‘Horrible’, ‘horrid’ - Friends of Heath Library hit out at revamp

Published: 20 May, 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS

A GRADE II-listed library is at risk of resembling a child’s bedroom because of ugly new corporate branding.
That is the warning from the Friends of Heath Library who this week warned the Town Hall that they will protest against the changes made to the building.
The group say they are opposed to new features including turning teal walls into a clinical white, and painting a green border around a the library’s glass dome. Pastel-coloured animal stickers and computer symbols plastered to the wall have also caused concern.

Ruth Gorb, a Friends of Heath Library committee member, said: “We’re trying to be reasonable but there are a lot of things we’re not happy about. We’re all very distressed.
“Why change something that has been such an asset to the neighbourhood and has been much loved for many years. We’ve spent 15 years keeping that library lovely, we have looked after it with such loving care, and they seem to have rubbed all of it out. The atmosphere has been destroyed. It’s very upsetting.”

The Friends group say they are finding fewer books and the new ­“quiet” area has been placed next to the children’s library.
As in other Camden libraries, staff now ask, “can I help you?”, and wear names badges.
“It’s all part of this corporate image – I think it’s appalling,” said Ms Gorb.
A show of hands at a group meeting last Wednesday revealed barely anyone approved of the changes, which were unveiled last month as part of a council scheme launched this year, called Growing Your Library.

Judith Allen, who worked at Heath Library in the 1970s, said: “It was lovely. It had such a lovely atmosphere. Now where do people check out books? The wooden desk is gone. You walk in and the first thing you see is videos and machines. It’s not cosy anymore.”
Others shouted out, “it’s horrible,” “horrid,” and “rubbish”.
Peter Gorb, a professor in design and corporate identity, said: “Libraries have a sufficiently strong identity. Where else can you walk into a room full of books and know you’re not in a library? It looks like a children’s bedroom now.”
Liberal Democrat councillor Linda Chung, who met with the Friends last week, has written to Mike Clarke, Camden’s head of libraries, to ask what went wrong during the consultation process ahead of the changes.

She said: “I was told [by Camden] there had been consultation. But if there had, these mistakes shouldn’t have been made and it should be rectified.”
The backlash means Councillor Tulip Siddiq, Labour’s new leisure chief, will have to hit the ground running.
Cllr Siddiq promised to meet library user groups and said she could not comment until she had met with council officers.

A Camden Council spokesman said: “Heath library was recently refurbished to create better services and we made a number of improvements to deliver a service that meets the needs of library users.
“New signage and branding has been installed into all libraries across Camden to make use and navigation easier for visitors even when visiting an unfamiliar library.

“At Heath library we preserved and enhanced its unique character and the number of books and other items available is the same as before the refurbishment. As with any customer-facing services, our staff wear name badges so that customers can quickly and easily identify them.
“The council has a strong history with the Friends of Heath library and we widely recognise their support.”