Boris set to save London libraries with private trust

Boris Johnson is set to announce plans tonight (Thursday 13th January) to set up a trust to run libraries in London that are at risk of closure, the London Evening Standard website reports.

The trust would be run by Team London, which Johnson is establishing this summer to bring together all his mentoring and volunteering projects. Private donors have already contributed £2m for the trust, with banks and individuals set to be asked to top up funds.

According to the report, the Mayor will tell the London Government dinner tonight: "Why can't we use Team London to create a trust to manage and improve libraries on behalf of boroughs that can no longer afford to do it themselves?" Large numbers of London's libraries are currently threatened with closure across the boroughs, including Lewisham where five libraries have been earmarked for the axe.

Tim Coates, chair of the campaign umbrella group Libraries for Life for Londoners, has described the news as "fantastic", saying: "It's a chance to make sure these libraries won't close and also to create an improvement programme so that they are better stocked and have longer opening hours. London is the learning capital of the world and deserves a service to match that."

In April 2010, Libraries for Life for Londoners issued a manifesto, calling for the Mayor to intervene personally over the state of London's libraries.