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Michael Arditti |
Writer fears impact of library cuts
NOVELIST Michael Arditti has warned the Town Hall against making cuts in library services.
He is concerned that one of six managers who run Camden’s 13 libraries is facing redundancy as part of this year’s budget cuts.
Mr Arditti, who will give a talk to the Friends of Heath Library in April to raise funds for the building in Keats Grove, Hampstead, fears that book stocks will be hit by cuts. He said: “Camden Council bought 12 copies of my first book. They bought one of most recent. I fear the idea of a shared communal space for knowledge, something which is so intrinsically part of a cultured society, is slowly disappearing.”
Mr Arditti feels libraries are in danger of losing sight of their main aim. He said: “My library in Primrose Hill has become a cross between a Citizens Advice Bureau and a DVD rental shop. In a way, they are victims of their success by being so user-friendly. They have lost their great strength, which was books.”
Lib Dem councillor Flick Rea, who is in charge of libraries, said she could not interfere in their day-to-day running. She added: “The head of services says the job cuts are a more efficient way of running it. It should not affect the front-line services in our libraries.
“I will do my best to make sure there are no other cuts.” She will speak at Friends of Highgate Library’s annual meeting in Chester Road tonight (Thursday). |
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