Since 1999 the Friends have held an annual
Winter Fair. Over the years it became one of
the most popular events in the Herne Hill
calendar. With the library closed we cannot
stage a full-scale fair; but we will hold a
modified ‘Spirit of Libraries’ event to afford
some seasonal cheer and remind everyone we
are still here,
and organise opposition to the new planning application.

Come along on Saturday 3 December from
11.00–3.00 at Herne Hill United Church Hall
and Garden Room, Red Post Hill. There will of
course be our famous tea & cake stall,
community stalls, craft stalls, a raffle and other
delights.

Reunite with old friends and meet new ones for
a true community celebration. Make a
resolution to return to the library next year,
reviving the Winter Fair and all activities.

4pm: A planning application has now been filed to make drastic,
irreversible changes to the Carnegie building. Public meeting to
discuss action.

With our partners in the Carnegie Library Association CIO, the Friends are arranging two public meetings to discuss plans for the future. The announcement leaflet is
here

Please come on either THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER at ST SAVIOUR’S PARISH HALL 6.30- 9.30PM or SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER at HERNE HILL UNITED CHURCH HALL 2.00 – 5.00PM.

Survey forms are being delivered where possible and will also be available at the meetings for local residents, community groups and desk space hirers (former or potential).

The survey is online here

Alternatively, the survey forms are here: Residents survey,
Community groups survey,
Desk space survey. The forms can be filled in and emailed to us.
Please take part and have your say.
Please also help to spread the word by displaying the poster announcing the public meetings here.

On Saturday 9th, the Friends and other supporters gathered at the library to perform a re-enactment of the opening ceremony in 1906. 'Andrew Carnegie' and others expressed their hopes and wishes that the library would be maintained in perpetuity by Lambeth council - however the ceremony also marked 100 days since the library was closed by the same council.

The two-day exhibition on Lambeth’s and GLL’s plans for the future of the Carnegie (building, not library) showed that Lambeth’s plans are still at a very early stage. The display consisted of four panels which revealed little or nothing new; even the outline floor plans were the same as published two months ago. You can view the panels here: Carnegie exhibition.

Lambeth officers, local councillors and GLL representatives were on hand to answer questions; but visitors found a lack of consistency in the replies, and in some cases profound ignorance. The Friends had produced a double-sided leaflet listing concerns and questions visitors might like to ask. This is here and here.

Visitors were invited to leave comments on a postcard; we look forward to publication of these; what has been photographed and tweeted so far reveals strong opposition and disdain.

There are serious problems with these ill-conceived plans, and to insist on imposing them would be disastrous. Once again, we invite Lambeth to work with the Friends and Carnegie Library Association for a holistic, sustainable and popular development to benefit the whole community.