Tomorrow is 'save our libraries' day. People are being encouraged to get involved and show their support for the hundreds of libraries that are earmarked for closure up and down the country as a result of the well-publicised cuts in public spending.

My council, for example, proposes to save up to £869,000 by closing an unspecified number of local branch libraries and/or implementing a significant reduction in the hours of service.

Do libraries matter anymore? I heard a young chap on the radio the other day saying that libraries were unnecessary nowadays 'because I can get everything I need on my iPhone or my computer'. Well, lucky him. I can't remember the last time I went to my local library, either, because I happen to be fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy the books I want; and I have a computer, and broadband, and all that nice stuff at home too. But what about people who don't? People in parts of the country where the mobile signal is patchy at best, and broadband is non-existent? What about children, and old folk? As I type this piece my 80-something dad is probably sitting in his local library reading the newspapers.

Another annoyance is some of the nonsense spouted by politicians about community groups taking over their local libraries. Being a librarian involves rather more than just putting a few books back on the shelf in the right alphabetical order. And who are these people in 'the community' who have so much time on their hands (along with the necessary expertise) that they would be able to take on this sort of task and all of the attendant responsibilities? What a nonsense.

A survey by the Museums & Libraries Archive last November made the pertinent point that people's requirements of libraries change along with their life circumstances. As a kid I was a voracious reader and always wanted to take out more library books than my allocation allowed. It would have been impossible for my parents to fund that sort of weekly reading bill. And I don't believe today's square-eyed, tech-savvy children are consuming everything in electronic form.

Nowadays, libraries also play a big part in the campaign to get adults who have never used the internet (some nine million, apparently) online. For some people it's the only place where they have access to a computer.

Are libraries perfect? No. Are they worth saving? Yes.