Letters: Public libraries

Does not Andy Burnham realise that libraries are the only places today where peace and quiet can be found (" 'Sombre' libraries need chatter and coffee shops, minister says" 9 October). Where else can one read, use a computer and study in peace in today's frenetic Britain?

In most shops and eating establishments one's ears are assaulted with music unrelenting pumped out. When travelling on public transport, the peace and quiet is constantly being interrupted by various voices bellowing into mobile phones; and the streets are constantly awash with the noise of traffic and certain drivers' loud amplifier systems.

No, leave the libraries as the community haven of peace and quiet. Please let's keep them "sombre".

Brenda I Mothersole

Hillingdon, Middlesex

I don't know what libraries are like in Mr Burnham's constituency, but he needs to get himself down to Somerset, and particularly Langport library. There is plenty of "joy and chatter" and certainly no "shushing". The staff, none of whom wear saggy cardies and steel-rimmed glasses, welcome everyone with a smile.

As well as books, there are plenty of other resources on offer including DVDs, music CDs, talking books, computer access and a wealth of information.

Laurina Deacon

Curry Rivel, Somerset

Ignore the blather from government circles about making libraries places of joy. Discard the survey warning that youngsters no longer read. Your editorial is right: youngsters are reading, often voraciously. The sales of many children's authors are huge. But children need a well-stocked library at school and in the high street. They simply can't afford everything they want to read.

What a tragedy then that 25 local authorities spend less than 1 per cent of total spend on children's books. How depressing that some schools are closing their libraries. You can open all the cafes you like but if you can't get the latest cool reads in your local library it just is not working.

Alan Gibbons

The Campaign for the Book, Liverpool

You are surely right when you deplore the proposal to banish silence from the libraries (leading article, 9 October). But you fail to point out the chief reason for the decline in usage over the years, which is the absence of books. For the past dozen or so years, local councils have pursued a policy of selling off their stock, retaining mainly softbacks and potboilers, so that anyone visiting in the hope of finding something slightly more obscure is going to be disappointed, and give up going.

It's a classic example of creating a situation (low attendance) by a specific campaign (getting rid of books) and then using that situation as a reason for altering the policy (turning the library into a media centre).

Roger Lloyd Pack

London NW5

Praise and blame for Brown's rescue

Before the Labour Party get carried away with the success masterminded (they will say) by the Great Gordo, they would do well to remind themselves that he oversaw this irresponsibility and did nothing.

Now he belatedly chastises the bankers. The electorate will not be fooled, the now reviled rich and reckless have grown richer under his watch.

Peter Day

Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Is the Government aware that by nationalising the Royal Bank of Scotland it has thereby also acquired England's oldest bank, Child & Co of No 1, Fleet Street? When writing to them, I still follow my father's instruction to address them as "Gentlemen", but wonder if a more mundane approach would not now be more appropriate.

Gary Williams

Sevenoaks, Kent

Once the dust settles and relevant management are, hopefully, held to account for the banking fiasco, there are two other areas requiring urgent scrutiny: auditors and non-executive directors.

One gains a sense that some of the relationships here have been just too comfortable, with no rigorous questioning of management or their financial returns. With a meltdown on this scale, the lack of proper overview suggests complacency, if not negligence verging on complicity .

Graham Bog

Forest Row, East Sussex

There were more runs on banks when there was a gold standard (Dominic Lawson, 14 October). Theoretically notes could be exchanged for gold coin; but banks over-issued them, so when many customers demanded their money at once there would be a panic.

The current system works the same but credit is held in bank ledgers and paper has replaced gold as the real money that people demand in a panic. The switch was made so that the Government, by printing paper money, can intervene. Unless the Bank of England has mastered alchemy, it cannot manufacture gold.

Mark Harms

Newcastle upon Tyne

Adrian Hamilton argues that the City "has been responsible for much of the growth in the past decade" (Comment, 10 October). Unfortunately, it seems much of this growth has been generated by reckless practices which were unsustainable, but which produced tremendous short-term gains for the few, for which the many must pay the long-term price.

The untold story is the state of the derivatives market, which has mutated into a proliferation of legalised Ponzi schemes, using leverage with an audacity that would have made the South Sea Company's John Blunt blush.

Far from there being a "huge gulf" between politicians and the City, as Hamilton claims, the relationship has been incestuous, with parties of all colours infatuated by economic liberalism.

Charles Hopkins

Norwich

Delighted to see that Bruce Anderson's imagination is still firing on all cylinders ("Yes, the Tories should blame Brown", 13 October). He blames the 1990s Community Reinvestment Act (backed by the Democratic Party) for "virtually compelling" the poor old banks to "advance mortgages irrespective of the applicants' financial status."

Furthermore, Mr Anderson informs us, as a "large percentage of sub-prime borrowers were black and Hispanic", it seems that "racial factors played a role in this". The ability of the right wing to discover that "political correctness" is at the root of all evil events is truly entertaining and should be encouraged by your editors. The next time a hurricane strikes the USA, I can't wait to see how the PC Thought Police will be in someway held responsible.

Alan Thomson

London N8

In 55 years of international banking, I cannot remember ever referring to a credit rating company's opinion of the standing of a bank. A local authority should be extremely cautious before placing any funds with an overseas bank. Regularly I had to assess whether we should take an overseas bank's guarantee, for between say, £10,000 to more than a million, and considered it necessary to concern myself with the bank's record, its country of domicile, size, and that country's banking laws; whether, if they gave an undertaking to us they would be likely to honour it, and legally able to do so. That seems a lot of information to check but, of course, in most cases we knew the answer immediately from experience.

Should a local authority do this and could they? Well, they should, but practically could not, so the answer is, I am afraid, simple: stick to the branches of large British banks in this country. Sensible banking is so boring.

Peter Croggon

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, London SW16

Stephen Glover suggested (Media, 13 October) that Robert Peston's revelations about Northern Rock, and last week about three of our largest banks, were responsible for accelerating the problems of those institutions. Mr Glover implies that this was, at best, unfortunate. Why?

If the banks were safe, then they would soon recover their equilibrium, and Mr Peston would be discredited. If intervention was required, then the sooner the better, and the early revelations have done us all a favour. Or does Mr Glover subscribe to the view that such knowledge is too important to be shared with those whose savings are at risk, and should be confined to those who "understand" such things, perhaps so that they can safeguard their investments before the rest of us spoil things for them?

Stephen Ranson

Warrington

Your front page story (14 October) says that Sir Fred Goodwin "earned £4.1m last year." This should have said that he was paid £4.1m. I suspect that Sir Fred is the only person who honestly believes he earned that money last year.

Michael Smith

Dublin

For Sale: Economic cycle. Stabilisers fitted. Quick-release wheels. Derailleur gearing.

Rod Danton

Wingham, Kent

More work for the Lords on terror Bill

Getting the Government to accept the defeat in the Lords of the 42-days part of the Counter-Terrorism Bill is one step in the right direction. Now for their lordships to take a second one.

The revelation that a policeman altered his evidence to the Jean Charles de Menezes inquest is yet one more example of why inquests must be in the full light of public scrutiny and not skulking behind closed doors. The Government is proposing secret inquests in "sensitive" cases like this in the Counter-Terrorism Bill and should be stopped.

Mary Pimm

Nik Wood

London E9

Would 42 days' detention without trial be enough for the recalcitrant bankers?

Chris Moorhouse

Southampton

A sycophantic relationship

Bravo to Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (13 October) for saying what may think: that we want to end this sycophantic relationship with the USA. We do not want a relationship with the US that is in any way different from that we have with any other country.

Some of the blame must be laid at the door of the media. Who decides that we want to know every detail about what is going on in the US 24 hours a day, even at the price of downplaying our own news or important news from other parts of the world? Who is it that decides that our television is saturated with rubbish American films to the exclusion of films? Who is it that decides that we will watch American sitcoms on British radio and TV?

No wonder Americans feel so at home here, because we have been joined at the hip to the US, to the detriment of our own society, culture and language. Since George W Bush, many feel increasingly alienated from the US.

Sandra Simkin

Woking, Surrey

Briefly...

Bigger crisis

When the dust finally settles after the financial crisis, we can only hope that world leaders will address the problem of climate change with the same urgency.

Meredydd Morris

Llangristiolus, Anglesey

Not much of a hero

Could someone explain to a puzzled old man why anyone can call Senator John McCain a "war hero"? From what he himself has said, his only contribution to the USA's war against Vietnam was to drop bombs on civilian targets. While I thoroughly condemn his having been tortured while a prisoner, I do not see how he can be described as heroic.

Robert Thompson

Rimboval, France

Free Yorkshire

Edward Smith (letter, 13 October) sees a solution to economic woes in an "English Parliament". We in Yorkshire don't. An Institution of Civil Engineers report found £200 is spent per capita on transport in Yorkshire and Humber, compared with a £600 in the south. That wouldn't change with an English Parliament. What we need is a regional assembly for Yorkshire and the Humber with wide-ranging powers of planning and spending on transport.

Stewart Arnold

Swanland, East Yorkshire

Overheated

I was amused by the typographical error in Bruce Anderson's piece (13 October) about the credit crunch: "Central bakers have been worried about the growth in asset prices." However, as bakers are skilled at handling dough, they might have managed the financial problems better. On the other hand, they might have been tempted to cook the books.

Keith O'Neill

Shrewsbury

Eyes down

Donald McDonald writes into ask what he should do with his collection of money found on pavements and roads (letter, 13 October). Aside from reinforcing a negative image of Scotsmen, he would possibly need to spend the money on a chiropractor, as he must have a very stiff neck from scouring the pavement all the time.

David Watson

Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire