Council defies public and goes ahead with library closures (Croydon, UK)

Croydon Council is to close "several" of the borough's libraries, according to a letter from a councillor in a neighbouring borough. This apparent determination to close any Croydon libraries comes in spite of overwhelming public opposition to closure plans in a consultation conducted by the council 12 months ago and the council's legal requirement to provide a comprehensive and efficient public library service. Croydon's libraries, under the malign stewardship of Councillor Sara "Book Token" Bashford, have endured a policy of "managed neglect" since 2010, with trained librarians made redundant or retired and unreplaced. When Bashford's scheme to pick off up to six of Croydon's libraries for closure encountered widespread hostility from local residents there was a public change of tack - Inside Croydon