The benefits of a library card are limitless. I spent a good part of my childhood inside my local library, encouraged by my parents at first and then driven by the love of reading they and the library helped instill in me. It is safe to say that my ambition and drive to write fiction was born in those days combing the shelves for the next thing to borrow and devour. Now, in this age of austerity, with libraries closing both here and in the U.S, Pinal County Library District’s excellent series of Penguin style book covers extolling the benefits of library membership could not be a more timely reminder of just why libraries are important.

Library Disocver Worlds

As a family we visit the library at least once a week and it’s always a great pleasure to see my kids making the most of such a vital part of our community. As a writer I have even made the most of the quiet public space the library has to offer, often taking myself off to the library for a few hours whenever the opportunity arose. In fact, a good number of the stories in my forthcoming collection were written in my local library, not to mention the chapters of my novel which were hammered out under the libraries welcoming roof, which explains why this particular cover struck a chord with me:

Library Write Your Novel

You only have to look at the various covers on the Pinal County Library District Pinterest page to get a sense of the breadth of support, assistance and content a library offers those who use it. Closing a library is the act of a wasteful and short-sighted government. For how to help save the Lincolnshire libraries check out the Save Lincolnshire Libraries website and sign the online petition here.