THE Chagford community joined together last week to put on a united front as part of a mission to save its library and to celebrate what it has to offer with a Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Chagford library is one of 28 small, rural libraries in Devon threatened with closure due to the county council's budget cuts. In response to Devon County Council's library consultation process, the community of Chagford said 'No' to library closure in madcap fashion with white rabbits, March hares and cakes. More than a dozen community groups representing all facets of rural community life participated in the event, which involved costumes, cake, music, an 'Extreme Reading' photo competition and a drive to sign up new library members, to underscore how much rural libraries are valued and relied upon by young and old alike. The tea party was organised by the Friends of Chagford Library — a group formed in May this year in response to the county council's library consultation. Terri Windling, from the Friends of Chagford Library, said the group felt strongly that small local libraries were vital to rural communities in ways that urban libraries could not duplicate. She said: 'We're deeply opposed to any plan to close Devon's small libraries while spending money on urban library "hubs" and we're committed to finding a way to keep our small, but much-loved, library open. 'The Mad Hatter's Tea Party was our first big public event, planned as a means of showing the strength of support our library has throughout the Chagford area.' Other community groups involved in the event included The Mess youth centre, the Women's Institute, literary festival Chagword, the Chagford Film Festival, the local history society, the bowling club, Chagford swimming pool, the Courtyard Organic Café, Proper Job recycling centre and the village church, primary school and Montessori school. Terri said: 'Chagford is a very diverse town for its small size, but the importance of Chagford Library is something all of us are able to agree on. 'First opened in 1937, the library has been passed down to us by generations of Chagfordians and now it's our job to pass it safely on to the generations still to come.' The Friends group will be planning more events in the months ahead to raise awareness of what Chagford Library has to offer, and is also working to find a financial solution to keep the library running. In a special meeting for the library, called by the parish council in May, the Chagford community voted unanimously against the idea of a 'community-led' library model. 'We question the sense and the statutory legality of handing our library service over to inexperienced volunteers,' said Terri. 'We note that the places where this has been tried in other parts of the country have run into great difficulties, without necessarily saving money. Our aim is to keep our library open as part of the national library system, run, as it is now, by a paid professional librarian and relief staff.' A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: 'We are having positive conversations with local people in Chagford, including with the Friends of Chagford Library, who are keen to work with us to achieve a local solution to maintain the service. 'Support from the council will be available in whatever solution is taken forward. Consultation ends on July 17 (today) and responses will be considered before a report to the council's cabinet is published later this autumn.' For more information about the Friends of Chagford Library, and to keep up-to-date with the campaign to save the library, visit http://www.friendsofchagfordlibrary.com">www.friendsofchagfordlibrary.com