Proposals to close 14 of the county’s 52 public libraries are symptoms of a society turning its back on culture and community, say authors
Hampshire’s most famous literary resident, Jane Austen, must be spinning in her grave at the council’s mooted plans to close up to 14 of the county’s 52 libraries, according to local authors protesting the move.
Hampshire county council, which currently runs 48 libraries and supports a further four community-managed branches, said on Thursday that it is facing an anticipated budget shortfall of £80m by April 2021, and must cut £1.76m from its library budget. To this end, it is consulting on proposals that include closing up to 14 libraries, including the withdrawal of support from four community-managed sites, or reducing opening hours across the board.
Related: Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell on why we need libraries – an essay in pictures
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