Where is he?

The world is abuzz with libraries; one cannot switch on the radio or television without the subject coming up. So where, we feel entitled to ask, is our hero? Awfully quiet. Is he cooking something up with Eric Pickles and Boris Johnson? We imagine them as the three witches on a blasted heath, stirring a pot containing the bones and internal organs of librarians made redundant.

So why has he left us in our hour of need? We're at a loss, and don't know what to think. Should we sack the librarians and send in the volunteers? Should we hand it all over to Johnny Laing, as they did in Hounslow? Should we all become trusts? It worked so well for hospitals, after all. Tell us, Tim. We think the world should know.