Alan Gibbons has launched a campaign to save both public and school libraries from drastic cuts. In this, the National Year of Reading, when so much is being done to promote rading, drastic cuts are rtaking place in our libraries denying millions of being able to read new literature.
Not everyone can afford to buy new book, libraries allow all of us to read the latest fiction. After all ‘books are free in your library’.
Alans outline is listed below
We, the signatories of this Charter commit ourselves to campaigning for the following:
1. The central place of reading for pleasure in society
2. A proper balance of book provision and Information Technology in public and school libraries
3. The defence of public libraries and librarians from attempts to cut spending in a ‘soft’ area
4. An extension of the role of the school librarian and a recognition of the school library as a key engine of learning.
5. The recruitment of more school librarians. It is a national scandal that less than a third of secondary schools has a trained librarian
6. The defence of the professional status of the public and school librarian. Opposition to downgrading. In some places this has reduced librarians’ salaries by up to half
7. The promotion of reading whole books in school rather than excerpts
8. A higher profile for reading for pleasure in schools, including shadowing book awards, inviting authors and illustrators to visit, developing school creative writing magazines
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