Since their inception, free public libraries have been a source of information, knowledge and culture for all. They are spaces where anyone can go, for as long as they like, without feeling pressure to buy anything, and without feeling judged for whatever it is they want to read. For these reasons, library services are crucial to adults who wish to engage in learning at whatever level, be it to improve their literacy or embark on a research project, through formal schemes or simply for the pleasure of learning something new. It has been on the horizon for some time, and now the reality of the cuts is staring the UK's public libraries in the face. Across the country, public libraries are under threat of closure and with them vital community spaces in which adults can take their first steps back into learning. The author states that the impact of these cuts will be devastating.