I think this article on libraries and reading by Neil Gaiman is clear, persuasive and wonderfully straightforward. I missed it when it appeared and was alerted to it by a Facebook post from a Swedish relative – vive la Internet.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming
Green Writing Room 
Libraries are of course important. Finland has at its first priority for all school children to join the school library. Libraries are seen as the first step towards accessing the world that has yet to be discovered by young children. Finland is often praised for being nr 1 in education. Many will tell you it is reading and libraries that are seen as the main reason for its success in education even though kids start at year 7 and there are no private (public ) schools.
I don’t think the UK will lose its disastrous social inequality until we can lose our private (public) schools and I can’t see that happening anytime soon. In the mean time we need to hang on to our remaining libraries.
I myself enjoy Mr. Gaiman’s books and the article is excellent. I feel going into a book is an adventure and every child should enjoy as many adventures as they can.
I agree. I have never actually read any of Gaiman’s books, but I have been aware of him in several pieces about writing. He makes a lot of sense.
We have a great library that I was a member of since I was born. We used to go at least once each month and borrow 5 books, when we could write my Mum asked us to give them stars out of 5 and as we got older write a mini review for her. This slowed down in High School due to so much reading for coursework. My brother still goes to the library age 17 to help with his coursework.
Your parents sound so enterprising. I loved taking my two girls for a regular happy hour to the library, we would come home with armfuls of books.