Sir – Now that Oxfordshire’s libraries are to be reprieved, can we all please turn our minds to the cuts facing Oxfordshire History Service, comprising the Centre for Oxfordshire Studies, formerly in Westgate Library and the Oxfordshire Record Office in St Luke’s Church, Cowley?
It is facing a proposed funding cut of 40 per cent, which translates as a reduction in staffing levels from 21 to 13, while physically combining in one building, which is not large enough for either body to perform core functions.
This is at a time when local history is part of the national curriculum and when, thanks to history websites and TV programmes such as Who do you think you are?, interest in local history is booming.
Many people in all walks of life value historical documents and their custodians, yet because nobody will die if our history service takes a big financial hit, it is a soft target for the likes of the county council leader Keith Mitchell.
I am now appealing to academics, actors, authors, artists, celebrities, musicians and ordinary people throughout Oxfordshire to come to the rescue.
Don’t let Keith hamstring Oxfordshire History Service either!
Caroline Dalton, Wheatley
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