Val McDermid argues that - at a time when public discourse is so polarised - it's vital to keep our public libraries open.

"A library card is a powerful weapon to change lives", Val writes. "With it, we learn how to value what we have, to mourn what we have lost and to dream of what we might become".

She says that whatever we may hear about the death of libraries, we must ensure their future because they are "one of the few remaining places where a genuine diversity of voices can still be encountered".

Producer: Adele Armstrong