Sir – On Saturday, March 19, the campaign group Friends of Blackbird Leys Library held a family awareness-raising event which was a huge success.
In bright spring sunshine, the posters and flags outside the library drew in many passers-by. First, children’s author Shoo Rayner read stories and led action songs for a large group of children, while their parents signed the petition, bought raffle tickets to support the work of the Friends, and chatted with campaigners. Children were also given badges, book marks and tattoos.
Shoo Rayner then cut an enormous cake, on which the icing read, ‘Love your library: it is threatened with closure. Make your voice heard’. ‘I’m glad this is the only cut I have to make today’, the author quipped.
While families, old and young, continued to come and go and enjoy the event, regular users worked on the computers, exchanged their books, read the papers, and socialized with the friends they ran into.
Blackbird Leys Library, as many readers know, is situated at the centre of the estate. It is quite literally at its heart.
I recently heard a rumour that David Cameron is personally embarrassed by the proposed closure of this facility. If this is true, I’m not surprised. And if it isn’t, it certainly should be.
Tessa Roynon, Oxford
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