There are worst crimes than burning books, like never reading them

Hearing that libraries are under increasing threat of extinction is fearsome. The old adage ‘use them or lose them’ has never been more pertinent.

What has gone wrong when parents can’t introduce their children to what can be a magical lifetime of books?

When I was a child, the Saturday afternoon routine for my sister and myself involved walking to Firth Park Library with our father to choose books for the week while mother had a bit of ‘me’ time.

The children’s library was a place of total quiet. You could be chastised by the librarian for talking above a whisper. But we were very disciplined children, treated the books with respect and looked forward to graduating to the ‘big’ library.

We enjoyed ice creams from the café in the Clock Tower next to the library and watching children sail boats in the boating lake. Up to the shops to buy bags of sweets, and spending Saturday evening sat by the fire reading our book.

During the late 1950s many of us were devastated to hear that one of our pop idols Billy Fury visited Firth Park Library with his then girlfriend who was known theatrically as ‘Lady Lee’ and whose family lived at Page Hall. She eventually married Kenny Everett.

There were few districts in Sheffield without a library. The beautiful Central Library was of Art Deco design, with those at Upperthorpe, Highfield and Burngreave of Florentine Renaissance style.

My local library at Hillsborough which is a joy to visit was originally a ‘gentleman’s residence’. Originally called Hillsborough House, it was renamed Hillsborough Hall by John Rodgers a cutlery firm owner, passing eventually in 1865 to James Dixon, a well-known Sheffield silversmith, with streets around the area named after family members. The present and very beautiful walled garden dates back to that time with an amazing café in the stable block.

But the important thing about libraries is the books.

And, never put off until tomorrow the book you can read today!