Suffolk: Top authors condemn libraries axe (UK)

"Some of the country's top authors have spoken of their shock and anger at Suffolk County Council's plans to close two thirds of its libraries. The council's proposal to axe 29 branches unless volunteers come forward to run them have been described as 'shocking' and 'a terrible tragedy'. Baroness Ruth Rendell, who lives near Hadleigh, urged local people to fight against the plans. I can't say how strongly I feel about this; what a shocking thing it is,' she said. 'I'm not surprised by the closures, just the number of closures. I don't know what they think they're doing - how can they do this to libraries and do this to books? It’s very bad and sad and awful.' The 80-year-old crime writer, who has sold millions of copies of her novels and is best known for her Inspector Wexford series, said: 'Naturally I don't like the government - I'm a Labour peer - but the idea of closing 29 libraries?..."