Dear Sirs,
I have already written in protest concerning the threatened closure of the Bury Knowle Library.
The closure of any library is an affront to culture and civilization.
Possibly the argument for closing this wonderful little library is that it is situated in parkland and therefore merely a decorative feature of the landscape. This is an absurd argument. The more attractive the surroundings in which one reads, the better. Many of us, particularly in our youth, regard libraries as a refuge.
Headington has recently been looking up, possibly because of reflected glory from the revived new Ashmolean. We do form a part of the world-renowned cultural centre which is Oxford. However, it is sad and mistaken to look upon the recently installed Waitrose as in anyway a compensation for a lost library. We have minds as well as stomachs. The cultivation of mind is more to be prized than any superstore.
Sincerely, Brian Aldiss O.B.E. 12 December 2010
http://www.brianwaldiss.org/
