MOST strikingly in Cllr Oakley's letter of support (Oct 24) for Cllr Rose's proposal to bring cafe life into libraries, and drastically reduce library book stocks, Cllr Oakley has not a word to say on the core issue : "book stocks".

He tells us £500,000 has been "saved" by the merger of Bournemouth and Poole library services, but not one word on "books".

And that is whole shelves of books years and decades out of date in both Poole and Bournemouth. Thousands of first rate books published every year I doubt whether a dozen hit the shelves of our libraries.

The truth is for modern day Tories every enterprise has to be profit-driven. Public funding of public services is a severe threat to this business model.

And so it is in Bournemouth we have hundreds of council licensed alcohol outlets - bars, clubs, cafes, venues - all pulling in lucrative profits for operators, and for council.

And for libraries, in central Bournemouth, we have one and one only. Now under threat to become some sort of cyber cafe activity centre - with some books.

As for Councillor Oakley citing Poole libraries as precedence, you couldn't Mr Oakley cite a worse example of shocking council management. Poole central library reduced from three floors to one floor 15 years ago with then loss of the reference library and children's library.

And Upper Parkstone: lovely classic library (in Library Road) in its own grounds bulldozed in the late 90s to make way for flats. The library replacement a concrete shop on Ashley Road.

In all from Councillor Rose and Councillor Oakley's letters the writing is clearly on the wall. Bournemouth council is paving the way for privatisation of public libraries.

STUART FLEMMING

Alder Road, Poole