I write in response to City of York Council’s proposal to cut £300,000 in each of the next two years from its funding contract with Explore library services (The Press online, January 17).

Like many others I completely rely on my local branch library for internet access and printing documents.

Because I use library services nearly every day, I joined the local library volunteers as a ‘thank you’.

Library volunteers save library services £240k each year. We give up our valuable time freely because it is such an important service and invaluable to the local community.

It encourages learning for all ages, via different media sources, and also provides free fun events.

Many people have been inspired to greater things by their use of the library. Branch libraries are a necessity for the elderly and disabled people with limited mobility/transport access.

Closing down local libraries will deprive low income households, like mine, of their free access to the internet and its potential to help them with their situation. In short, the disadvantaged will be put at a further disadvantage.

If the local branch libraries are closed, I imagine that the buildings will be sold off to developers and those communities will lose that service ad infinitum.

Name and address supplied, Poppleton, York