I MUST admit, having heard him address a recent Calne Area Board meeting, that I am not entirely surprised that Jonathon Seed's letter repeats an ill-informed reaction to criticism.

There was no true consultation regarding the experimental changes to Calne library beyond a hurriedly produced pamphlet days before the last Calne Area Board meeting. I have no information concerning the meeting Mr Seed mentions on January 26. and can only assume that people were recovering from the Brit-exit UKIP charade held on January 24 but I digress.

Mr Boaler voices concerns which require addressing. It is immaterial from which party political direction they stem. There is most certainly concern that this public building in the centre of our town is left unstaffed during extended periods, with access limited. To assume that the cuts imposed by central government are to be cushioned in this way is little more than a delusion. Should staff cuts follow, the truth will be out. We are assured that this will not be the case. A more inventive and progressive approach is needed for this building, retaining its library resources and staffing as a priority but giving thought to further development, the subject of another discussion, hopefully in a more democratic manner than so far.

As this largely undisclosed pilot scheme is now about to be implemented for a trial year, reaction from the local community, library users during the pilot, past users and ideas for future development from the community at large, must be obtained, beyond a comment sheet in the library itself, before further decisions are taken. This is, after all, new territory for even Jonathan Seed, Wiltshire Cabinet Member for Libraries.

JAMES SAXTON

Via email