Removal of this vital hub will wreck town

Shepton Mallet Library is the key community amenity at the hub ofthe town centre. To lose it would be devastating to both the socialand economic wellbeing of the area.

The past year has been one of hope: a moderate advance in theweekly market, Town Street is as lively as it has been for ageneration and three new shops opened following the TV series TurnBack Time .

The library closure threat is a body blow to the efforts of somany.

Many of us believe the policy of library closures is wrong - butwe feel we have to point out what makes Shepton Mallet Library socrucial.

It is the key community facility in the town centre.

Together with the banks and post office it is key to bringingpeople into the town centre and therefore essential to make retail and growth viable - without it the already weak retail in thetown centre would be damaged, there would be a knock on detrimentaleffect to the town economy.

It has one of the most high-profile positions in the town.

It forms the backdrop for the weekly market on a Friday. Visitorsto the library are essential for the success of the market. Takeone ingredient away and all may falter.

The town centre is full of accommodation for the elderly and vulnerable members of the community. The library is a vitalfacility for them.

The library is invaluable for giving computer and internet accessto these sections of the community who may otherwise be denied.

Without a JobCentre in the town, the library and its computers iscrucial for those looking for work.

Shepton Mallet has virtually no educational facilities for thoseover 16. Again, the library's computers are an essential lifeline.Access to the wider range of books through Libraries West is animportant part of this. Encouraging a culture of lifelong learningis important.

Teachers and school governors are pointing out how important thelibrary is for encouraging reading and literacy in the young.

There is no other source for large-print books and tapes.

Shepton Mallet has no internet cafe, no bookshop and no DVDshop. There are no alternatives to the library.

It is a fundamental source of community information. Only some ofthis is available from the Tourist Information Centre.

With a bus fare of Pounds 5 to Wells, trips to a library wouldbecome unfeasible to many, especially the more vulnerable sectionsof the community.

It is vital that a fully equipped and networked library exists.Without, it one of the key lynchpins of the fabric of the townwould be wiped away and the damage would spread far wider. It wouldbe a death knell to an already vulnerable town centre and damage communities for over 25,000 people.

Jeannette Marsh Chairman Shepton Mallet Town Council