A planned £325,000 cut to funding for books at libraries across Cambridgeshire has spurred a backlash by local residents and students alike.

The ‘Save Our Books’ campaign has gained more than 900 signatures on an online petition calling for Cambridgeshire County Council to cancel the planned £325,000 funding cut for library books.

This cut is cited by Cambridgeshire County Council as a cost-saving austerity measure, which was decided upon following a public consultation last year.

Stressing their desire to consult with stakeholders and the wider community before implementing any proposals, Cambridgeshire County Council have said that “recent Government announcements now mean the Council has to find an extra £5-£11 million, depending on Council Tax. Since 2012, the Library Service has saved £2.5 million and now needs to save a further £0.5 million.”

A protest organised through Facebook, which took place on Friday 11th outside Cambridge’s Central Library, was expected to be attended by dozens of local residents and students.

Labour MP for Cambridge, Daniel Zeichner, and representatives of the Unite union were also expected to make an appearance.

Protestors were encouraged to bring their favourite book to the demonstration, and to use the hashtag #Wave2Save to promote the ‘Save Our Books’ campaign through social media.

Supporters of the campaign voiced similar concern online. ‘Shirley H’, a signatory to the online petition, asked: “How can a world city of learning think it is right to cut free access to books?” Another supporter, ‘Helen C’, pointed out that “Libraries are so important for children to enjoy and appreciate so that their reading continues into later life.”

Alex Tiley, organiser of the protest, said: “As a Cambridgeshire resident, I’m really worried about the cuts that the Tory run county council are proposing to our local library services.”

He continued: “Libraries are already struggling under the supposed ‘savings’ that the government and county council are making, and many libraries have only been able to survive by concerned people in their local communities volunteering at them, like my mother. It’s pretty clear that there aren’t really any more ‘savings’ that can be made by cutting books in a library – what on earth is the point of a library if there aren’t any books?”