Pupils join fight to save Morecambe Library

Pupils from Year Four at West End Primary School, Morecambe, are upset the council propose to change their local library and have written letters.

Year 4 children from West End school were so upset when they heard the library might be turned into a self-service ‘satellite library’ they put pen to paper in protest.

Head teacher Steve Wetherill forwarded us 24 copies of letters sent by the pupils to Lancashire County Council.

Willow Westby wrote: “Please save Morecambe Library because it will change our lives and the older people’s lives because the library has been there through their childhood.”

Jessie Leigh Higgins wrote: “Children just like me will be very upset because they probably go every day.”

Mr Wetherill said: “We had a library visit, some of the children watched a film.

“Then we had a discussion about it and we wanted to support the cause.

“The children wrote the letters as part of an English exercise. A town the size of Morecambe should have a central library hub.

“I know quite a few of the children use it.

“You’ve got a high percentage of older people living in Morecambe who use it  too.”

Meanwhile The Visitor has also taken part in the public consultation to keep the library exactly as it is.

We wrote to Lancashire County Council strongly opposing the plans because the library is a vital service for the community and because the reference library upstairs is also home to the only archive of past copies of The Visitor newspaper going back to the 19th century.

Members of the public can access back copies of our newspaper on microfiche using a special machine on the library first floor.

Library staff help visitors to set up the machine and keep the archive updated on a weekly basis.

Lancashire County Council assured us that they take very seriously any archives or collections under their control, and the importance of the public having access to them.

They promised to keep us informed of any decisions made as nothing is definite while the public consultation into the future of local libraries is ongoing.

The Labour-run county council is conducting a countywide review of its buildings because they need to save £200m by 2021.

The public consultation on the future of Morecambe Library and children’s centres runs until August 14.

You can find hard copies of the consultation document at local libraries and children’s centres, and on line at www.lancashire.gov.uk .