Boris Johnson creates trust to save libraries at risk of closure

Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor, Evening Standard, 13 Jan 2011

Boris Johnson will tonight announce plans to set up a trust to run libraries in London that are at risk of closure.
It would “manage and improve” libraries for councils that could no longer afford to do so.

A third of London's public libraries are at risk of closure because of government spending cuts. Borrowers are likely to see their local branch shut, restricting access to the “civilising” impact of literature, as well as learning facilities and free internet.

The trust would be run by Team London, which is being set up by the Mayor this summer to bring together all his mentoring and volunteering projects.

Banks and individuals will be asked to top up existing funds. Private donors have already contributed £2 million.
The Mayor will tell the London Government dinner tonight: “Why can't we use Team London to create a trust to manage and improve libraries on behalf of boroughs that can no longer afford to do it themselves?”

There are 52 million visits to London libraries a year — seven per person — and Londoners borrow about 40 million books a year and seven million CDs and DVDs.