Buckinghamshire library emptied in cuts protest

Library-users emptied a town's library of books in protest against plans to close it down. People took their maximum allowance of books from Stony Stratford library, Milton Keynes - clearing all 16,000 volumes from its shelves. Milton Keynes Council is considering closing the library to save £26m in 2011/12.

Friends of Stony Stratford Library (FOSSL) said they were amazed at how everyone had pulled together. Emily Malleson of FOSSL added that she calculated that books had been taken out at a rate of around 378 per hour. "A local resident mentioned the idea, maybe as a joke, but we thought it was a great idea," she said. "I put it on Facebook and emailed everyone I could think of and it's just gone absolutely mad.
I think it's a very simple but clever idea and it's given something that people can act on and make their voice heard. It shows it's such an important part of the community and well-used by everyone and not just for books - for DVDs, computers, spoken work. The amount of support is just staggering."

More than 500 supporters have joined a Facebook page and there are also written and online petitions against the proposed closure. The council's final budget is due to be decided on 22 February.
In other libraries across the UK, protesters held "read-ins" and storytelling sessions to campaign against planned branch closures. At one library in south London the event turned into an all-night sit-in involving about 35 protesters.
Doncaster is planning to axe 14 out of 26 branches. Doncaster's mayor, Peter Davies, said he regretted having to cut funding to libraries, but said he was morally obliged to continue other vital services. More than 450 libraries and mobile services across the country are currently threatened with closure. Some councils have said keeping libraries open would put services for vulnerable and elderly people at risk.

Question 1 (2 points)
Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) There were no books left in Stony Stratford library at the end of the campaign.
b) The success of the Stony Stratford campaign was expected.
c) Emily Malleson used her computer to advertise the campaign.
d) Doncaster plans to close all of its libraries.

Question 2 (2 points)
Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) In what different ways did people show their opposition to the closures of libraries?
b) Which people would suffer if these libraries remain open?

Question 3 (1.5 points)
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) to work hard in a group to try to do something (paragraph 2)
b) a protest when people occupy a public building (paragraph 4)
c) money given by an organization for an event or activity (paragraph 5)

Question 4 (1.5 points)
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) People took their maximum allowance of books from Stony Stratford library, Milton
Keynes.
The maximum allowance ……………….
b) Emily Malleson said “It is a very simple but clever idea and it's given
something that people can act on and make their voice heard.”
According to Emily Malleson, it
c) Protesters held "read-ins" and storytelling sessions to campaign against planned
branch closures. At one library in south London the event turned into an all-night
sit-in involving about 35 protesters.
Not only …………………………………. ….., but also

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
“Protests do not need to be big to be effective.” Do you agree?

Doncaster library protest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIEYP9z5QVQ

Watch the video about the protest against the closure of Doncaster libraries.
Which person (1 – 8) says these things (a – h)?

1 Simon Barron, Voices for the Library

2 David Blythe, Author

3 Lauren Smith, Librarian

4 Katie Marshall, Student

5 Older, blonde woman

6 Man in black woolen hat

7 Man in black and blue woolen hat

8 Little girl in library


a goes to the library every evening.

b thinks the council should think again about the logic of closing all these libraries.

c. is worried about people becoming isolated if libraries close.

d had two heroes when he was young: his father and Doctor Who (the hero of a lot of
books)

e thinks libraries are part of education.

f thinks that children and pensioners will miss libraries tremendously.
g thinks that if libraries close now, they will never reopen again.

h considers that libraries are particularly important for kids to do their homework and
learn.