“DEMAND WAS SUCH THAT THE LIBRARY MANAGER HAD TO JUGGLE TO FIT EVERYTHING IN” – CORRECTING LAMBETH’S WEBSITE
For several months now Friends of Carnegie Library have been pointing out that Lambeth council’s website contains misinformation about Carnegie Library. Attempts to make corrections have so far been unsuccessful, they say.
Here are some examples:
“Carnegie Library was used by just two per cent of all Lambeth library users and the building was underused.”
In fact, statistics for 2015/16 show Carnegie Library accounted for 4.7 per cent of the total visits, 9pc of loans, 4.95pc of members. Every area in the building was in full use by public library and borough-wide services, desk hire, clubs, events and activities; demand was such that the library manager had to juggle to fit everything in.
“A programme of support including a small grants programme is being provided to support groups that have been displaced from library buildings.”
In fact none of the groups displaced from Carnegie Library has received practical or useful support, grants or information about grants.
Concerned local people challenged this at the recent Council/GLL exhibition where the misinformation was repeated. We subsequently tracked down the officer responsible: Julian Ellerby, Director Policy and Communications, Olive Morris House, 18 Brixton Hill, SW2 1RD, 020 7926 1273, [email protected] Groups should apply to him for grants to cover extra costs
to date or potential future costs. .
“… currently unused basement of the building…”
In fact, in addition to gents, ladies and disabled access toilets and the boiler, the basement housed the Home Delivery Service staff, books and other material, with an adjacent van park. The books remain but staff have been displaced and vans are gone. The undercroft stores library furniture and other material, as well as original windows and other heritage features which must be stored on site for possible future reinstatement in the listed building.
There are also various war memorials and other commemorative plaques; funding for restoration and display of the WW1 memorials was supposed to be found from HLF but this appears to have been forgotten. (Source: Friends of Carnegie Library newsletter).
(NOTE: News From Crystal Palace understands that Lambeth council are exploring the possibility of moving the memorials to the Minet library – where Greenwich leisure also want to install a gym….. – Editor).
