I think everyone should consider these statistics a little before jumping in with assertions. From my own investigations the loans figure is not good (obviously it has gone down!). However, whilst they were down on 2008/9, they are still up on 2007/8. 2008/9 showed the first year-on-year increase in the entire history of CIPFA stats on library usage so it was always a tall order to have two years increase in a row. Also worth pointing out that loans of childrens' books has also increased.

As for library visits, they will continue to decline and are not worthy of using as a measure of the service I am afraid, certainly as web visits continue to rise.

Miranda
The successful work of the Reading Agency and other bodies in promoting literacy and reading is to be hugely celebrated but we must not shy away from asking the tough questions about how the library service is performing in each of the 151 authorities. As reports of your own recent round table discussion suggest these include poor leadership, too many organisations involved, too many separately managed authorities and the lack of a clear vision for the service in the 21st Century. Added to these are serious issues related to the management of resources, the use of technology and the escalating central service charges imposed on authorities. We need to have the courage to face up to the complex issues and the vision to bring about change and improvement that benefits everyone who relies upon public libraries whatever their age and post code. It would be helpful if we all acknwledged that there are complex and wider problems otherwise we risk believing our own spin and deceiving elected members of councils and the public.

Responsibility for the delivery of library services in England is squarely with local Councillors. Anyone who visits Norfolk and takes a look at what that Council is doing in its public library services can see for themselves why their services are so popular.

In many other places uninviting, decrepit infrastructure does not help. And in many places Councillors shrink from the necessary closures and reforms, perversely because of the opprobrium they fear from well-intentioned campaigners who abet those in all places whose conservative (small c) instincts are averse to change of any kind.

"Localism" is however a potent force. If neighbourhoods want better services then people need to fight for them. My personal 'hero' is now-Councillor Don McCubbin, who led the local campaign to maintain library services in Irby (Wirral). He formed a large group "friends of Irby Library", articulated a brilliant case for a community-based service, and has since been elected to represent his Ward! Irby's building was not decrepit, incidentally; the local authority (and local Councillors) had merely overlooked the value people placed in their local services.

Which is why MLA is consistently clear that the first step for a Council is to create a strategy for improving and developing library services; only then can closures be seen in a proper context. Too many instances have arisen of closures leading strategy, rather than the other (right) way round.

What people will also want is increasingly unfettered access to e-books and other digital publishing. You can see the growth in digital use in the CIPFA figures. But it is of huge concern in strategic terms that so few voices are being raised to support the inevitable revolution this represents. Music was here half-a-dozen years ago and producers had to change their business model to meet consumer demand. Now publishers need to be persuaded too; and public libraries and their users should be clamouring for change. We have written to Ministers with our advice in this area.

The underlying messages of the CIPFA statistics are clear: people value excellent, modern library services. The figures should be a wake-up call to local Councillors, who should be leading local strategies for improving delivery and reaching more people not - as too many Councillors are doing - simply resisting closures of ill-suited buildings serving dwindling numbers of users.

Roy, I had understood that the Secretary of State had a statutory duty under the 1964 Act to superintend councils to ensure that they provided a comprehensive and efficient public library service. Did not the Parliamentary Select Committee instruct the DCMS and its agencies to "up their game". That does not mean passing the buck to elected councillors and washing your hands of it while you do so.