The Guardian view on public libraries: these vital spaces provide much more than books | Editorial

Offering everything from coding clubs to company, they are more essential than ever as other services vanish When Liverpool’s Spellow Hub library was torched in this summer’s far-right riots, an appeal quickly raised more than £250,000 to restore the facility. That was testament to the community’s deep attachment, but also to the broader appreciation of the value that libraries bring to society. Yet they are in crisis – again. Thirteen have closed in Merseyside. The UK has lost one in 20 since 2016, with 180 closed in that time, a BBC investigation has revealed. The most deprived areas are around four times more likely to lose a library than the richest. Overall, library spending has halved since 2010-11.