No fairy tale ending in library crisis

Published: 24th March, 2011
by DAN CARRIER

THERE is no magic wand to wave away cuts to Camden’s library services, a meeting in the Town Hall chamber was told last night (Wednesday).

Labour finance chief Councillor Theo Blackwell announced to a packed room that the council was dealing with “the most serious financial challenge local government has ever faced”.

And he scotched growing rumours that have swirled around user groups that there is a reserve pot worth £12million in the council accounts that could be used to keep libraries open. The money is not there, Cllr Blackwell insisted.

He said a spending balancing act meant some cuts were inevitable, adding: “We have had to consider things like spending on children centres – we are aware that a parent without childcare is a parent without a job.”

The meeting was chaired by Unison deputy head Lucille Thirlby.

Lib Dem leader Councillor Keith Moffitt said he wanted Camden to forge closer management links with neighbouring boroughs. 

“If it saves £300,000, that’s the running costs of two smaller libraries,” he said.

Cllr Moffitt also suggested libraries could be handed over to a non-profit-making company, similar to Greenwich Leisure, who manage Camden’s sports centres.

Conservative Andrew Mennear said that users did not care who ran services. He added: “It would not matter, as long as they were open.”

He suggested handing over the capital’s libraries to the Mayor of London, which he said could save around £50m a year. 

Chalk Farm Library regular Richard McEvoy told councillors Camden should be proud of their libraries.

He said: “People say it is crazy that we have 13 libraries, but we should be proud of this intellectual tradition. Do not lose sight of the history of self-education in this borough, which the Labour Party has long represented. I do not just mean the Fabian group, but working people, who put a premium on books and knowledge. This is something that must not be consigned to the past.”

Camden Public Lib­raries User Group (C-Plug) chairman Alan Templeton, who organised the meeting, said: “We need to be certain libraries are well managed. If you are in a financial fix you cannot afford poor managers and I believe that is what is happening from the top downwards.”

Belsize Library user Elaine Hallgarten said she had recently visited a library in Yorkshire.

“They told me  difficult budget decisions had been deferred for a year, so they could carefully work out how to keep libraries running on reduced funds,” said Ms Hallgarten. “I would like us to do something similar and not rush into any rash decisions.”

And Highgate library user Grace Livingstone said: “We do not want to save Highgate library at the expense of other libraries, just like we do not want to save the library at the expense of luncheon clubs or schools. We need to put more pressure on the government. They were forced into a U-turn over the forest sell-offs, so why not libraries?”

A further day of action is due to take place at West Hampstead library in Dennington Park Road on Sunday afternoon. Starting at noon, actress Phyllida Law is due to attend to lend her support.