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Save Sydenham Library campaign
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simonse26


Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 2010
Post: #1
28-08-2010 08:06 AM

    The Save Sydenham Library campaign is holding a photo call ouside the library today between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm and it would be great if as many people as possible could come and offer their support. There will be a photographer from the News Shopper present at around 12.00 noon so it is an opportunity for the people of Sydenham to show their opposition to the proposed closure.
There will be a stall with campaign material, including leaflets, stickers and posters and our rather splendid campaign banner will be prominently displayed.
There will also be a stall outside the Coop between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm.

You can also sign the petition if you have not already done so.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savesydenhamlibrary/

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roz


Posts: 1,796
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #2
28-08-2010 09:21 AM

I assume that this is due to the cuts- it would be good to also see the background to this, and the Councils arguments etc.

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simonse26


Posts: 3
Joined: Jun 2010
Post: #3
28-08-2010 01:26 PM

Roz, there is a lot of discussion and background on the Sydenham Town forum but yes, essentially the closure has been proposed in response to the Council's need to save £60 million over the next three years.
The Council is proposing to close five of the Borough's twelve libraries and save £800,000 in staff costs in the process. The five libraries have been selected on the basis that the other libraries have had money spent on the them recently, nothing to do with usage.
The opposition to the closure of Sydenham Library is based on its location on the edge of Home Park, where the local community has put in a lot of effort into trying regenerate the area and tackle anti social behaviour. The Library is also used by four local primary schools and hosts number of reading groups.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #4
02-09-2010 10:27 AM
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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #5
14-09-2010 12:40 AM
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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #6
14-09-2010 01:11 PM

Key events coming up:

18th September 11am-1pm: Campaign teams will be outside Sydenham Library, the Co Op and Sainsburys. There will be a photo opportunity at 10.45am outside the library for those who want to show their support.

18th September 11am-1pm: Perry Vale Assembly

20th September 7pm-9pm: SSL Campaign Meeting at the Bridge Leisure Centre

23rd September 7.30pm: Council Meeting. There will be a demonstration outside Catford Town Hall along with the four other libraries in Lewisham under threat from 6.15pm. Please contact the campaign team if you’d like to take part.

11th October 7pm: Public meeting, organised by the council, about the proposed closure of Sydenham Library

17th November: Decision Day

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #7
14-09-2010 01:15 PM

For more info on the campaign go to www.sydlib.com

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davhel52


Posts: 54
Joined: Jun 2009
Post: #8
14-09-2010 09:18 PM

It must also be remembered that one of the selection reasons is whether or not the Libraries have automated systems or not.Those with the Systems are deemed to cost less to run.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #9
14-09-2010 10:35 PM

The ones with automated systems still have staff and librarians. Libraries are more than places to just get books. Sydenham has a job club, reading groups, mums groups, IT access (free), is used by schools etc.

The council will save £830,000 a year by closing 5 out of 12 libraries.

They will still have to pay to to look after the empty buildings.

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davhel52


Posts: 54
Joined: Jun 2009
Post: #10
14-09-2010 10:58 PM

I should hate to get into an argument with you on this subject.The cuts will have to be decided on which services are the more important.It becomes insidious when the Government force local people to make decisions as important as this.But surely this is the object of the exercise.Drive a wedge between the Local Councils and the Electorate by putting the councils into a position of blame.Whichever the councils decide they are in a No win position because someone has to lose out.

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michael


Posts: 3,255
Joined: Mar 2005
Post: #11
15-09-2010 07:45 AM

It is not the government that is consulting local people on which they would prefer; libraries or adult social care. This is a consultation that has been setup by Lewisham Council prior to the comprehensive spending review. Everybody expects that cuts will be necessary to all areas of public services (and all parties made this clear prior to the general election) so Lewisham is right to be carefully considering where the cuts need to be made. Whilst we may all hate this process it is better than the problems Greece is going through.

On the issue of libraries, I don't want to see any libraries close, but it is worth remembering that Britain has one of the highest rates of public libraries anywhere in the world. When looking at library books per capita, the UK ranks above every major industrial nation (other than Russia) and has twice the rate of France, Italy, Netherlands, and Ireland. That doesn't mean that it is right to close libraries, but I think it answers those who complain that there are not enough books in libraries.

Although we are not quite there yet, I can imagine a time when all books are available for free on your Kindle/ipad, paid for by small adverts or an advert free subscription - just like Spotify (big business opportunity for somebody to develop this if Amazon/Google haven't already). At that time we should recognise libraries primarily as community education centres not as places to store books.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #12
15-09-2010 08:23 AM

I don't want to get into an argument either Dave, but discussion is good! I wasn't blaming the council in my last post, apologies is somehow you managed to make that connection.

I believe Libraries are important. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. This area is Sydenham has seen 3 stabbings, two of which were fatal. The Library is next to Home Park which is in Bellingham ward, one of the most deprived areas of the borough. The council has invested £60,000 in Home Park recently. If the library is closed the building will soon become a target for vandals and it will have a significant impact on the local community, including the numerous schools that surround the area.

The council believes it has to make cuts (which I also believe although the government hasn't made the amount official yet, it's a guess) of £60 million over 3 years. There seems to be a rush to close these libraries asap. The reason given for including Sydenham in that list at the consultation I went to wasn't the fact that it didn't have automated book hiring systems, but the fact that the council hadn't invested in the building and that it needed repairs. The council put a figure of £250,000 on the repairs, although no actual survey has been conducted and the figure was a 'guesstimate' by a council employee.

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davhel52


Posts: 54
Joined: Jun 2009
Post: #13
15-09-2010 09:21 AM

Thanks Syd

I have my finger on the Pulse of events in Sydenham and Lewisham and do know all of the points that you have mentioned.Hence my not wishing to get into an argument.
My main point is that of decisions-Those that I hope can be reached in the Consultation process and those that will be reached by the Mayor and Cabinet-which may or will be made taking into consideration all the arguments of representatives and residents alike with the- Not inconsiderable- assistance of their local councillors and other bodies.The next month or so will be a time of much soul searching by all those taking part in the processes,I just hope that friendships dont end up "Down the pan" so to speak but one thing is for sure.Not everyone will be satisfied.NO PAIN NO GAIN (In this instance)Dark Clouds on the Horizon but lets hope the weatherman has got it wrong.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #14
15-09-2010 08:44 PM

Agree Dav(e).

;-)

I imagine you will all be fighting to save Forest Hill if your library was closing. I live a few minutes stroll from the library and am friends with some of the staff and many users, plus I'm part of the Friends of Home Park group is is located next to so it's a touchy subject for Sydenham Central!

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davhel52


Posts: 54
Joined: Jun 2009
Post: #15
16-09-2010 01:51 PM

Thanks Syd

I have many friends in Sydenham and wish you all well in your endeavours.

Tough times ahead.

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #16
24-09-2010 03:53 PM

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDENHAM LIBRARY!

Over the last 106 years it has served the community through the collapse of the British Empire, Lenin, WW1, the invention of the tank, the Model T Ford, the rise of Hitler, The fire at the Reichstag, the fire at the Crystal Palace, the great depression, WW2, the v1 and v2 bombers that destroyed everything surrounding it, the development of the nuclear bomb, the rocket engine, the rise of the car, the birth of the Labour Party, the birth of the National Health Service, the United Nations, Gone with the wind, The death of Churchill and Ghandi, the abdication of King George, the coronation of Elizabeth II, the rise of the British car industry, James Bond, Our Man Flint, the assassination fo JFK, Martin Luther King, the cold war, Korea war, Vietnam war, Suez war, Falklands war, Kuwaiti war, Iraq war, the the rise of Hollywood, cinema, television, Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pol Pot, Idi Armin, General Franco, Sgt Peppers, the Berlin wall, The mini skirt, the mini car, going into space, landing on the moon, boil in the bag rice, Tesco, the EU, the oil crisis, the 3 day working week, flares, the fall of the British car industry, the rise of the Japanese car industry, brutalist architecture, the South Bank, The Munich Olympics, the 1966 World Cup, The removal of the front entrance to the library, the winter of discontent, Margaret Thatcher, abolition of theGLC, the Miners strike, the fall of Communism, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the removal of the original shop fronts in Sydenham Road, Raleigh Grifters, the national lottery, sharks in art galleries, the Tate, the demolition of the Childrens hospital and Bell Green gasworks buildings, Sainsbury’s supercentre, Tony Blair, Steve Bullock, countless roadworks, Friends of Home Park and the improvements on the libraries doorstep and threatened closure.

All of these things you can find out about in the library in books or via the free internet access.

Happy birthday Sydenham library.

Come along and celebrate at the Sydenham Library tea party on Saturday 25th September outside the library from 11am.

Revellers will be bringing tea and cake, and aiming to celebrate many more birthdays in the future!

http://sydenhamlibrary.wordpress.com/201...old-today/

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #17
27-09-2010 07:51 AM
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NewForester


Posts: 379
Joined: Feb 2008
Post: #18
27-09-2010 12:06 PM
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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #19
27-09-2010 10:05 PM

http://sydenhamlibrary.wordpress.com/201...n-the-bbc/

Brilliant coverage on the BBC tonight. Well done to all involved. If you want to listen go vis the link above or you can go direct to the BBC site here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00...7_09_2010/

Listen fron 1.34.15 onwards.[/u]

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sydenhamcentral


Posts: 269
Joined: Mar 2008
Post: #20
29-09-2010 10:25 AM
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