SIR — I am a first-time mother of an eight-month-old. I and most mums that I know go to baby rhyme time at St Albans Central Library regularly. It is a rare free community resource available to all parents and babies in St Albans and is enjoyed by grown-u

SIR - I am a first-time mother of an eight-month-old. I and most mums that I know go to baby rhyme time at St Albans Central Library regularly. It is a rare free community resource available to all parents and babies in St Albans and is enjoyed by grown-ups and tots alike. This is shown by its popularity.

As a first-time mother it has got me out of the house and given me an activity to enjoy with my daughter without costing me anything. This is particularly important for parents in the current climate of spiralling costs of living and equally important for parents with new babies who should be encouraged to get out and about, to gain confidence and meet other parents.

It is not raucous or loud. The babies attending are for the most part too young to sing but instead is an opportunity for parents to enjoy singing to their children, learning the age-old oral tradition of nursery rhymes to practice at home. It is on for one hour a week and as such can only cause minimal disruption for other library users. The time is clearly published and if an individual wants to use the library without this interruption he or she only has to avoid that one hour a week which is hardly onerous.

The library is for all of the community and we should be proud that it is not just a dry repository for books. A library should be a place of study and a place for learning. The Maltings library provides this for everyone and we should be proud of it.

NADIA DAVIES,

Hart Road, St Albans.