Im not saying stop protesting just while doing so think of alternatives as Councils may be looking for these.
I still think alternative models of providing library services are needed even if it means providing a reduced service. I don't doubt the benefit of libraries at all or their benefit to local people- the Forest Hill library is a great source of local events and inspiration and is always very crowded. In our own family we spend little on books as we rely on the library and take out about 20 new titles every fortnight. In addition there is story time and children can spend time looking at and choosing books and improving a number of social skills in the process. In order to maintain new and interesting books for our children we would probably have to spend hundreds of pounds a year even if second hand which we probably couldn't afford, so literacy levels would not be as great. I just think there might be scope for community business or approved volunteers to run these services on a rota basis in some places especially where such passion exists- and preferably before the books are emptied officially and the premises boarded up.
There are also local entreprenuers such as Lord Harris- perhaps others - who might be interested in funding the revenue costs for a certain time period. If you don't ask you won;t get.