A leading Scottish children’s author has criticised Moray Council for closing four of the region’s libraries during Book Week Scotland.
Yesterday, Lari Don was at Rothes Library, which is due to shut on Saturday as part of a series of closures that will also hit facilities in Portknockie, Hopeman and Findochty.
The author, who grew up in Dufftown, said: “To close the libraries at any time is dreadful and wrong.
“But to do it this week almost makes it seem like they are trying to be ironic or they are rubbing salt in the wounds.
“It makes me wonder if anyone at Moray Council even knows that it is National Book Week.”
The author, who has written more than 20 books, was in Rothes to read to a group of children from the village primary school.
She said: “I travel up and down Scotland giving many readings in libraries and, up until recently, Moray has always been an extremely positive place to come.
“If I’d to pick a council that would now be trying to close so many libraries, it would never have been Moray.
“And the decision to close the libraries is perverse. It doesn’t even make sense from a financial standpoint.
“People talk about the internet but it will never replace the need for libraries.
“The irreplaceable thing about a library is that you don’t have to buy a book in order to read it.
“That fact allows children to experiment, to find out what they like to read.”
Moray Council last week reversed its decision to close three libraries – Dufftown, Burghead and Cullen.
However, the Save Our Libraries Moray campaign group is currently still seeking legal advice on mounting a challenge to the closures of the other four.
Ms Don added: “I’m over the moon that Dufftown Library has been saved but I’m shocked and sad for the other communities that are about to lose their libraries.
“The campaign against the closures has been fantastically well organised and supported. However, it has still only been a partial success, and that’s not good enough.”
In response, Allan Wright, the leader of Moray Council, said he was aware it was currently Book Week Scotland.
He said: “We’re celebrating the week in Moray. That’s why we have a number of other authors visiting libraries across the region.”