Take a Stand

A room without books is like a body without a soul.

- Cicero

Do governments have a duty of care to their citizens and as such should they provide free access to books in the form of libraries? In the United Kingdom libraries are being shut down due to the lack of use. This is the reason the government decided to shut the libraries down, because they feel it is a waste of space. A lot of people are protesting in many parts of the UK, causing the government to rethink actions.

A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend.

~Author Unknown

I strongly believe that even if the budget is suffering, there is no need to tear down libraries. A library is a place where regardless of your bank account, race, age, or past, you can learn. You can gain knowledge from the internet or books that are completely free. People that don't have computers go to libraries for school projects or to interact with others, such as on Facebook. People that can't afford books might go to libraries in order to look up information or read for pleasure.

Im convinced reading is one of the most important things in the world. It allows you to escape reality. To learn about the past. To be someone else in the present. To look into the future. Reading inspires you. A book can let you live out your dreams. But most importantly, makes you wiser. The government has no right to take this away.

"A librarian is the thin red line between barbarism and civilization." Neil Gaiman once said this. I agree. Without libraries where would we be? We wouldn't be well educated. We wouldn't speak the languages we do. Libraries make us who we are, civilized.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.

- Charles W. Eliot