Ed, You all know that a country that makes a more adequate investment in education results in a more educated community. And you can guarantee that a more educated nation is better equipped to make more effective decisions in today’s extremely complex and rapidly changing world, the future world our children and grandchildren inherit from us. For both our children and new residents from non-English speaking backgrounds, the ability to learn to read English is of fundamental importance. Certainly our newly elected councillors must make a considerable effort to balance the books; but how little value does our council place on the vital importance of reading competency, for our council to ever consider closing or downgrading Iluka’s splendid library? A prime reason for my partner and I to retire to Iluka was that Iluka has a fully-functioning, modern library within walking distance of most of the residential area. As with most libraries, Iluka’s library is a very popular social hub for all age groups, as you can see from the 2015/2016 library statistics: 110 programs and events; 1,375 library members from Iluka/Woombah’s combined population of 2,548; library members visited the library 11,737 times and borrowed 24,105 library items; and Iluka library internet usage amounted to 1,559 hours. If you are unemployed or underemployed or one of our ever-growing number of retirees who enjoys a good read in a safe, inclusive social setting, I believe it is essential you ensure you do not lose your local library. The question is this: How do you ensure that Iluka’s library is not closed or downgraded? Harry Johnson, Iluka