I had that CILIP Chief Executive in the back of my cab

"So I jump into this taxi from Broadcasting House to the House of Commons and the taxidriver looks at me in his mirror. "I don't recognise you," he says," Which are you? Broadcaster or politician?" He's looking quite fierce. "Neither," I reply, "I'm a librarian." His face softens. "Ah, libraries," he says, "My daughter uses the library all the time. That's much better then being a broadcaster or a politician - I don't trust any of them." And there you have it - why libraries (and librarians) are at the heart of the debate about what sort of relationship we want between society and the State: because people care about their libraries."

This encounter sounds unlikely to us. But does it really demonstrate that libraries are "at the heart of the debate about what sort of relationship we want between society and the State"?

If, for example, the cabbie had gone on to say that his daughter also swam regularly, would that mean that swimming pools (and lifeguards) are at the heart of the debate too? And what if the driver had instead replied "My daughter has been invoiced for a book she's sure she returned, I hate librarians, get out of the cab!" ... what would that show?