Popping into the Pop Up Library

I took  two crates of books into the Barham Pop Up Library today on its first Saturday at Barham Primary School.  There was a plentiful supply of books being processed by the volunteers and many children present. The place was buzzing with a sense of purpose and determination.

Although I support volunteer libraries as an interim measure what I really want to see in the long term is the reopening of the closed libraries (they may have to be on new sites if the Council succeeds in selling any off) properly funded by the local authority and professionally staffed.

Meanwhile the community spirit that has fed the campaign against library closures was very much in evidence and really should shame the Labour councillors who supported the closures which so damage community cohesion and the life chances of our young people.

Barham Pop Up Library to open on Saturday

Friends of Barham Library will be opening a Volunteer POP UP Library on Saturday 21 April 2012 in a former nursery building next to Barham Primary School in Danethorpe Road Wembley.

Barham Library situated in the popular Barham Park is one of the 6 libraries closed by Brent Council last October. The friends of Barham Library have been campaigning ever since to get the Library reopened and have offered to run it with the help of volunteers and through fund raising effort. Brent Council have kept the former library building empty for over 6 months and have so far refused access to local volunteers.

According to Francis Henry, from Friends of Barham Library as over half of Barham Library's active users were young people under 19 years of age it is the local youngsters who have been hurt most by the closure.

Although the Volunteer Library will serve the whole community irrespective of age and background it the loss of a library for young people in particular that is the driving force behind Friends of Barham Library determination to get their library back. It is planned to operate the Saturday Library from Saturday 21 April 2012 until the end of July 2012.

"Barham Library was originally opened on 31 May 1952 and just like the Queen the Library is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year. Opening a Volunteer run Saturday Library next to a local school of helping to provide a much needed library service for local people" says Francis Henry who lives in Sudbury with his family.

Local people are being urged to show their support by coming to the opening of the Barham Volunteer Library on Saturday 21 April based in the old Nursery Building next to Barham Primary School accessed through the school entrance in Danethorpe Road Wembley. The library will be open between 10:30am and 2:30pm. on its opening day.

Friends of Barham Library are also urging local people to help by becoming volunteers, donating books, DVDs and CDs and by helping to fund raise.

Meanwhile the Independent has a story on pop up libraries elsewhere LINK

National Libraries Day at the Barham Park Lounge

Thanks to Brent News Company TV for this report from National Libraries Day at the Barham Park Lounge.