The Newington Reference Library Campaign meeting, Monday 6th November 2006� ����

 

Present:� the Meeting Committee �

 

Leader of the Council (LibDem); �Cllr. Nick Stanton

Cabinet member for Culture (LibDem); Cllr. Lorraine Zuleta

Leader of the Labour Group; Cllr. Peter John

Simon Hughes MP

Tim Coates: Tim Coates Books

Committee members from the Campaign Group for Newington Reference Library;

����������� Helen O�Brien

����������� Khim Ng Jeeves

����������� Julie Speechley

 

Present in the audience:

Patrick Horan:� Representative, Southwark Disablement Association

Pat and Peter Richardson representing Libraries for Life for Londoners

 

 

The meeting started at 7.30 p.m. and went on until 9.45 p.m.

The library is a most attractive building with a wonderful reference room, very well used, has excellent opening hours,� dedicated disabled parking nearby in Wansey Street, qualified reference librarians and the stock available for reference is considered irreplaceable.� One crucial problem is lack of disabled access to the first floor.� Currently those who are disadvantaged by this have the book and/or reference material bought down to them.

In view of the DDA requirements and Disability Equality Schemes, something must be done.

Council�s intentions:� the leader of the council said he had been advised by his officers that the installation of a lift would cost �400,000.� As it was intended to completely redesign the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre a new library would be installed, thus providing the opportunity to close Newington.� This would be ready in 3 or 4 years!!!

In the interim, 10% to 20% of the present 6000 items of stock would be brought down to the ground floor, for reference.� The rest would remain in situ to be brought down as and when needed.� It was intended to make material available, on-line, from the rest of Southwark�s libraries�� The partially vacated first floor would be used for librarians� meetings.

There were plans for fewer, less well-qualified staff but this was not really clear.

The leader did not seem to be able to think for himself, on his feet, other than repeat what he had been told.� Both he and his companion constantly looked either ill-at-ease or very irritated.

The leader of the Labour group made it clear that he was not at all happy with these plans and that it should be approached in a different manner to deal with the problem.

Tim Coates (lots on his blog, www.goodlibraryguide.com/blog ) did not want to get involved with the politics but felt there was room for other considerations and plenty of money, if it was better used.

 

The members of the public were brilliant.� One forgets what it is like to be under threat.

They were informed, passionate, very articulate and incandescent with anger at being treated like this, and being expected to pay for it.� Of course, as we all know there is never any advance notice of these glorious plans.� They are always sprung on an unsuspecting public, because the man/woman in the Town Hall knows what is best for us.

The meeting room was thick with clouds of cynicism and disappointment that these elected, supposedly accountable, representatives had so little to put forward.� Even Simon Hughes eventually said users would have to lump it, and use the new library in the new Shopping Centre.� Another is planned for Canada Water.

Points from the floor:

�        The reduction of the quality of the facility

�        The time taken for staff to find and bring down ( and take back) stock

�        Damage to stock constantly on the move, plus risk of loss or theft.

�        Questions over the officer advice and sums.

�        Possible alternative agenda, using the DDA as a cover.

�        The promise of jam tomorrow, always dangerous territory

�        The loss, by the public, of a very useful facility, for study, browsing, self education in eminently suitable surroundings, conducive to these tasks, with the relevant, qualified staffing.

�        Inadequate preparation by the council, no public warning, no consultation.� Will these people never learn it is better done in advance?

�        The importance of retaining this type of facility for the future and potential users

�        Comments were made on the inadequacies of the internet AND the inadequacies of the relatively new award winning Peckham Library.

 

Patricia Richardson, LLL

12th November 2006