GOOD NEWS: New Beacon Books gets a lifeline after £76k raised by crowdfunder

 From the Bookseller website

The team at New Beacon Books, the UK's first Black specialist bookshop, has praised the “amazing support from the community” following a highly successful crowdfunding campaign which has not only saved the store but netted £76,000 in only a few days. 

Based in London's Finsbury Park, the store announced over the Christmas break it would be shutting its doors and moving entirely online, as financial constraints from Covid-19 and online retail threatened its future.

Academic and actor Francesca Gilbert immediately launched an online fundraising campaign on 30th December with donations flooding in within hours.

The crowdfunding campaign had aimed to raise £35,000 by 24th February 2022 but, by the morning of 31st December, it had already surpassed that total and introduced a new "stretch" target of £50,000 which was also quickly met. It now has donations from 2,427 supporters.

Directors Michael La Rose, Janice Durham and professor Gus John have now outlined their plans for the future on New Beacon Books' website which could include a move to new premises and boosted community engagement. They said: “Due to the amazing support from the community in response to our fundraising campaign yesterday and today, the bookshop has been given a lifeline to assist in moving forward.” 

They explained that the money will be used to pay rent, rates, utilities and other overheads and hire a part-time member of staff to support existing management and volunteers, process online orders and carry out admin work. 

Additionally the crowdfunded cash will enable them to expand New Beacon Books’ community outreach work and educational initiatives within the community as well as restoring New Beacon Books’ publishing platform, which had been reduced in recent years. 

The directors also suggested there could be a move of premises longer term: “For the foreseeable future, New Beacon Books will continue to be based at its current premises. We will be continuing to look at ways for a long-term sustainable future.” 

They paid tribute to the people who helped them in the campaign: “We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the online crowdfunding campaign and the many in-person purchases by the community. 

“We want to emphasise that all the funds received will be accounted for in a transparent and coherent manner. We will keep everyone informed on a regular basis as to our progress. We would like to express again our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for this support.” 

The independent bookshop was founded in 1966 by activist John La Rose and Sarah White. 

Preston Community Library 'highly commended' in prestigious Library of the Year Award

From Preston Community Library Campaign

Preston Community Library has been “highly commended” in this year’s Bookseller's Library of the Year award.

The judges said that “For the first time, The Bookseller’s Library of the Year shortlist also includes a commendation for a volunteer-run library, Preston Community Library in Brent. Although the award supports professionally-run libraries with paid and qualified staff, this year we felt there should also be some recognition of the commitment and hard work shown by volunteers who keep a form of library provision in their community against the odds.”

Congratulations to all of our volunteers who work tirelessly to keep the library open. Above all, this award recognises the vital importance of local libraries to their communities, which is why thousands of people fought to keep Preston Library open, and continued to fight for several years to re-open it.

All of us at Preston Community Library agree that public libraries should be publicly funded, and run by paid professional staff. But, as custodians - for the time being - of Preston Library we are extremely proud of what we’ve achieved, and honoured to have been recognised in this year’s Library of the Year awards.

On its website LINK the Bookseller commented further:

In fact, Brent Library Service—hearing that the library has been attracting large audiences for its events—has asked Preston Community Library to bring two of its author events to its own libraries: one was held around Susie Boyt’s My Judy Garland Life (Virago), and the other, a Second World War memorial event with Elisa Segrave, was about her book The Girl from Station X (Ebury).

Open four days a week, the library is run by some 80 volunteers, the eldest being 97. The children’s library is “a well-stocked and animated environment”, and membership is around 1,400.

“This shortlisting couldn’t come at a more pressing time,” says literary event lead Geraldine Cook, who adds that the accolade is a “much-needed boost” for the management team (made up of the former library campaigners) who are determined to carry on running the library with all its activities, even when they may have to move the library temporarily, while the council develops the current site for flats.

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