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Gifts from The Morning Star
Treasure troves of ideas
Public libraries are sanctuaries which facilitate the exploration of the universe of ideas for free for those curious enough. ROGER McKENZIE advocates their protection against authoritarian incursions, US style
SYMBOLIC: Chetham's Library, Manchester, United Kingdom founded in 1653 [Mike Peel/CC]

MY DEN, my safe space, is the room where I work and/or play jazz music most days.

I have a laptop, my saxophones and guitar in the room but the greatest thing is that I am surrounded by my books. My wife Kate sometimes ribs me about just how many books I do have — I have never counted them. But she sometimes says that I have too many.

I beg to differ. As far as I’m concerned the problem is never that I have too many books. The real issue is a lack of bookshelves!

Coventry Central Library. Credit: Libraries Taskforce/flickr/CC
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