Shani Vavruch, Bergvliet
In these times of upheaval and chaos, why would our city authorities decide to close down a functioning library (”Plumstead library to close,“ Bulletin January 20)?
A library is an asset to its community. In a time of rising prices while everything is becoming more expensive and books exorbitantly so, a library provides books for people who can no longer afford them.
In a time of children being unsettled by schools closed for long periods, which affects their education, a library is still a safe haven where they can also improve their reading ability and research school projects.
In a time of abnormal circumstances, a library still provides a space of calm and familiarity for all of us to forget the strangeness of the world outside.
As a member of a readers’ circle that uses Plumstead library to provide our reading material, I can attest that we will be affected negatively by the closure of this library. We have built up a relationship with the staff of the library, they know our needs (specifically Afrikaans books) and are always willing to go the extra mile to find what we are looking for.
Why would the city authorities and councillor Eddie Andrews, in particular, decide it is a good idea to close Plumstead library? Surely there are other ways of cutting costs? We need this library. We expect you to build up our community, not to break it down.
• Councillor Eddie Andrews was asked for comment, but the City’s media office responded to say it had no further comment.