Petition · past parliament · Cabinet Office

Keep libraries open as essential services.

Closed 23 signatures

What the petition asks

Class libraries as essential so they can remain open. Books are a lifeline for those who cannot afford to buy and with homeschooling thrust upon children, libraries are an essential resource education wise. With test and trace and other safety measures in place libraries are as safe as supermarkets.
Libraries are essential to many home educators, especially to the those unable to buy new or second hand. The benefits of reading on mental health are also well documented. In this extraordinary time of homeschooling and social isolation, libraries are a lifeline to many people and closing them affects only the poorest in society. With strict measures already in place, e.g limiting numbers, test and trace, one ways systems, and quarantining books, libraries pose less of a risk than supermarkets.

Timeline

13 Jan 2021 Petition opened for signatures
13 Jul 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 23
Status Closed
Department Cabinet Office
Opened 13 Jan 2021
Closed 13 Jul 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.