This is a question being asked by Stephen Carlill after corresponding with the Leader of Lambeth Council, Lib Peck. Stephen responded to a form email Cllr Peck sent out, received a reply from her and wrote again. The correspondence is here. The letter from GLL, which the Leader calls "the most credible proposal," is here.
Stephen is Vice Chair of Friends of Carnegie Library. It should therefore be mentioned that although the Council Leader was writing in her official capacity Stephen was writing in his personal capacity. If he expresses opinions, rather than merely pointing out facts and asking questions, the opinions are not necessarily those of the Friends' committee.
I was stunned by the news of the forthcoming closure of the Carnegie Library. I read about it on the Dulwich on View blog and visited your website where I caught up with the exchange of correspondence between Stephen Carlill and Lambeth Council (excellent argumentation on the part of the Friends). I am not a Herne Hill resident but I included Carnegie Library in a recent book I wrote called ‘The Dulwich Notebook’ (part of Herne Hill is on the Dulwich Estate and I have included some things on the other side of the dividing road of Herne Hill).
I am sure you’ve thought of this already but couldn’t a lawyer make a case against the council based on the conditions under which ‘philanthropic libraries’ were set up? In Orpington they went as far as demolishing their library!
With all good wishes
Mireille Galinou