild it into an enormous impersonal complex with lots and lots of computers, so I've stopped going there. But my school library is still cool!! Well, not really, since they rarely have any good new books, but they have lots of classics. The best library ever was my primary school library. There was a fantastic librarian who introduced me to so many excellent books, most importantly, Harry Potter!

All the libraries in my borough are being re-furbished one at a time. The one closest to me has already been done and after it was reopened it had a swarm of people visiting it. It was a really great thing to see.

I've always loved libraries, but with the Internet and on line libraries it's even better. I've tried so many authors that I wouldn't have thanks to being able to reserve on line something that took my eye, then picking it up locally after only a short wait, I'm always on about it to my friends, it truly is the best thing ever, thank god for libraries that's what I say.

Books, DVDs, Videos, Bookstart, Birth Registration, Coffee Morning, Clubs, Classes, Sessions for the under 5s, Dad\'s Group, Breastfeeding Area and friendly staff to boot! We love libraries in Manchester!

The progress report for Richmond implies that you asked the public for their ideas after you had decided what to do. That creates the impression that you weren\'t really very interested in what the public said. I\'m sure that can\'t be right. Wouldn\'t it have been better to carry out methodical and professional market research and planning before you started the project in March? For all the three libraries?

Redhill Library Surrey. The staff are fantastic and nothing is too much trouble. They do some wondeful actitivie for children and the book range is fantastic

i think libarys should have a small childrens section wich is attractive to everyone and has animals on the wall. not like cartoon animals, wild ones that look real but not scary

libraries are the most relaxing places in the world, where you can lose yourself from the everyday rush.

I adore libraries. The public library was my favorite place to go during Junior and Senior High School. I had to rely on the school library and the bookmobile during Elementary, but I loved them all. Libraries are quiet and give a sense of security being surrounded by books and other people who love books. Without public libraries, we would have to buy every single book we wanted to read. It would cut down on readers quite a bit, because not many people are willing to pay for a book they may not enjoy (unless they have a favorite author they buy regularily). Public libraries are great for searching and reading a variety of books; to be able to choose series and authors that you really love.

I have mixed feelings,I grew up in Kentish Town,and started going to Torriano School in 1968 when I was 5,we used to go the children library but I loved the smell of wooden floors.The was no computers in those days just cards,a lot has happened in 37yrs,i m still single looking for a mate to reproduce.Anyway I hate change I suppose they call it progress,but the human race is still same as selfish as ever sorry for being cynical.I Wish I could build a time-machine and go back to 1968,problem is that you lot a tearing down the world I grew up in and all the memories r in my head.My definition of progress is society trying to change the outside when they forget to change the inside,I just I hope I haven t sounded offensive i just want to be truthful,I suppose many would beg to differ hard cheese.Finally its good to c the tramps have nt arrived with their smell of urine it gets up my nose ,but i know they will,I started with a sour note,but I want to congratulate u on a job well done,best of luck for the future,signing off mack,u might here from me in the future for the next installment.xxx.

I love my library in Grimsby. The staff are very helpful and nothing is too much trouble. The building in Grimsby is incredible and has lots of character, it was spoilt by posters on the windows but they have recently gone, it looks so much better. (dont put them back) The staff have recently started wearing name badges as well, which is great, you know who you are talking to and who is helping you. There is a great example of library trying to make a difference.

coz they a helpful and we get time to study and borrow books.the library staff are so kind and understanding they make want to be in the library always

cos they giving us hope our future,so i am living place there no hope,i need help,thank you,

Libraries are wonderful institutions and I think thrusting the spotlight on libraries at this particular time is of the utmost importance. This year has signalled a nationwide campaign of library closure and fund-cutting. Libraries themselves are thusly placed in a no win situation. On the one hand they are being told to improve or die, often by taking a commercial approach and being told by their local authorities to emulate book stores (neither applicable, nor possible). On the other hand the resources they have been given for decades have been below-par and are now being cut further. A great service can only achieved by awareness, pride and most importantly of all a vastly improved level of funding.

Libraries should be cherished. Many people argue that with the price of books constantly dropping that libraries aren't important anymore. Wrong. Some people can't afford to buy books even at current price levels. And if you become curious about a subject or an author, you aren't likely to spend upwards of £8 on a book. A library allows you to broaden your horizons and read about things that you may otherwise not read about. Also, at a time when educational standards in our schools are dropping and people are being priced out of a university education they provide access to a free education for everyone.

I cannot see how closing local libraries can add to the love of libraries that many of us have. How can YOU help our community in Burton Bradstock Dorset to counter the appalling recommendation by Dorset County Council that our library, one of the mainstays of our village life, should be closed. There is no point in your "Love Libraries" campaign if libraries cease to exist. Help please!

I LOVE LIBRARIES BECAUSE THERE HAVE LOADS OF BOOKS TO READ

Ripon Library, North Yorkshire - the staff are just soooo helpful and the facilities are great. It's a lot more than just a place to find your favourite author and my 6 year old son loves it too - he's a dedicated library user. Thanks to all those who work at the library. It's just wonderful!!!

Who's right then???? What the Minister says in an interview in The Bookseller: "We've got to attract consumers--particularly adults--into libraries, but there is a big gap between people's experience when they go into Waterstone's or Borders, or on Amazon, and their experience when they hit the library." "I genuinely believe passionately in libraries, I genuinely believe in books, and I want to see an improvement." What John Dolan, the new Library Tsar / Champion at the MLA says in an interview with The Bookseller: "A library is not a bookshop." Any argument to the contrary "is based on the erroneous notion that a library's main purpose is to house and stamp out books".

The Minister of State and the people of the whole country- not least the councillors of Brighton and Hove should show the deepest gratitude to Christopher Hawtree for saving Hove library. He has shown genuine love for libraries.

Here in Hove we have had a long, long struggle to save our splendid Library from being closed down and bunged in a dark room at the Town Hall. It always amazes me how politicans can ever have imagined that readers would be happy with that. Everywhere that I go people talk about this. It has galvanised the neighbourhood, which is heartening, but the very fact that one has had to battle to preserve something that should be at the heart of a community has been so profoundly depressing that, heartbreakingly, I have decided not to have children. The destruction of a public service, with good books being thrown in skips, is surely a harbinger of a future which is grim indeed.

My library in North Lancashire is top(Lancaster).They put bands on.

As a child I always considered the library to be a magical place...a portal to learning, imagination and creativity. Throughout my life libraries have been places that I could find peace and quiet or a good read. I've no doubt that my weekly trips to the library ultimately led me to my life's work as a writer. Here's a recent blog post I wrote on the subject of libraries. I'm so glad I stumbled on the Love Libraries Site! http://amimckay.blogspot.com/2006/04/dnde-est-la-biblioteca.html

I love Westminster Libraries especially because they have all up to date books I'd like to buy on Amazon. That is what I use a library for, to borrow books that I could never have a hope of buying, so I can teach myself new things and become a better, and better skilled person. Government should put lots and lots of central resources into Libraries, it's how people who don't like formal study learn.

I think a library is a nice place to sit and read a book in a silent place

Libraries are still an essential part of our lives. Not everyone realises the amount of resourses they have available or how dedicated the staff are. Budgets to libraries are insufficient and it is amazing to see how much libraries offer with the limitations that are placed on them.

I like library very much. because my library has every single service for its customers. many times i spend my time there by reading books,there are many useful books as well according to school, college or for Uni.i also collect information for my assignments.The staff of my library is very useful, i really appriciate them for there hard work and help. Thankyou very much.

Libraries offer an immense and valuable resource to all no matter what their age, gender, race, religion or level of education; there is something for everyone. I'm a student teacher at York St John College and spend hours in the college library collecting information for my assignments, reading vast numbers of childrens books and absorbing the atmosphere. This campaign is well overdue but it's great to see something being done. I've got an eleven year old brother who says he doesn't like reading so yesterday I asked him to come with me to our local library as I was collecting resources for my teaching placement. Reluctantly he came and we went into the childrens section of the library and I told him I was going to look for some books on India and left him standing there. In less than a minute he was looking amongst the shelves pulling out interesting books then he asked the lady at the desk if they had any Captain Underpants and she helped him find 3 of the series. He sat down on a chair and read half of the book before I'd finished finding what I needed. Good going for a boy that doesn't like reading. A good library is welcoming, bright, fairly quiet but with a working atmosphere where the mind is free to wander and learn.

i absolutely love libraries however i only have this opinion when the staff use manners towards you and are welcoming and also want to help you whatever you problem. i live in west midlands in the telford and wrekin borough,my local library is oakengates The place

I really love libraries - but in the area where I live London Borough of Tower Hamlets the council are closing ALL the traditional libraries and opening idea stores - they suit the young people but are noisy and not user friendly to older or disabled people - the first one they opened about three years ago did not have full access for people with mobility problems. They are very large and lack the personal feel of a traditional library. I do not understand why in my area e cannot have both and keep some of the traditional libraries who provide the same internet access, books, newspapers and provide Lifelong Learning elsewhere.

i like books they are very nice and shiny, like librarians

Well said Debbie Marais! Libraries are just fantastic! A friend of mine recently went to Brussels and got lost in the city centre. She had with her only a borrowed mobile phone (that was 'locked') and some money in her pocket. She knew nothing of the language and could not find a payphone to contact her sister with whom she was staying. Eventually after walking around aimlessly she discovered a building which looked vaguely familiar. As she walked in her stress dispersed, she had found the safe haven of a library. The staff were so friendly and helpful, guiding her to a payphone within the building where she was able to call her sister. The calming atmosphere of the library encouraged her to stay longer. Two hours later she decided to leave after eating in the library cafeteria and walking around the lovely building. Libraries mean so much to all sorts of people from many different backgrounds and cultures. I think we would all be lost in Brussels without them!

My nine year old daughter - avid reader says she loves libraries as they are fun and calm places. I too love the calm areas but I also like to see in more modern libraries the buzzier areas catering for people who like to read and learn with an element of noise and activity around them. I love the serendipity of libraries - I never know what I am going to find out about, what will catch my eye in terms of local information on events, new books in stock etc and the free access to other worlds through the books and storytapes I will borrow. I love our local library for the children's books in particular - fantastic range and for the great times I have sharing my love of reading with my children and seeing them inspired. I also work as a librarian and I love being able to share knowledge and seeing the light switch on when you help someone find what they are looking for and even better when you offer something they didn't know they were looking for!!

Traditional libraries ie ones that lend books! are being run down and underfunded all ove r the country. This is shortsighted and a false economy, as well as being a betrayal of those far-sighted pioneers and library profesionals who set up our library service and made it once the envy of the world. Surely it is possible to develop new informationa and accessing technology without neglecting the core 'business' of a library which is books?

Those of you who don't subscribe to the Bookseller magazine may miss an important interview with the MLA's new Library Champion - John Dolan. It makes pretty depressing reading - especially the final two paragraphs: "Yes, but the core function must be books, the MLA’s detractors would cry. Dolan dismisses their criticism: “The people who use libraries know more about them than the people who pontificate about them.” "Similarly, he vehemently rejects calls for libraries to model their managerial and physical set-up more closely on book chains. “A library is not a bookshop.” Any argument to the contrary “is based on the erroneous notion that a library’s main purpose is to house and stamp out books”. No pun intended, one presumes." Presumably for "the people who use libraries" read 'the poor blighters who can't afford to buy books". And what about the millions who have deserted libraries because they no longer deliver what the public wants. And for "the people who pontificate about them" read "the Minister, the MLA, the DCMS Select Committee", in fact all informed opinion which agress that books are central to the purpose of libraries. With this in mind it is grotesque for the new library champion to say that housing and stamping out books is not a library's main purpose. If people with views like this are to set policy we indeed have a long way to go before libraries are restored to their pre-eminent position in the cultural life of this country.

I dread the day that the world turns into a place where people no longer think or create. That will be the day when artificial intelligence takes over, the day we will no longer need to use our brains or bodies because a robot will be doing it all for us. In fact there will be no use for our existence at all. It sounds a bit futuristic and dramatic, but this reality could be closer than we think. Some people already believe that there is no need for a library service as computers are now our tools of research, entertainment and discovery. How long before we become a motionless body in front of a computer screen? There is no substitution for physically visiting a library. My local library is a part of my community. A place to interact with people, to discover, to challenge myself, to learn and enjoy. Sometimes I visit my town's library without purpose. I walk around the shelving units and scan titles, until a book catches my eye. I will pick it up read about something I did not even know might interest me. It is true that libraries need to evolve along with the world, and they have to a certain extent. However they need money invested in them to make them an attractive place to spend time in. Lets hope the "love libraries" campaign encourages funding as well as new library users. Even if a person did not enjoy reading (forbid!) there are plenty of other attractions a library can offer - CDs, DVDs, Internet access, events, exhibitions, computer courses, homework help... the list is endless!People need to realise how wonderful it is to have a library service.

I love the intelligent, well read and patient staff at my local library.

My bank used to be here, until they turned it into a wine bar. Now why do all these comments about closures sound familiar-? The Public Library Service has been one of the greatest resources that we in Britain have ever had at our disposal, for leisure, education and information.Unfortunately without adequate funding, the whole service will just quietly disappear in about 10 years time. My local library has waited for at least a year for the roof to be repaired, and after the repair work, the water still poured in on a day of heavy rain.The building and the book stock need a total re-vamp. As to becoming a Librarian, rather like nursing and teaching, the young have other ideas- librarians are being told today they need marketing skills, not library qualifications. When even the local charity shop looks better than the local library, and has new fiction titles on sale at about 2 pounds each, I don't think that marketing skills begins to deal with the problem. And no, a library is not a book shop.This is the muddle of modern life- petrol stations offer coffee and flowers, book shops offer activities, but no-one says they should be more like a library...and they offer a limited ammount of titles, with often inadequate or inaccurate enquiry work. First port of call, the Library.

HERE IN CARLISLE WE HAVE PROBABLY THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE IN ANY COUNTY. LINKED WITH A KNOWLEDGABLE STAFF WITH A SERVICE THAT IS BOTH EFFICIENT AND FRIENDLY. USE, READ AND STUDY. I FOR ONE WISH IT TO REMAIN THIS WAY, KEEPING APACE WITH BOTH CULTURAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS. THANK YOU

If people read more books their would be much less gramatical howlers

I think reading books is a very good way to make people english language skills better.

Why have you only chosen libraries in the south of England for transformation?

In response to chika - mmmm, doesn't go to a library? - I never would have guessed from the spelling!

Books were my friends when I moved all round the world, every two years (maximum), as an army child - I had to leave friends and books behind but the books I found again, in libraries. As a published author now, I've found my readers in any library; they are my home from home.

Northamptonshire County Council has just announced a reduction in the public library hours, in some cases this means that some branches have had their opening times slashed by up to 50%. This is instead of a decision that was opposed by local communities to shut three branches completely. This of course means that staff pay will be cut and that libraries may be open at times that are not convenient to their users. I feel very sad about this decision, I work in a Senior School Library and know how important books are to the children. It is just typical of councils to target the more vulnerable in society, eg children's and old people's facilities and libraries when they are in financial straits.

The Public Library Service is one of the most civilising, life-enhancing and democratic institutions ever devised.In recent years there have been many improvements, such as computerised catalogues, internet access for all, brighter surroundings and extra activities, like reading groups, author visits, competitions etc etc. BUT, we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Alongside these improvements, there have been other, less welcome changes. I wonder if the general public realises that it is becoming increasingly unlikely that they will ever see a professional librarian as they are becoming an endangered species - being tucked behind the scenes working on various 'initiatives' and 'projects', and not being replaced when they retire. The information service which was a unique,unbiased, authoritative and free service to all, delivered by professionals, has now largely vanished, with the result that members of the public are being short-changed and often given incomplete or incorrect information by half-trained staff. Although, by the law of averages, some unqualified staff are excellent, many lack the knowledge, professionalism and commitment of those who have chosen librarianship as a career. Recently, precious, limited funds are being spent on contracting-out services to the (expensive) private sector, who also provide dubious (expensive) training courses in 'team-building', 'dealing with stress' etc. Another worry is the effect of 'targets' and the culture of 'box-ticking', so that book funds are spent on cheap, popular paperback fiction (because you get more for your money and therefore reach a 'target' for numbers of new books bought) instead of providing a broad range of stock, using professional judgement, as in the past. I have heard this approach justified on the basis that 'you have to give the public what they want', but I have also heard members of the public comment that they can easily buy a cheap paperback in their supermarket - they expect the libraries to provide more quality non-fiction which may be too expensive for them to buy, especially as they may not need, or want, to keep it once read. Cherish libraries - improve where it is desirable and necessary, but never lose sight of the core values.

I regularly use my local library, Sundon Park Library, and find it to be extremely useful and well run by polite and helpful staff. Long may it remain a community feature in Sundon Park

I love my school library because everyone is really friendly and you can have have a laugh with the librarians because they are students just like you. Usually when you go to a library the librarians just take your books out for you.

Libraries shaped my childhood, my imagination and my education to wonderful effect - it's a pity that now I'm near retirement I seem to have outgrown my local library; mainly because I'm a selective reader and books that I want are often not on the shelf, even though they're not hugely expensive or obscure and are in some demand. I end up having to pay for them to be ordered and it mounts up. I've a good collection of classic reference books and novels though; mostly from library sales! Which is just as well, as their non-fiction shelves now contain too many coffee-table books. They seem to have lost sight of the person who visits the library to dip into reference books but not take them out - I've discovered many things that way without the effort of having to carry the books home.

I have always loved libraries and I'm now lucky enough to be working in one. However, I wish more people knew more about the problems libraries face to keep going nowadays. Someone mentioned here about closures - there are going to be an awful lot of closures in the near future, thanks to the low funding libraries have always received and nowadays particularly thanks to something called Gershon savings. These require all local councils to make savings of 2.5% every year. Libraries are being particularly hard hit because of the traditional running-on-a-shoestring. And these stealth cuts, effectively, have to be made EVERY YEAR - how much longer can they carry on?? But talk to the man in the street and they've never heard of them! Hopefully some have now. The fault is partly ours - we, both libraries and councils, should have public newsletters telling people what's going on, especially in this age of useless media. But with staffing as tight as it is, who has the time?

Northamptonshire County Council's cabinet has now agreed to cut the opening hours of all libraries in the county by a total of 500 a week plus scrapping two mobile libraries to reduce visits to every three weeks from two. You can read about it at www.northamptonshire.gov.uk. If anyone wishes to let them know what they think of their stewardship of the library service the he council leader's email address is JHarker@northamptonshire.gov.uk Please do it now. If they get away with it your council may be next.

I'm a librarian in Widnes Library, part of Halton. I would recommned anyone who thinks libraries are boring and stuffy places to visit Widnes Library, it is a Victorian red brick building from the outside, on the inside it is a funky vibrant space offering a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, CDs, videos, DVDs, and Playstation games. We have separate sections for children and teenagers and also have lots of events, which include reading groups, Murder Mystery Evenings, and author events. I think that for years libraries have had an old fashioned image and the days of 'shhh' are long gone. Hopefully people will agree that libraries have something to offer everyone e.g family tree, studies, tots time, a quiet haven from the outside world or somewhere to relax with friends. I will be interested to see what comes out of the campaign and would like to say to all - love your library!

my libary is boring because theres nothing to do there and nothing in the libary

Balham Library is fantastic in most respects, except the book stock which is often decrepit and dog-eared with too few copies of popular books. However the wonderful staff and general ambience is a cause for celebration. Many thanks, Balham Library!

I'm an avid reader and would not be able to read the amount of books I do without libraries. I love seeing my current book for sale for £10.99 and saying "I got that from the library yesterday!!".

I've always loved libraries. What I've found there has entertained me, improved my house, helped me learn and made a huge difference to my health. I'm losing my sight now and going to the library is a depressing experience when you can't read most of what's there. Please don't forget how important it is to make all that wonderful reading material available to people like me too......

Might have been a good idea to have had an 'email a friend' link on this site. You're encouraging us to spread the word, this would have been a simple way to do so! PS love libraries so much I've worked in them for 30+ years....

I love my local library. The staff are very friendly and welcoming and have a huge knowledge of books and other information I need. I would be lost without them. I also enjoy the many different displays and themes as well as the events they arrange.

My library has got rid of many of its books; and is not buying any more. I've heard this is a common problem. Perhaps this site should be a bit more critical, in order to assess the state of libraries to improve them.

In response to Sally McCreith, I am a public librarian in Jersey who enjoys mixing with all kinds of people. It is the job (and the point) of public libraries to offer a service to EVERYONE regardless of their status or situation, colour or religion, in a true democratic manner. The homeless man has as much right to be there as you and I am proud that librarianship is a profession that aims not to exclude.

I love my local library at Catford. It is friendly and the staff are always very helpful. I like the books they have and can spend all day there sometimes. I wish everyone appreciated the library as much as I do. Some people don't know how to behave in a library.

Bolsover library has given me a new interest for life. The library staff (kirsty) and the helpers have taught me lots of different things on the computers, including finding information from the internet, e.mailing and word processing,without the support from the staff and the helpers (buddies). I would not have been able to achieve these things and now i can begin to help other new members to learn about computers at the library classes. I would highly recommed these classes to be used in other libraries.

In Gloucestershire we are lucky enough to have TWO brand-spanking NEW libraries! Dursley and Longlevens. They are great places to spend time, grab a coffee, watch kids spawled out on the soft rugs looking at picture books - read a magazine, log on to chat to friends over email ... scan those ancient fammily photos and email off some copies to the rellies in Australia, Canada or where-ever? When Longlevens opened it was like a fresh breeze breathed some life into the heart of the community! Kids love it, adults love it, staff think it is great ot have such a fantastic building to work in! If you are coming to Gloucestershire to visit any of the other fine sights, mamke time to come to Longlevens library, or if you are in the south of the county pop in to Dursley and see the fabulous glass art work. I work for Gloucestershire Libraries & Information and would like to add that although Dursley and Longlevens are shiny and new, we have many other libraries that also worth time out for a visit, also offering great service, exciting stock and fantastic staff! I am just especially proud of our two new flagships!

I love being able to get both spoken word CD's and books on so many subjects. I always encourage other people to use libraries and am often disappointed when they don't ever go in one. I would like the libraries to be open longer and even Sunday's and no I dont expect the same staff to do this, perhaps students could be used or A levels english students. Libraries should be as accessible as is possible. If you are working it is difficult to get there when you are working full time.

I work in a major library in Leicestershire, and love the variety of things we offer. Currently we do a Wriggly Reader session each week for children under 5 and their carers, we do a reading group once a month for children aged 9-11 years, we have a library reading group for older people, we are just about to do an interative gardening display complete with fountain and goldfish, and we have computer classes regularly.We encourage people with special needs to use our services - they borrow CDs,DVDsm and simple books on cookery, craft and easy reading collections. When people ask us to open later, and more at weekends, I wish they would consider that staff have a life, and families too. I have been a champion of libraries since I was 5 years old, and will never be without something to read - usually have 5 or 6 books on the go.

Although text reminders would be usefull, they would surely drain valuable library resources? Why not program a reminder into the calender on your mobile phone (or outlook express), to remind you the day before your books are due?

I take it there's been no progress at the three libraries being "transformed"? No updates have been posted...

I had never used a computer untill i came to the library(ONLY DUSTED ONE)?This has been a wonderful time learning so many new things, I never thought i would take exams on computers if it had't been for the staff and volunteers at Bolsover library i would never had the courage to come and learn at 61yrs of age. Thank you for making this experience possible

It's all very nice, this love libraries, stuff, but if you really want to make a difference then you've got to stop them looking like an add on and show how they are integral to every single community - and that means more than just books. All this stuff from your champions about how libraries made them into the writers that they are is all well and good, but it says nothing new and makes libraries look like an attractive luxury. They need to be more than this. We need to make them integral to everyone's life.

I would love to be able to chill out ,use the computers and borrow books but our library is open for only 18 hours a week mostly in the day time when people cannot get there. We are trying to get the Council to open the building for longer but they say there is no money. Other local librabies serving fewer people are open for longer what can we do and you do to help us

I loved my library until they turned it into a Discovery Centre. Visitor numbers are up (their only criterion of success, it seems) but I browse the shelves dismally for something to read, so dire is the book collection these days. In their eager and politically correct efforts to engage the disenfranchised of society, they have drawn all kinds of new people to the building to take hip-hop classes, borrow DVDs and surf the net (all services available in the commercial sector), but have alienated the book-borrowers (a service not available anywhere else). Whatever next - lottery ticket sales, a pool table?

Northamptonshiire's conservative councillors don't love libraries either. They are proposing to cut all library opening hours, double the cost of audio books for the over 60s, withdraw a third of the mobile libraries and charge everyone the full adult fine rate including children under five who until now were not charged fines.

In response to Elaine and Martin, one of the aims of Love Libraries is to raise the profile of libraries in the media and among opinion formers and decision-makers to try to ensure that they thrive in future. Many of the people involved in Love Libraries are giving advice and expertise for free because they love libraries. We hope you will feel you can support the campaign too. Perhaps you could sign up as a library champion on the website and keep in touch

Pity Lancashire County Council don't love libraries. We are about to lose 8 branches.

Sherborne Library is a lovely welcoming place amd much improved by the recent refurbishment. The staff are friendly and helpful, and especially the chief librarian for whom nothing is too much trouble. They also have a good Friends group which has lively talks and superb food! I wish there were a bus stop near it; it's difficult to carry twelve books and the Council never seems to consider things like this when planning libraries. Buses should stop right outside all libraries.

Here in West Wycombe Bucks We are about to lose our much loved library. It's now going to mean a long expensive bus ride to town. I can't imanage how much this web site and the radio Commercials are costing but I'm sure that it could be better spent in not CLOSING libraries

While you are spending a fortune advertising the library service, and telling us to use them more, my local library is about to close, along with 7 others in this area. Why not spend the advertising budget on keeping all libraries open?

Libraries are one of our greatest community assets. They allow you to find different authors, crafts, countries; to search out facts on all sorts of subjects; to use computers, take out videos, Cds (audio & film), books; and join in with reader groups, author visits, children's story & activity days,and toy libraries for the very young.Where else can you get all of this for free? I live in Derbyshire with access to two excellent libraries - brilliant and extremely helpful staff, mostly young (especially in ideas), which provide all these services. The biggest drawback to libraries at present is lack of funding which prevents many libraries from giving the kind of services outlined above. They are a community resource which we cannot afford to lose.

I like the excellent computer equipment at Orrdnance Road Library. It is enabling me to diversify my career; it will benefit me considerably in future. In addition, I am able to produce high-quality pages which help me with my present career as a tutor. All my students enjoy working from them. Best of all, I am very glad to be having the opportunity of private lessons from Yvonne Tomey. In these lessons, she is giving me step-by step guidance which provides me with a wide range of computer skills. In her lessons, she teaches me things which are very specifically related to my exact needs and wants. I then follow up her lessons by working at the Ordnance Road Centre for several hours every week to practise and develop the skills which Yvonne has taught me. I am very grateful that Enfield Libraries are helping me in all these ways. Thank you very much.

Why 3 libraries in 12 weeks. It smacks of a cheesy makeover show. What libraries need is serious commitment and long term sustainable investment not top dressing. What about all the other libraries all over the country that are falling apart and lacking quality resources due to neglect and under investment.

I was impressed with the campaign called Love libraries. I read the article on the www.mla.gov.uk about the way The Future Libraries Partnership do to interest people to read and visit UK's public libraries. I'm a librarian in Indonesia Australia Language Foundation (IALF) Surabaya Indonesia and now collaborating with schools departement such as marketing department we develop our library with interesting fiction books. It did work. Our library become a popular place for students and library members to come. Some students study an English resources and the others browse the fiction section. I know the students need will growing and all libraries should improve their services. The articles motivated me to do more for my library and encourage me to share it to my community.

I would love Ordanance Road library if they banned the homeless man that they let stay in there. He smells disgusting and even had his feet on the chairs - when it's been mentioned the employees just laugh it off!! Libraries are supposed to be places of enjoyment not having to hold your nose whilst you quickly pick a book to get out into the fresh air. Please remove him so many others can know the library is a great place to visit. Thanks you

In response to Pippa and Graham, with whom I have every sympathy: a campaign like Love Libraries is intended to wake the nation up to the good things that are happening in libraries and why (as Pippa and Graham already know) they are valuable, and therefore to put pressure on local authorities, who hold the purse strings, to invest in them. The higher the footfall in existing libraries, the less of a case there is for councils to close them. We hope this campaign will have a knock-on effect, by alerting everyone to what can be done, and in many places is being done, to raise attendance and book borrowings. The rate of closures (small comfort in Bucks, I admit) is already falling. The tide needs to keep turning, and Love Libraries is one way of making it do so.

Just wish they were open longer hours especially at weekends.

I love libraries because they are havens of peace in a mad world and all free, there'd be no reduction in tax even they wweren't there! Lucky me to live in Norwich with our fantastic Millenium Library which is fantastic.

I would not have been able to fund my love of reading, or encourage my daughter's inherited bibliomania, if it weren't for our terrific library. I love the reading competitions that are run for young children during school holidays, and the way that the staff at my local branch are so enthusiastic and helpful.

"Love Libraries is a campaign to make English libraries even better". So why is Buckinghamshire County Council closing eight of our local libraries? It's cutting costs; at the same time council tax is going up 5%. Need I say more?

Bucks County Council have announced that our local library is to close to achieve cost-savings in their library budget. To add insult to injury, the next nearest library is also to close for the same reason. "Love Libraries", Bucks hates them! The local community are now trying to set up a scheme to try and run a library cum community service themselves. Will the "Love Libraries" campaign backers be able to help us?

I find the comment from Margaret Jolley disturbing. I work in public libraries and we operate a policy where any person can take out any book on any ticket, regardless of age. In a time when issue figures are falling I find Margaret Jolley's experience depressing. I hope that this is an isolated case. I would suggest that Margaret puts this in a letter to whichever council operates her local library. It is a matter which requires a change in thinking from that council.

I am passionate about public libraries, and believe them to be an integral part of a democratic society that prizes free access to education, knowledge and the pleasures of reading and sharing reading. BUT I no longer use them myself and (shamefully) don't even have a public library card! I think that even people like me who grew up going to the library every Saturday (and later, I even became the "Saturday girl" as my part-time job), have come to think of libraries as dimly-lit places containing smelly books (sorry, lovely library people!). I would love branch libraries to become places where you meet your friends, hang out, hear writers talk, do a variety of creative things... My local branch library in King's Heath, Birmingham is 100 years old: it's a bit dark, dingy and tatty-looking inside but it has some great small collections of books - including one of lesbian and gay writing. The librarians who work there are lovely: very friendly and helpful. But the inside of the library could definitely do with a make-over - it reminds me of my old Sunday school! Branch libraries are a wonderful resource for cities and communities but we don't appear to be exploiting them to the full in many places.

I have read to my two children since they were 6 weeks old, and I have borrowed about 7,000 library books in the 9 years since my eldest was born - to read with them and for them to read alone. These books would have cost me £35,000 to buy. Do the maths! Libraries are about public sharing and are a fantastically efficient way to bring our cultural riches to our children. I love them!

My local library has changed from a dark dingy unuserfriendly place to a zappy vibrant space - with author visits, teen space, excellent av section, local info, art gallery etc etc. The librarians tho could do with a makeover... there's still a slight grumpiness around some of the older ones.It's in Haringey - which has madeover lots of its librariaes really successfully lately.

My son, aged 13, is unable to borrow books from the adult library on his ticket, which means he is unable to use GCSE and other texts books which he needs for homework, unless I borrow them for him on my ticket. Surely the age restriction for the adult library could be lowered to 13 years as there's not very much inappropiate literature in there! Perhaps the teenagers' age could be noted to ensure they don't borrow DVDs etc underage.

It's an exciting, radical place where you can learn to take risks. Not sure if you like an author? Try for free. Not sure how to use computers? Try for free! A place of empowerment since they were invented. Shine on you crazy diamonds!

Always able to access books for all sorts of subjects. A good resource for free

Thank you to all the personnel working in the British libraries for giving me back hope to keep on working hard. Greetings from Mexico.

I work in a library and we would love to be doing loads of really cool things like text alerting but there isn't any money!!

Loads of books to borrow for free! Fiction of all kinds, new crafts, all sorts of other non-fiction. What more do you need? I could never afford to buy a tenth of the books I\'ve borrowed from UK libraries.

Libraries are inspiring places for learning and exploration but as important is their role in community life - especially in this day and age, the need for a strong community hub that welcomes everyone is vial.

For adults, the chance to discover and try books that you otherwise wouldn't have read. For children, the chance to read lots of new books all the time. Our library also hold sessions for babies and toddlers which are great - they get children used to going to the library and interacting with books and with other children.

I work in a vibrant, alive, library in Croydon. They're great places for young and old with loads of activities on offer. Get out there and join your local library today.

Shoe Lane Library in the City of London is the best library I've ever visited. They should be congratulated on the the great recent refurbishment, and the children's activities are the best in London!

I\'m so glad I live in Medway, Medway Councils Libraries have more brand new up to date books than all the libraries I have visited in Kent County Councils sector. Computing is a subject which requires books to be up to date with information, this up to date information can only be found in a Medway Council Library.

I love libraries because of the promise and the potential that they hold. I love the undecided amble through the possibilities as well as the focussed march to the specific.

I'm writing this sitting in an Idea Store in Canary Wharf. It is one of a number of revitalised libraries in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in a cool new building, very open and a really nice place to spend time in. It allows people free access to the internet as well as books and other ways of learning. I think places like this are really imprtant and am glad that other people think so too!

I love the library nearly as much as i love reading but i have a problem remembering when to take my books back. Could libraries have an automated text service to remind you the day before to take your books back. In the 21st century libraries really need to "get with it" and make it EASY for those who work over 50 hour weeks to use the facilites and keep on top of things so we don't get fined.

My local lending library has reduced its book stock by 20% over the past five years. Despite many letters of complaint, articles in the local press etc,no action is taken to rebuild stocks.