Book review: a gift of words: The radical and sociallyequalising role of the public library

The Library Book has excerpts from 23 of the UK’s most notable writers, including Zadie Smith, Julian Barnes and Stephen Fry, all reflecting on how libraries are used and why they are important. Sara Wingate-Grey finds this is both a worthy cause and tome, for those who are consummate library lovers, although there is little of great depth or nuance to pique and inform, unless one so happens to find their favourite author’s musings inside. The Library Book. Alan Bennett, Lionel Shriver, Julian Barnes, et al. Profile Books. February 2012.