Spirit of Libraries Winter Fair, Saturday 3rd December

Campaigns, Events, News

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.

Please sign up now to show your support for saving the library for the community!

Uncategorized

The Carnegie Library Association has been set up by the Friends, in partnership with other library user groups, in order to apply to Lambeth for control of the library and its grounds through an asset transfer process. The Carnegie Library Association's aim is to reinstate the professionally-run library along with the community activities which were there before, plus new ones compatible with the library. Maximum use would be made of the whole building, including uses to raise money to subsidize the cost of providing the library service. It is really important that we are able to demonstrate as much local support as possible, particularly before the deadline for the bid which is 28th October. Please sign up here:

Full name
Address
Telephone
Email

The Association is registered as a democratic Charitable Incorporated Organisation with limited liability and membership is free until the first AGM in March 2017, so you are not making any financial commitment.

PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE FUTURE OF CARNEGIE LIBRARY

Campaigns, Events, News

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.

Correspondence with the Leader of the Council

Campaigns, News

Both the Herne Hill Society and Village Ward Labour Party are concerned about the library. Both organisations wrote to the Leader, Lib Peck, and received replies which, at a quick glance, might appear satisfactory.
Combining the information provided in the replies with that from the June exhibition, the earlier correspondence with Lib on this site and the official report, the situation can be summarised as follows:


Child Protection

The main floor of the building, where books and computers will be located, will be left unstaffed most of the time.

Library Spaces

Study spaces would be provided each year in the run up to the school examinations but no space would be set aside for a library at other times. What the official report calls a "small selection of books" and some computers will be provided in a room used for non-library purposes. As at present, it will be possible to order books from other Lambeth Libraries and the borough as a whole will continue to have as many books in total as it did before our library closed.

Staffing

Library staff would not be based at the building but one or more would visit for up to two hours most days and, in this time, he or she or they would be expected to conduct group activities.

Running Costs

The library is costing more closed than it would if it had stayed open but this was not considered when making the decision to close it.

Timing

When the building will be open to the public again is unknown but it will not be before Summer next year and might be much later. The first step, preparing a planning application, has not yet been taken.

The correspondence consists of:
• Letter from Herne Hill Society to Lib Peck dated 6th May 2016
HHS to Peck
• Her reply dated 24th May 2016
Peck to HHS
• Letter from Village Ward Labour Party to Lib Peck sent in May before her reply to the Herne Hill Society was received by them.
Village Ward to Peck
• Her reply to Village Ward Labour Party.
Peck to Village Ward