Save Lambeth libraries

Submitted by Matthew on 11 November, 2015 - 12:53

Hundreds of Lambeth workers and residents came together to march from Brixton Library to South Lambeth Library on Saturday 7 November to protest against cuts and closures to their library service.

Friends of Libraries Groups from each library have rejected attempts by the Council to pit library against library and community against community. A campaigner from West Norwood Friends groups said; “Whether your local library is ‘safe’ or whether it is one which is immediately threatened, local communities must stand together and say defend the ten! We won’t stay quiet just because we don’t face closure right now and we won’t say cut their library not mine. Why should a child wanting to study or an elderly person looking for advice and support be faced with a postcode lottery?”

Campaigners’ spirits were undampened by the pouring rain. They sang and chanted and on arrival demanded the Cabinet member come out and face them to explain her decision. Councillors refused to brave the rain or criticism, branding the march “intimidating”.

The Save Libraries Twitter soon responded showing babies in push chairs and children singing save libraries songs accompanied by the message; “If @JaneEdbrooke is intimidated by this, no wonder she’s too scared to fight the Tories on cuts”.

Lambeth Council has announced it will “decommission” half of Lambeth’s libraries. Minet, South Lambeth, Durning, Upper Norwood, Carnegie and Waterloo are all under threat. Waterloo will be sold, Upper Norwood Library will be passed over to an external organisation for an alternative use, and Carnegie, Minet and South Lambeth or Durning will become mini-gyms run by Greenwich Leisure Limited as part of the unpopular Culture 2020 proposals.

Ruth Cashman, library worker and Unison representative, called for the campaign to continue: “Communities like ours cannot afford to lose our public libraries, These plans are idiotic and show a council out of touch with the people of Lambeth and the direction of the Labour Party. The Council are on shaky ground, and we are determined to fight on until we save all ten libraries. Everyone must be at next Tuesday’s call-in.”

Library workers are ballotting for strike action, Labour Party activists are putting resolutions to their wards and CLPs. There will be a legal challenge to proposals. Community campaigns are organising days of action and letter writing, and if it comes to it will occupy to save Lambeth Council from itself. “We want to stand with Lambeth Council against the government, but if they won’t stand up then we will fight on without them.”

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