The hearing tomorrow will be an exciting moment and I am sure that The Bookseller will report and describe it properly and eloquently.

However as this exchange of comments already shows clearly, irrespective of the the views of the Judge in the court in Birmingham, there are important things to be said at the outset.

Of these I think the readers of this journal should realise the extraordinary endeavour of local people in several different parts of the country who, even a year ago, would never have contemplated that they would have to fsce the ludicrous operation of the state in our country, in the way that they have.

I would list, and beg forgiveness for my omissions, people in Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Warwickshire, Doncaster, The Isle of Wight, Brent and Lewisham- and campaigners like The Voice of the Libraries, Shirley Burnham, Alan Gibbons, Ian Anstice and Desmond Clarke. It is all of these who deserve the applause of democracy and honest people.

What they have uncovered and exposed, as Shirley ably demonstrates above, is the extraordinary humbug and manipulation of officials of the state, in local Government, in Ministers, in national Government and in all the so-called 'stakeholder quangoes' and charities of obscure and normally nameless people who subsersively, with self interest at heart, and with manipulation to the fore front of their activity cnoduct the ineptitude of our libraries.

Public libraries - and these people's efforts to value and save them- will never achieve the Splash headline of the national news, simply because there is always something more exciting for journalists. But the issue of public libraries lies in the engine room of our culture and the failure of those who we hold to account, to maintain and cherish the reason why they exist and their existence, reflects, finally, on everything we do.

What has been uncovered will also be recognised by educated readers of this site- the behaviour of Ministers, civil servants and local and national officials exposes our country as one which has progressed little beyond the confusions and incompetencies of nineteenth century Russia. The roguery and imbecilities are no better than those captured so well by Gogol, Chekhov and Tolstoy. What a miserable scene we have to behold.

We await the Birmingham Library trials with fascination and fractious foreboding

Turning, ducking or diving undermines faith in the public body and the democratic process. The "statement" from Mr Montgomery does not explain why the LSC has disregarded decisions of its own panel.

Many involved in defending the public services they value are taxpayers. Their taxes are supposed to fund the service in question [in this case, Public Libraries] established to reduce society's inequities and give access to all. Such citizens, many of modest economic means, are now being forced to raise tens of thousands of Pounds to fund actions against perceived illegality and maladministration of local authorites that affect the most needy communities. Decent taxpayers understand that some of what they pay out is for the common good. They expect the system to be set up to protect the common good.

It is not surprising, therefore, given the hoops through which citizens of good faith are being made to jump -- and the picking of their pockets -- that many suspect foul play.

We have, here, a situation akin to innocents entering a casino where all the gaming tables are rigged.