FRIENDS OF LAMBETH LIBRARIES (FOLL)
was formed in 1999, when spontaneous protest arose at the council's plan to close five libraries, leaving only FIVE 'centres of excellence' to serve 267,000 people. Five groups were instantly formed (one for each branch under threat). FOLL was formed as an umbrella group to campaign, swap notes, share work etc. Two Friends groups already existed: one at the Minet branch (formed when it was faced with closure in 1996) and one at Upper Norwood, where the library is co-funded by Croydon and has several times been under threat. There are now seven groups. An eighth group may be formed at North Lambeth Library (at Waterloo). There is no threat of closure at Waterloo, but the community is keen to be involved in planning for the future.

WHAT DO WE DO?
Activities vary from group to group. Some details are given in the listings below - but if you have other ideas, they will be welcomed. Where energy is no longer being taken up by continuing engagement with the council, Friends are able to do a lot to improve services at their local library. Relationships with the staff are excellent. The time you give can be very small if you're busy. Reliability is everything.

NEW MEMBERS ARE VERY WELCOME - THERE IS ALWAYS PLENTY OF HELP NEEDED, AND SOME GREAT EVENTS AND PARTIES!
Apart from having a good time, the possibilities are as wide as your tastes and interests, from research and lobbying to party catering or work with children, from running an art gallery to staging community events, from DIY and gardening to arranging a talk programme. Your commitment could be as little as an hour every THREE months delivering newsletters.

NEW FRIENDS GROUPS ARE ALSO WELCOME.
Four libraries in Lambeth remain Friendless (Brixton, Clapham, Streatham, West Norwood). Contact FOLL if you are even slightly interested in forming a group. We will put interested parties in touch with each other (with their permission) and can give plenty of information and support. You would start with the great advantage that there are NO plans to close any of these libraries, so you start straight away on the interesting part: - consulting, helping expand services, lobbying for improvements etc.

Contact:
36 Crewdson Road,
London SW9 OLJ 7587 3517 laura.swaffield
@la-hq.org.uk
Overall umbrella/co-ordination group. Regular meetings and information/ideas exchange

local groups
Carnegie Library (Herne Hill)
Clapham Park Library
Durning Library (Kennington)
Minet Library
(Myatt's Field)
Tate South Lambeth Library
(Vauxhall)
Streatham Vale Library
Upper Norwood Library
North Lambeth Library
(Waterloo)