As the library was about
to be closed at the end of March and users were going to throw a leaving party,
it turned into an occupation.
These days it seems the
media only pays attention to celebrity and drama and that did it. Instant
coverage, on the Vanessa Feltz Breakfast progamme, on LBC, local TV and later,
more on LBC, Radio 5 Live and Channel 4 News.
The user occupants
included children, parents, library campaigners, local residents. They
had loos, cloakrooms, a supply of food and wine, much support from outside and
articulate public library aficionados. And it is a beautiful building,
perched on a rise overlooking the residential area - the community it
served.
Sadly this came to an
end when the interim possession order was served on Friday. Occupiers had
24 hours to comply.
By Saturday morning (9th
April) at 11.30 am there were at least 1000 massed outside with banners,
whistles, horns, car horns and will power. As ever, Alan Gibbons, writer and
committed library supporter, was alongside. Whatever anyone's politics we
were united in our support for public service. After the speeches,
cheering and hugs for Laura (Chair of FOLL and the Library Campaign) we set
off, carefully monitored by a non-intrusive police presence.
We drifted down to
Loughborough Junction, and while going under bridges the sound echoed loudly to
the library support chants and choruses. We cheerfully stood and chatted
while waiting for the off at traffic lights and junctions. We turned into
Minet Road and soon came face to face with Minet Library, which also houses the
Local Archives. We trekked on down quiet, picturesque back streets and
finally turned into Brixton Road, on our way to Lambeth Town Hall, Tate
Library and Saturday shoppers, many of whom took photos on their phones,
which we all hoped would be appearing on social media.
Windrush Square awaited
our presence. What would that first wave of immigrants from the West
Indies be thinking of what they viewed as starting a better life? Sir
Henry Tate's bust stonily viewed a scene that he could never have imagined
happening - the salami slicing to death of the public library service, one of
the essences of a civilised society. But, he listened attentively to the
speeches and resounding cheers.
Even the weather was
kind to us, a bright, calm, fresh Spring day.
And what now?
Well, the weekend was awash with discussions on morality, tax havens, tax
efficiency, tax avoidance and tax evasion, demonstrations at Downing Street and
the Connaught Rooms, steel plant closures, the Referendum, the London Mayoral
and GLA elections, and even the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Did anyone mention
libraries? Resounding Silence! Sadly the libraries minister at the
DCMS (Ed Vaizey MP, popularly know as The Evasive Vaizey) is not even available
to discuss library issues with Laura and her assistant, always too busy!
Hiding?
No official will defend
the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act so we are now assuming it is policy
to downgrade and diminish the library service and profession, into nothing.
Cui bono?
Image from Lewisham Library campaign organised by www.peoplebeforeprofit.org.uk sad that these are Labour Councils evicting local residents defending Libraries, clearly Corbyn is only in charge in his front room, but Labour Councils these days no different than Tory.
