Baroness Mary Warnock & Lucy Mangan to lead read-in!

[louisecbrooks]

Hello All

We have a pretty packed event planned for the Sydenham Library read-in on 5th Feb, 11.30-1pm. Press release for event as follows:

BARONESS MARY WARNOCK AND LUCY MANGAN TO LEAD SYDENHAM LIBRARY’S READ-IN;
LOCALS URGED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR MUCH-LOVED LIBRARY

The life peer and philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock, and Guardian columnist Lucy Mangan are among a number of local authors, poets and celebrities expected to take part in a read-in at Sydenham Library on Saturday 5th February as part of a national day of protests at proposed library cuts across the UK. Also expected to attend are children’s writers of the Stripy Horse series Karen Wall & Jim Helmore, local author Julie Day and poet Chrissie Gittins whose poem Longing to be Heard is in honour of Sydenham Library.

Highlights of the day will be readings from each of the authors, a singing and music session for children, and a party outside the library. The event will culminate in a balloon release. There will also be a performance by Sly and Reggie, the dub group who have penned the song We Love Libraries.

Sydenham Library is one of five libraries in Lewisham under threat of closure. The popular historic library opened in 1904 and was one of the first Carnegie libraries built in England, gifted by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to the community. Today it has around 6,000 visitors each month.

Campaigners to save Lewisham’s libraries from closure submitted a petition with 20,000 signatures in protest at the proposed cuts in November when a decision on the future of the libraries was expected. That decision has now been postponed until 17th February, and during the interim the council has welcomed bids by independent groups to take on the running of the library.

Baroness Mary Warnock said of the proposed closure: “Sydenham library is one of many under threat. It must be one of the most beautiful library buildings. In times of economic misery and unemployment we need more not less consolation from libraries, more access to newspapers, books and computers, more places to sit, research and make friends. It is barbarism to close it.”

Anthony Scully, Chair of the Save Sydenham Library campaign says: “We plan to make this event a celebration of the library we feel is a hub for our community. At the end of the event we will be releasing 26 balloons each carrying a letter of the alphabet, to symbolise the centre of literature and culture that the library represents within our community.”

In response to the bids being made to the council for the future running of the library, Mr. Scully said: ‘We feel that the building and library service should remain in the ownership of the council. We would be happy for independent groups to come in and contribute to the running of the library, but to shift the building or services from the control of the council risks the library’s future should anything happen to the group that takes over the ownership’

Campaigners are expecting a large turn-out for the read-in on:

Saturday 5th February, 11.30-13.00
SYDENHAM LIBRARY
210 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5SE

[Tim Lund]

I'm interested by the logic of bringing Baroness Warnock into this - which is not to say I think it a mistake.

On the Syd Soc web site there is this http://www.sydenhamsociety.com/2011/01/ ... libraries/, reproducing an article written by Sir Steve Bullock, describing it as 'a clear guide to his thinking '. It's not very clear to me however, ending as follows

with further cuts to come, change in both the scale and nature of library provision is unavoidable, however loudly special interest groups deny it.

What does seem clear is that Lewisham Council would like to see some kind of partnership, along the lines of what has been suggested by Darren Taylor of EcoComputers, and now up and running at the Pepys Resource Centre, where Sir Steve spoke at the launch. In the article

we have developed a model for community libraries which is delivered in partnership in areas underserved by the current provision.

This is in principle what I would like too, and I'd like to think that the Save Sydenham Library campaign are up for clearly saying this as well. If they could, it would seem that the library was already saved, subject to the needs of turning principles into practice. The danger of dragging in the noble baroness is that it might aggravate the not quite so elevated "Sir" Steve's irritation with loud special interest groups, especially given her high minded patronage of the Iris Project for bringing 'ancient languages and culture to inner city state schools and communities'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Iris_Project#Patrons

On the other hand, the truth may be that in our society it is the loud and well connected who count, and are indeed needed to help the ordinary and inarticulate.

[Hill Dweller]

The danger of dragging in the noble baroness is that it might aggravate the not quite so elevated "Sir" Steve's irritation with loud special interest groups, especially given her high minded patronage of the Iris Project for bringing 'ancient languages and culture to inner city state schools and communities'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Iris_Project#Patrons
.

Mind advising, for those of less-than dinosour membership here, what is to be read between the lines and what's with the inverted commas? Are you doubting the title's deservedness and if so why? It seems bad etiquette (if such a word-combination can exist). I believe you've tried living in other London boroughs so should understand pretty well how much better managed Lewisham is than most.

I was told at Forest Hill Library that the closure at Sydenham is temporary and necessitated mainly because of H&S upgrades that have had to be postponed due to oh look, nobody's ascribing blame to where it belongs

IF it's true that the little library has 6,000 visitors per month = 200 per day I can't help wondering how, and whether the number comes from children repeat-passing what might be automated counters when they've been dumped there for an hour or more in lieu of babysitters (FHL certainly gets used that way).



PS: Does ANYbody know whether slack-face Georgie's '£120million per day interest' IS true?

[louisecbrooks]

Hi Tim/Hill Dweller

I just want to respond to a few points you've raised:

Tim:
- Baroness Mary Warnock is involved in the read-in along with a number of other local authors from a variety of backgrounds/social positions who are keen to support the cause. Everyone involved is passionate about the role of libraries within the community, and specifically about Sydenham Library. There really is nothing more to it.
- With regard to the future of the library being managed by an independent organisation such as Darren's, the campaign is considering its position. At the moment the concern is that handing the building and service over to any organisation to manage risks its future should anything happen to that organisation.

Hill Dweller
- With regard to Sydenham Library's closure being temporary due to H&S, the library isn't currently closed and as far as I'm aware there aren't any temporary planned closures for H&S. The library is under threat of closure along with 4 other libraries in the borough due to budgetary cuts. It is true that the building is in need of some maintenance but there are no immediate health and safety issues that I'm aware of.

Thanks

[Tim Lund]

With regard to the future of the library being managed by an independent organisation such as Darren's, the campaign is considering its position. At the moment the concern is that handing the building and service over to any organisation to manage risks its future should anything happen to that organisation

Does this mean that if the campaign is properly assured about Darren's enterprise, it would be happy to work on moving from going along with the idea in principle, to making it happen in practice?

Baroness Mary Warnock is involved in the read-in along with a number of other local authors from a variety of backgrounds/social positions who are keen to support the cause. Everyone involved is passionate about the role of libraries within the community, and specifically about Sydenham Library. There really is nothing more to it

From this it sounds as if you think that this event might not actually make a difference.

HD - apologies for the inverted commas. I find all these feudal relics ridiculous, and for the sake of balance, I should have put then round "Baroness" as well - except I find this ridiculous enough in itself. Re Lewisham being among the best run London Councils - I really don't know. It no longer seems possible to get the Audit Commission Comprehensive Area Assessment on line, thanks to Eric Pickles, I guess, but from memory, Lewisham, along with several other London Boroughs had one green flag, and no red ones - the green flag being for the quality of local engagement, or some such. Tower Hamlets I think was similarly distinguished.

[louisecbrooks]

Hi Tim

We can discuss this further offline but to address the two points you raised:
- I believe the position of the campaign is that the library and service should remain in the control of the council.
- We are aiming to make this read-in a celebration of the library. We hope that the community will come along to the event to show their support, reinforcing the message to the council that the library is much-loved and well used, and we do not want to lose it. So in that sense I believe it does matter.

As I say I'm happy to speak further about this offline.

Cheers

[Robin Orton]

apologies for the inverted commas

says Tim, but then goes on to justify them, on the basis that

I find all these feudal relics ridiculous, and for the sake of balance, I should have put then round "Baroness" as well - except I find this ridiculous enough in itself.

So what exactly is he apologising for and why?

[Hill Dweller]

It's clear enough to me Robin and thanks Tim as I took the very word's use as a pointed value judgement about the Mayor. I'm sure that few Mayors or Councillors are perfect, maybe I'm lucky to have pretty basic needs and do find Lewisham so much better than another council we've both got experience of (as you moved from Peckham and I slithered downwards from E. Dulwich).

The whole thing about HoL is indeed treacle-y and the need to fill quotas for 'balance' means there really have been some pretty unworthy (imhoo) elevations.



I'm really interested in the '£120m per day interest' matter though; doesn't it work out at around 44 £billion p.a.? Are our legs being pulled by its often trotted out-ness?


Ooops, billions and gazillions.

[Hill Dweller]

Thanks Louise, I should have posted 'to be closed', not made it sound as if it had happened already.

The info I repeated was from a staff member at FH Library and was in terms of a temp closure (thereby the stoppage of further wear and tear) being preferable to risking it being closed at some early future time due to H&S.

It's a lovely building, must say I've not been inside as I've presumed it less varied than FH's and I'm lucky to not need to bus it or drive.

[leenewham]

Hi HD, I'd be interested to know where the Forest Hill Library staff got the 'temporary closure' information from because to my knowledge it's not true. If it closes and there is no-one to run it, it shuts forever. It will be sold or 'disposed off' to quote Lewisham Council. Sydenham will not have the library that survived WW1, Hitler, the oil crisis, the winter of discontent and Thatchers cuts. Unfortunately it may not survive Sir Steve.

I hope it does.

[Hill Dweller]

All sorts of possibilities for temp closure Louise, low staff level could be one of them (there being a min. staff level at all public premises).


However, like wot I said oop there /\
...... oh look, nobody's ascribing blame to where it belongs .....



and as mentioned by other posters in other related threads (and myself above) some libraries are being treated as free creches, that in itself puts an unfair responsibility on Library staff.

[Hill Dweller]

Hi HD, I'd be interested to know where the Forest Hill Library staff got the 'temporary closure' information from because to my knowledge it's not true..

Dunno, didn't ask, I saw no reason to doubt them.

[Tim Lund]

apologies for the inverted commas

says Tim, but then goes on to justify them, on the basis that

I find all these feudal relics ridiculous, and for the sake of balance, I should have put then round "Baroness" as well - except I find this ridiculous enough in itself.

So what exactly is he apologising for and why?

Robin:

I was apologising for the inconsistency.

[Tim Lund]

I'm sure that few Mayors or Councillors are perfect, maybe I'm lucky to have pretty basic needs and do find Lewisham so much better than another council we've both got experience of (as you moved from Peckham and I slithered downwards from E. Dulwich)

I'd agree that our current Mayor and Cabinet are not perfect, but it might be worth adding the last time I actually spoke to Sir Steve was after some Mayoral hustings last year, where my principle reaction was a massive disappointment in the contributions of the Lib Dem and Green candidates; at least Sir Steve demonstrated some awareness of the actual experience of leading a local government, and what it involves.

I'm not so sure that Lewisham is so much better run than Southwark. When I lived there I had the idea that Lewisham was in comparison a model of competence, but this may have just been the effect of seeing the grass greener on the other side of the fence. Now I look at Southwark, and I suspect that their model of community councils is a better approach to community engagement than our Local Assemblies - but that might be just seeing greener grass again.

There is at least one area where I think Lewisham is truly excellent, though saying which I sometimes fear will antagonise other Council departments. I like to refer to it, however, when arguing that Councils should be able to run good services - I have no sympathy with the lazy radical right idea that the private sector is always better - even if it is sometimes.

Similarly, there are parts which I think are demonstrably poor, but again I don't see the value of saying which here. Neither were flagged up as good or bad in the Audit Commission Comprehensive Area Assessment, which is why I am not too sad to see that particular exercise in Local Government accountability ended. What does bother me is that Lewisham may not actually be aware of its strengths and weaknesses. At a Sydenham Assembly sometime last year, following Aileen Buckton's explanantion that they were looking to save money by pooling the delivery of some services with other Councils, I asked her if decisions about which services would be pooled would be informed by a view of areas of relative weakness and strength. She would not admit to any such awareness, which if true is remarkable and alarming, but perhaps necessary to justify across the board cuts, of whatever percentage.

[Hill Dweller]

I daresay it's hard to know which services really are good or bad anywhere, they're each assessed but by different teams and at different times and like any stats or star system there can be crappy unintended distortions..... such as if an area has 3 people with a specific rare condition but one of them dies it means the other two can have more care from the services ... but if instead of dying that third person moves in to the other area which now has +1 sharing the same continuing budget. We hear such a lot about 'free personal care' in Scotland as if there's none in England, yet a neighbour of mine has a visit from a mobile hairdresser / beautician.

But I'm genuinely glad if Southwark has improved, I was there during the time it was reacting kneejerkily about anything Snatcher tried to impose..... poll tax, appalling budgets for schools, breakup of GLC and so on.

[Pat Trembath]

To return to the subject of this thread

We have a pretty packed event planned for the Sydenham Library read-in on 5th Feb, 11.30-1pm. Press release for event as follows:

BARONESS MARY WARNOCK AND LUCY MANGAN TO LEAD SYDENHAM LIBRARY’S READ-IN;
LOCALS URGED TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR MUCH-LOVED LIBRARY

The life peer and philosopher Baroness Mary Warnock, and Guardian columnist Lucy Mangan are among a number of local authors, poets and celebrities expected to take part in a read-in at Sydenham Library on Saturday 5th February as part of a national day of protests at proposed library cuts across the UK. Also expected to attend are children’s writers of the Stripy Horse series Karen Wall & Jim Helmore, local author Julie Day and poet Chrissie Gittins whose poem Longing to be Heard is in honour of Sydenham Library.

Highlights of the day will be readings from each of the authors, a singing and music session for children, and a party outside the library. The event will culminate in a balloon release. There will also be a performance by Sly and Reggie, the dub group who have penned the song We Love Libraries.

Sydenham Library is one of five libraries in Lewisham under threat of closure. The popular historic library opened in 1904 and was one of the first Carnegie libraries built in England, gifted by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to the community. Today it has around 6,000 visitors each month.

Campaigners to save Lewisham’s libraries from closure submitted a petition with 20,000 signatures in protest at the proposed cuts in November when a decision on the future of the libraries was expected. That decision has now been postponed until 17th February, and during the interim the council has welcomed bids by independent groups to take on the running of the library.

Baroness Mary Warnock said of the proposed closure: “Sydenham library is one of many under threat. It must be one of the most beautiful library buildings. In times of economic misery and unemployment we need more not less consolation from libraries, more access to newspapers, books and computers, more places to sit, research and make friends. It is barbarism to close it.”

Anthony Scully, Chair of the Save Sydenham Library campaign says: “We plan to make this event a celebration of the library we feel is a hub for our community. At the end of the event we will be releasing 26 balloons each carrying a letter of the alphabet, to symbolise the centre of literature and culture that the library represents within our community.”

In response to the bids being made to the council for the future running of the library, Mr. Scully said: ‘We feel that the building and library service should remain in the ownership of the council. We would be happy for independent groups to come in and contribute to the running of the library, but to shift the building or services from the control of the council risks the library’s future should anything happen to the group that takes over the ownership’

Campaigners are expecting a large turn-out for the read-in on:

Saturday 5th February, 11.30-13.00
SYDENHAM LIBRARY
210 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5SE

[simon]

Was a great, very well attended event. Well done to all those involved in organising it.
It recieved a fair bit of coverage in this blog:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/cultu ... e-coverage

[louisecbrooks]

Thanks to everyone who came along to show their support and made this event a success. East London Lines of Goldsmith's College took some great footage of the event: http://bit.ly/hOLLy2

[shell1]

Saturday's Read-In at Sydenham Library was a fabulous event with an amazing turnout by local people, well-known guests and authors, well wishers and supporters of the campaign to keep Sydenham Library open. WELL DONE and THANK YOU to all the organisers, helpers and members of the public who made this such a successful event. Time will tell (17th feb) if all the effort and solidarity for the cause of keeping our libraries open bares any fruit.

A big THANK YOU also to the local Sydenham businesses for their support and kind donations: The CAKE STORE and CUMMING UP and to Lee Newham of designedbygoodpeople for designing the campaign leaflets .