Lambeth Council Cabinet plans to slash library budget – leaked

The Lambeth Council Cabinet is going to table plans to slash £1 million from the library budget at the next Cabinet Meeting on Monday, 24 February. This is sudden and unexpected and comes without consulting The Lambeth Library Service or even Councillors.

There will be a demonstration outside the Lambeth Town Hall (opposite Windrush Square, in Brixton) and in the Lobby at 5 pm on Monday, 24 February. The meeting starts at 5 pm. Please come to the demonstration to show your support for The Carnegie Library, and all of the ten Lambeth libraries, and let the Council know that the public will not accept destruction of its libraries.

£1 million is almost 25% of the total library budget of £4.2 million, a figure which amazingly has not changed in 40 years. (With inflation this means the budget has already eroded by about two thirds since 1984.) This in the context of the Council's £1.47 billion annual gross expenditure (2023-24).

Please attend the demonstration on Monday, 24 February (5 pm at the Town Hall). Make your voice heard.

Look for news of further developments on this website or in local press, such as Brixton Buzz

Sign the petition.

Wear the T-Shirt.

Join The Friends.

friendsofcarnegie@gmail.com

Library of the year – Finalist!

Our library is a finalist for library of the year!

Library of the Year - The Bookseller.com

Regional & Country Finalists
Proudly sponsored by DK, in association with The Reading Agency

This is a great tribute to the exceptional team of creative and resourceful librarians we have in Lambeth, led by Zoey Dixon MBE at The Carnegie and Susanna Barnes, Head of Lambeth Library Services. We know that The Carnegie Library is one of the things that makes living in Herne Hill very special. It is a priceless public asset.

“The exceptional entries to this year’s Library of the Year award demonstrate the vital role that public libraries play in our communities. Each finalist has shown remarkable innovation in developing projects that not only promote reading but also create meaningful connections and support local needs. From digital literacy initiatives to inclusive community outreach programmes, these libraries have shown extraordinary creativity in adapting their services to reach new audiences while maintaining their core mission of fostering a love of reading. These finalists represent the very best of what modern libraries can achieve, proving that they remain essential, dynamic spaces of learning, creativity and community engagement, with reading at their heart.” – Karen Napier MBE, CEO, The Reading Agency

Queer as Folklore – Sacha Coward

Tuesday evening, 11 February at 7pm (6:30 for tea & cakes)

The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters with author Sacha Coward

Journey across centuries and continents with the unsung heroes and villains of storytelling, magic and fantasy. Each chapter investigates the queer history of different mythic and folkloric characters, both old and new, featuring images from archives, galleries and museums around the world.

Please register to reserve a free place and help with planning for this event.

View the livestream for up to 30 days on the Carnegie Library Facebook page.

Author Zelda Rhiando

Tuesday evening 7pm, 14 January - at the library

Zelda Rhiando's new novel Night Shift has just been published and she will be discussing it at the Carnegie Library on Tuesday evening, 14 January, 7pm (6:30 for a cup of tea).

Charlie and Eva love each other, but nothing is ever that simple. Whilst Charlie is distracted running a busy mortuary, Eva leads a double life, troubled by strange events and haunted by magpies. Faced with the inevitability of death, she dreams of a different ending. As Eva's hidden world increasingly collides with reality, Charlie must make a choice. Is love enough to fill the hole inside us?

Zelda Rhiando was born in Dublin and read English Literature at Cambridge. She lives in South London with her husband, two daughters and four cats, and is one of the founders of the Brixton BookJam.

Zelda Rhiando is the author of two previous novels, Caposcripti and Fukushima Dreams.

View the livestream for up to 30 days on the Carnegie Library Facebook page.

Please register to reserve a place and help with planning for this event.

Art from Jessop Primary School!

The Friends of Carnegie Library in cooperation with Jessop Primary School and Nursery School are delighted to bring an exhibit of art created by children at Jessop to the library.

This is a wonderful addition to the library's shelves - full of surprising and inventive details.

Well worth a visit to the library for a closer look.

It will run until the end of January.