What argument do campaigners make?
Predictions that the internet would make public libraries obsolete have proved wrong, though the institutions have changed. In many towns, borrowing books is now only one of dozens of services. Libraries offer free computer access to people who cannot afford it, run classes for job seekers, host reading groups for children and provide a warm, quiet space for people with nowhere else to go. Local councils under financial pressure have sometimes responded by closing branches, arguing that usage is falling. Library campaigners reply that visit figures understate the value of a service whose benefits, such as digital skills and social contact, are hard to measure in simple counts of books issued.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Counting books issued underestimates the benefits libraries provide
- Step 1: Benefits such as digital skills and social contact are hard to measure by books issued.
Answer
Counting books issued underestimates the benefits libraries provide.
Why not the others: No record-keeping errors, charges or return to lending are mentioned; campaigners say visits understate wider benefits.
Practise more Reading: society and technology.
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