Deary's attack on libraries

Libraries 'have had their day', says Horrible Histories author, Terry Deary:
"I'm not attacking libraries, I'm attacking the concept behind libraries, which is no longer relevant," Deary told the Guardian, pointing out that the original Public Libraries Act, which gave rise to the first free public libraries in the UK, was passed in 1850. "Because it's been 150 years, we've got this idea that we've got an entitlement to read books for free, at the expense of authors, publishers and council tax payers. This is not the Victorian age, when we wanted to allow the impoverished access to literature. We pay for compulsory schooling to do that," said Deary, who has received hate mail since he first aired his views in the Sunderland Echo yesterday.
"Books aren't public property, and writers aren't Enid Blyton, middle-class women indulging in a pleasant little hobby. They've got to make a living. Authors, booksellers and publishers need to eat. We don't expect to go to a food library to be fed."

Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson disagrees:
"the booksellers all blamed Amazon, and to some extent ebooks, for their decline," she said. "If yet more bookshops close and people can only find books online, without public libraries there would be no place for children to physically browse and discover their tastes in reading. And publishers would only be able to publish the most popular titles, so that far more authors would be out of a living."
"In reality, libraries are the places where our readers and book-buyers are created. Without the huge choice of books which libraries provide, children are not going to discover their favourite authors, and will not then be asking for books for their birthdays or buying them when they are adults with their own money," she said.
Donaldson did agree with Deary that "writers need to make a living", and admitted that it "annoys me when we are often expected to do events for free", but said she had "never met any other author who feels that libraries are robbing them of their income. Like him I am one of the country's most-borrowed authors … but I think it is partly for this reason that we are also among the bestselling ones".

My thoughts:
As a librarian- to-be and avid book lover with a tiny budget thanks to the whole being a student thingy, I'm a major fan of libraries. I had a period where I didn't use them much, but now it's back on. I haven't bought any new books for I think almost half a year, because I can't afford to nor do I have the storage space. I've got a few to-be-purchased, books in series I'm already collecting etc, but most of my favourite reads I get from the library database. And I love that.

Personally I think Deary's way off. He's maxed out the amount of money he can be paid and he's bitter about that, he wants more. In a way, I can understand, who doesn't want to be paid in full? But I support Donaldson's arguments about the positive effects of libraries and to Deary I can only say; that's just how it is. That sounds crude, but I don't know how to argument it properly, it's just some of the drawbacks to the library system. But like Donaldson also in part mentions, many claim that it's internet shopping, self publishing and book prices of $1 that screws up the market and customers expectations and what they're willing to pay. We don't live in a perfect world, where good comes to all those who deserve it, but I believe it would be made worse if we disbanded libraries and free access to literature, good and bad.

In a way, I think it's unrealistic for authors to expect to live off being published. The world is way too big and global, there are too many others doing the exact same thing and I just don't think it's an option for most. Big good/lucky authors can manage to get an income that kicks ass, like Rowling, Meyer, Martin, King - there are tons of names. But there are millions of authors who never get anywhere, and then there are those who make some money of their writings but not a fortune.

SOURCE Libraries 'have had their day', says Horrible Histories author
SOURCE Julia Donaldson defends libraries from Terry Deary's attack


  1. I saw this article the other day. I wonder if Deary thinks that everyone can suddenly afford to buy each and every book they read just because he might be able to? The whole thing is just absurd. I'm a cautious buyer and always will be even if I have tons of money. If nothing else the library exposes people to books that they may not have even considered. I'll wager that many of his fans found him through a library.

    1. Everything you just said is point on.


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