What does work mean at the end of the century? Paul Allen discusses a new book, Closing: the Life and Death of an American Factory, which focuses on the experiences of six people from manager to labourer when a family business is bought out and closed. As the British government again puts employment at the heart of its agenda, does work remain central to identity? And, on World Book Day, Sarah Dunant reports from Peru, where a project to establish rural libraries has had a profound political and cultural impact. Producer Lore Windemuth