Barnet Children's March for Libraries 12/9/15

A call to arms to all London library users, staff, campaigners and trade unionists. Please show your support and solidarity and join the march on 12/9/15.

Solidarity to Unite members on strike in Bromley Libraries.

Solidarity to Unite members on strike in Bromley Libraries.

Last week Unite members in Bromley Libraries took further strike action against plans to privatise and amateurise the service.

One of the Unite Stewards very kindly sent me some photos and had this to say;

"We have over 1200 signatures on our surveys which just shows the massive support for our campaign. The Council must accept that they cannot go on with their plan to cover up the glaring truth that Bromley residents do not want private companies running their services. They do not want volunteers in their community Libraries, the volunteers who run the WRVS (home delivery library service to the housebound) don't want volunteers running the service! 
We will continue with our campaign to inform people of the  unnecessary  destruction that this Council is doing. We need people to write to their ward councillors and let them know how they feel. 
Steven Carr leader of Bromley council told one of our members in the high street that Bromley Libraries were under no threat but you only have to research what has happened in Croydon to see that once the private sector get hold of a service they will drain the life out of it for profit." 

Labour's Policy Review on Libraries; a lost opportunity?

In 2011 I was contacted by a Labour Party researcher and asked to input into their newly emergent policy review on public libraries, I gave my views freely and didn't hear anything more but with the launch of

Innovation, Co-location and Partnership

http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/agenda-2015/policy-review/libraries-innovation-co-location-and-partnership I once again submitted my views and once again they ignored them. (see my blog http://dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/my-comments-to-dan-jarvis-on-labour.html)

Dan Jarvis was re-shuffled in 2013 and Helen Goodman was handed the remit, Helen then held a consultation in 2014 with interested parties including a meeting with Unison at which I was present.

For an outline of the consultation see;

http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/2014/06/labour-party-consultation-on-public-library-policy/

both I and Voices for the Library submitted responses but don't ever remember getting feedback.

To give Helen her due she did at least talk to people and also took part in a panel discussion on libraries at the 2014 SUFL conference but many of us expressed concerns about her insistence that volunteers could in certain circumstances run a library, see; http://leonslibraryblog.com/2014/06/07/reply-from-helen-goodman/

Helen was then re-shuffled and Chris Bryant drew the short straw. Chris didn't exactly endear himself to library users and campaigners with his comment re volunteers when he met with Barnet users/campaigners;

“Discussing the use of volunteers, he said: “They are brilliant, but they don’t replace librarians. I am not completely opposed to a volunteer-run library. If that’s the only solution to a particular area, then fine.”

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11829653.Shadow_Culture_Minister_visits_Golders_Green_to_discuss_library_cuts/

Labour has struggled with its libraries remit, especially the role of volunteers, and instead of formulating a strong policy which clearly states the need for publicly funded & managed libraries run by paid & trained library staff it has instead partly mimicked the Tories. Off course it’s the Tories who are slashing the funding but why aren't more Labour Cllrs marching shoulder to shoulder with their residents in opposition to austerity and the 'Localism' agenda, both of which have caused huge damage to library provision? If the Labour Party had taken a strong and clear position right from the start and had listened to users, staff, campaigners and union members then maybe some or many local Labour Cllrs would have taken the lead.

As for the future who knows? I haven’t yet managed to speak to Jeremy Corbyn re libraries but since he’s a fellow Islington Unison member I'm sure the opportunity will arise and I hope he’ll appoint a Shadow Culture Minister who’ll actually listen to library users/campaigners/staff and then act to promote and protect public library services and the paid and trained staff who work in them.

Camden Council proposes library cuts and Councillors set up a campaign and a petition.

Have your say on £800,000 cuts putting Camden libraries in the firing line

http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/have_your_say_on_800_000_cuts_putting_camden_libraries_in_the_firing_line_1_4148598  

"Libraries could close, see opening hours slashed, be privatised, or become self-service under cost-saving options to be presented to residents in a consultation next week.

The council could also save about £200,000 by outsourcing the running of libraries to a private company, an option thought to be unpopular with residents.

Its biggest savings of about £500,000 could come by cutting jobs and making libraries self-service only."

Is West Hampstead library at risk?

http://westhampsteadlife.com/2015/07/12/is-west-hampstead-library-at-risk/16975

Petition
https://www.change.org/p/london-borough-of-camden-save-west-hampstead-library-ad8f5532-1a26-4ee0-b514-d51caf9a8a39

@SaveWHamLibrary
#SaveWHampLibrary 

Barnet Childrens' March for Libraries on 12/9/15 - A call out to all library campaigners/supporters.

This is a call out to all library campaigners and supporters in London and beyond. Bring your banners, placards and voices and show your solidarity with Save Barnet Libraries, Barnet Unison and the children of Barnet on Saturday 12/9/15. We need to unite and fight!

Stepping back!

Just to let everyone know that I'm stepping back from campaigning for a while and won't be posting anything. Keep up the fight.

The last leg of the Save Barnet Libraries March (or Campaigning can be Cathartic)

I know some of you who know me well know that I'm currently off work with depression and anxiety, the main triggers being work-related stress and my dad's death several years ago. I've been really struggling for the last few years but it all came to a head a couple of months ago when i broke down in the street on my way to work. I feel tearful and agitated a lot of the time but will get better eventually with support, counselling and lots of walking. I did try SSRI's but couldn't cope with the side-effects and anyway the medication route was never really one i was happy with.

"What the hell has this got to do with the Save Barnet March or campaigning?" I hear you say. Well if it wasn't for my campaigning and the network I've built up I would be feeling far worse than I already do.
Campaigning is cathartic and my fellow campaigners are my support network.

Anyway, today I took my therapists' and Doctors' advice (get out more, meet people and walking) and attended and spoke at the last leg of the Save Barnet Libraries March. 100's of us walked about 7 miles via 4 libraries and myself and Alan Gibbons (Author and Library Campaigner) gave what I hope were inspiring and rebel rousing speeches especially after the recent horrific election result.

All in all a fantastically inspiring day which was brilliantly organised by Barnet Unison and the Barnet campaigners. They deserve the full solidarity and support of every library user, supporter, worker, union member and campaigner up and down the land.

So get out there and organise, march, protest and fight. Show solidarity and give support to those who need it.

Here's some photos;