When Barnet Council decided to close down Friern Barnet Library it sparked wide spread concern. A lively campaign to save the library brought together people in the community because it was one of the last free spaces in the area, and a well used one at that, used for regular meetings with the police and local councillors as well as reading groups, knitting groups and the usual books, computers and newspapers.
On April 5th the library was closed and campaigners decided not to take that decision lying down. Today we saw the first “pop-up library” outside the closed building, where local people donated books, cakes, teas and all sorts, all of it available to loan for free.
One volunteer, Frances Hewson, said “this is the last community space in the area. There’s several schools in the area and all the kids use the library. They’ve sold the town hall and now the nearest library is North Finchley, and that’s being closed too! This is one of the poorer parts of the borough, people don’t have the same access to transport and it is difficult to go further afield.”
Joanne Fryer, the Secretary of the Save Friern Barnet Library campaign told Big Smoke that one of the most frustrating things was the way that the council had dealt with those who wanted to keep the library open. “We need to get rid of this wretched cabinet system. We can’t have ten people making all the decisions. We want a more representative democracy.”
Roger Tichborne, aka the Barnet Eye blogger, came up with the idea for a pop up library as a positive way to deal with the council’s decision to close the library. “It beats people rioting in the streets and it costs nothing. Well, it cost me a box of lollipops! We’re going to be here every Saturday and I’m going to ask councillor Rams if we can use the library next week, but even if we can’t we’ll be back.”
Referring to the local London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden he said “Brian Coleman said he wants to end the something for nothing culture. I want to encourage it.”
The local trade union stall
The death of public libraries?
These cakes were lovely
Councillor Rams is not flavour of the month
The recently closed library
Books, books, books
I borrowed one of these (on the London Underground)
A temporary closure?
3 Comments
Very nice to meet you Mr Smoke (I had visited your blog before) and sorry we didn’t get to chat much but there were so many pople to talk tom. Maybe another time.
I grew up in Friern Barnet and my fondest memeories are of this library. I spent many hours there asa toddler, teenager then a student using its books and study quiet areas. I am now an avid reader and my love of books has increased as the years have gone on. My own children also now avid readers – though not in Friern Barnet! A library is more than just books…its about learning and developing a taste for reading, writing and exploring the world out there … be it fiction or non-fiction.
S
Well done for this – is there any way of contacting the library volunteers? I have 1000 books that I need to ‘re-home’ in the next week, they’re yours if you want to come and get them!
– Jim