Sir – If libraries are closed down this would be wanton destruction of something of which the UK can be rightly proud. The cultural and community vacuum in a country like Argentina, which has no public libraries, is not something to be copied.

Given that the Coalition plan to sort out the deficit by 2015, some sort of compromise is probably needed to keep the libraries going until then: shorter hours, less staff, more volunteers, possibly subscriptions should be introduced.

What does not seem to have been suggested by the powers that be is that those at the top, ie, council officers/ executives on salaries of more than £80,000 should be cut back, several are on salaries of over £150,000.

If these jobs were removed and the one or two necessary leaders were paid salaries around £80,000, this would keep a lot of libraries open. Doubtless these large pay packages are well sewn up and will involve huge redundancy and pension payments, unlike many city bankers who receive three months salary when they are made redundant.

But it would be worth doing, because the necessity for these public officials could then be properly considered and renegotiated, with a limit on these salaries and posts, at any rate in Oxfordshire, put in place for the future.

Rosanne Bostock, Oxford