Rural residents could be left isolated by change to mobile library

“Geraint - I have just red arrowed you. Try putting yourself in the place of someone who lives on their own in a village, is elderly, possibly finds walking difficult, has a lousy bus service so has relied in a mobile library to keep their brain active. Or how about a young mother in a low earning family with no car and a similar lousy bus service? I have every sympathy with anyone in that situation, and I certainly don't agree with the alternative of letting your brain cells atrophy for lack of stimulation.”

“I read a fair bit, my wife is a very avid reader, our house is full of books and we also live out in the sticks. That said - neither of us has used a public library in decades! The world has moved on - get with cheap and cheerful bookshops or go online where second hand books are as cheap as chips and let's keep taxpayers money going where genuine needs exists. OK folks - off you go with the red arrows!”

“@IsitJimKerr and as for the "don't play the victim" People ARE victims of the cuts and there is no "playing" about it. Whether you believe cuts need to be made or not the cuts that are being made are impacting on the most vulnerable in our society. Gloucestershire County Council in their incompetence are making it even harder. If they had handled this better then at least people would know what to expect instead of having a service taken from them with no information at all provided. It is the least they can do.”

“@IsitJimKerr your comment smacks of "i am alright Jack" and is somewhat patronising. People cannot always afford ereaders. 40% of Gloucestershire do not have access to the internet. Elderly people should not just be abandoned and expected to "keep with the times" and I know few parents who can afford ereaders for their children. And why should they?! You say "cope with change" books are far from being dead yet and it is a terrible shame that young rural children will not be able to access them anymore through the library bus, nor will elderly people or job-seekers who do not have finances for "alternatives". People who are paying their taxes like everyone else are having services taken away because they live in rural areas. This is hardly "playing the victim card" this is asking to be considered when cuts are drawn up and to be kept informed, as Glos is a large rural county the County Council should be at pains to do this. "making alternatives" is easier said than done when the public transport that could get you to alternatives is non-existent or being cut. Many people, including the elderly would hate to feel like a burden to their neighbours and have to rely on them to get them to a library. It is not that easy to just whizz to the nearest town with a library, which was the whole point of the mobile libraries is in the first place. There is still a need for them.
So, please don't play the "I don't need it so no one else will either" card.”

“Yes well that doesn't help people who have lived all their lives in rural villages. They just see their council taxes rising and rising whilst what they are getting for their money is going down. Hence the mobile libraries being cut. Thankfully I am not one of these people being affected but it doesn't stop me from caring about people who are stranded, and who rely on people such as myself to run errands for them.”

“Hmmmmmmmmmmm................rural or city life?
Can't see the queue going into towns or cities, but the one coming out is driving the prices through the roof.
THAT'S what you get for your couple of grand, and you know it.”

“It is like everything else "rural", you still have to pay the same council tax but get very little in return. No buses, no drains cleared, no roads salted in the winter, very few roads repaired, no street lighting. In fact the only thing I can see you do get on a regular basis is the refuse collections. I haven't quite worked out what the £2k/£3k per year council tax is actually going towards, with regards to rural communities.”

“No problem accepting that things need to change in difficult financial times, but honesty from the council would be appreciated, not this culture of secrecy.”

“While I totally understand the need for mobile libraries, and myself hate e.readers etc, always want the tactile books etc, I accept that we have to make cuts.
That the service will continue in some shape or form, and may not visit your particular village, hamelet, settlement, etc, surely arrangements can be made around the visit to a nearby town or village.
If you currently are not served by the service, then you are already making alternative arrangements, it just needs those that will see changes to realise that the world is moving, and as you have coped with changes in the past, there is a requirement to do so in the future.
Please don't play the 'victim' card.”

“I await the answers to this with interest http://tinyurl.com/ayesb85”