Tuesday evening, May 12 • 7 PM - 8:30 PM

The Friends are delighted to welcome back novelist and art critic Sue Hubbard to discuss God’s Little Artist, a biography in verse of Welsh painter Gwen John (1876 - 1939).

As with many female painters of the time, John’s work was often overshadowed by that of her male contemporaries, especially her brother Augustus John. God’s Little Artist is a celebration of her, her passionate life and work, illustrated with precision, authenticity and the keen painterly eye of a poet, novelist and art critic.

This promises to be a fascinating evening.

Admission free.

Organised and hosted by the Friends of Carnegie Library, grateful for assistance from the Lambeth Library Service

Reservations are not strictly necessary, but we do ask people to register at Eventbrite, to help with planning.

The libraries in Lambeth closed at 1pm today.

Susanna Barnes, the Head of Libraries, gave this statement:

"The rate of infection is just too high and is a real risk to staff and public. As soon as the rate reduces to a reasonable level we will reopen."

The library is currently not open for regular visits due to covid-19 restrictions - but there are services still available.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday 11am to 4pm

(to maintain social distancing and keep everyone safe you will need an appointment to use the library)

to make an appointment call:
020 7926 6050

Services on offer:

PCs, printing, photocopying and scanning

Select & Collect - Reserve books online or get in touch and the librarians will help you select items

Home Library Service - the library can deliver books to you if you are housebound and cannot get to a library.

There is an extensive online service on offer for you to enjoy. For ebooks, audiobooks, film streaming and more visit:

www.lambeth.gov.uk

Our 20th annual Winter Fair will be held in St Saviour's Church Hall with the usual festive and community stalls, raffle, music and games.

The council has announced the 2nd phase of the Carnegie Library redevelopment works: the fit-out of the gym and removal of the library space to one front room. The cost is approximately £1 million, additional to the £1.8 million spent so far on the basement excavation and additional buildings on the library garden. A `roof terrace' or `roof garden' has also been proposed by the CCT, but this would require planning permission and an additional £100,000 which is not included in the budget. The works are expected to be complete by December.

The proposal also confirms that the current provision of 2 hours librarian staffing per day is only a temporary arrangement - funded by one-off Section 106 funds - and gives no assurance of any specific librarian staffing for the eventual re-opening of the library.

The opposition Green councillors submitted a call-in of the proposal, on the grounds of the lack of details of the financing of the work. This call-in was rejected but Greens leader Scott Ainslie is appealing this rejection.

The `community liaison' group meeting with the council over construction issues has been re-activated. Please contact the Friends if you would like to be added to this group.

The Herne Hill Forum are hosting a hustings for Herne Hill (Lambeth) & Village (Southwark) wards, at 7pm on the 17th April, at Herne Hill Baptist Church (Winterbrook St).

Library campaigners will be requesting that the Herne Hill candidates sign the Defend the 10 libraries pledge. So far the Green, Lib Dem and independent candidates have signed.