Devon County Council mobile library cuts are cruel, says Michael Rosen

Author Michael Rosen has called a council's decision to close its mobile library service "an act of cruelty".

The former children's laureate, 77, said Devon County Council's move deprived rural communities of access to information.

The Conservative-run council's cabinet axed the service due to the cost of replacing its fleet of library vans.

It said it was exploring ways to boost its home library and digital services.

The council's Liberal Democrats "called-in" the original decision for further examination in September, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A campaign to save the libraries, set up by Torridge Lib Dem councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, has since received more than 2,000 signatures.

Rosen, whose books include children's classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt, said he backed the campaign - also supported by author Stephen Fry - because the move "took books away from people".

The author, who survived a severe bout of Covid in 2020, said books gave people many things, including culture, information and pleasure.

"If you deprive people of these, this is an act of cruelty, at the end of the day," he told BBC Radio Devon.

"You are depriving them of access to all these things we value and cherish."

He said offering digital services as a replacement for the mobile libraries was not a good substitute, particularly for older people.

"There is something tangible and physical, which is about putting a book in someone's hands," he said.

The council said it was "totally committed" to delivering a modern library service.

"We are enormously proud of our library service in Devon and remain totally committed to delivering a first-rate, modern service that residents can access in different ways," a spokesman said.

"Part of our commitment is also to library users who cannot attend their nearest static library, for whatever reason.

"We do not intend to take away their access to the library services, but do want to explore how we can make better use of our Home Library and Good Neighbours services, as well as our digital services - all of which deliver books and other materials to people at home - rather than maintain the costly and ageing mobile library vans that are reaching the end of their serviceable life."

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