The Supreme Court today refused library campaigners permission to appeal against the recent High Court decision on their case. The Supreme Court said there was 'no arguable point of law' for an appeal.
LINK to BBC story
LINK to BBC story
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Showing posts with label Brent S.O.S. Libraries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brent S.O.S. Libraries. Show all posts
Friday, 3 February 2012
Saturday, 12 November 2011
After the court verdict on libraries, will we have a political verdict at the by-election?
The appeal case concluded at the High Court yesterday with the verdict expected in 3 - 4 weeks time, which is comparatively fast in legal terms. It appears that the decision will be mainly based on the issue of indirect racial discrimination as outlined in my previous blog.
Although a victory would be excellent news it would not 'save the libraries' as such but would force the council to carry out a proper Equalities Impact Assessment which may change decisions about which of the libraries should be closed.
The letter writing campaign to the Culture Secretary is about the much broader issue of whether the Council is providing an adequate library service after the cuts. The letters call for him to set up a Public Inquiry and post closure evidence on over-crowding of the remaining libraries; loss of study facilities, and children, disabled an the elderly being unable to access a library will be important.
The by-election in Wembley Central opens up the possibility of library closures becoming an election issue. Ealing Road library is in the ward and has suffered over-crowding since the closure of the other libraries. It also has a high Asian population, the group that the Appellants claimed had suffered indirect discrimination as a result of the library closures.
There is an entertaining and informative commentary on the hearing on I Spy Queen's Park HERE
Although a victory would be excellent news it would not 'save the libraries' as such but would force the council to carry out a proper Equalities Impact Assessment which may change decisions about which of the libraries should be closed.
The letter writing campaign to the Culture Secretary is about the much broader issue of whether the Council is providing an adequate library service after the cuts. The letters call for him to set up a Public Inquiry and post closure evidence on over-crowding of the remaining libraries; loss of study facilities, and children, disabled an the elderly being unable to access a library will be important.
The by-election in Wembley Central opens up the possibility of library closures becoming an election issue. Ealing Road library is in the ward and has suffered over-crowding since the closure of the other libraries. It also has a high Asian population, the group that the Appellants claimed had suffered indirect discrimination as a result of the library closures.
There is an entertaining and informative commentary on the hearing on I Spy Queen's Park HERE
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Brent's library statement a 'masterpiece of political bullshit' - Pullman
From the GUARDIAN
Philip Pullman has lambasted Brent council for its comment that closing half of its libraries would help it fulfil "exciting plans to improve libraries", describing the statement as a "masterpiece" which "ought to be quoted in every anthology of political bullshit from here to eternity". "All the time, you see, the council had been longing to improve the library service, and the only thing standing in the way was – the libraries,” said the His Dark Materials author, speaking at the national conference of library campaigners on Saturday, where over 80 people from around the country gathered to share tactics on how to save the UK's beleaguered libraries.
With 600 of England’s libraries threatened with closure, Pullman called the campaigners’ battle a "war against stupidity". Citing campaigns to save libraries in Oxfordshire as well as in Brent, Pullman said "the war we're fighting is not against this party or that one, this flag or another flag, our parents or our MP or anyone else in particular: it’s against stupidity. And stupidity is not to be underestimated. The poet Schiller, whose great words on the subject of Joy were set in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, knew what a huge part stupidity plays in human affairs: 'Against stupidity,' he said, 'the gods themselves struggle in vain.'
Having worked himself as a library assistant in Charing Cross Road library in the early 70s, Pullman said "if you really want complete freedom of choice, complete openness of information, where nobody is spying on you, no one is selling your presence to advertisers, the only place to find it is a library, where they keep books."
He highlighted the Summer Reading Challenge, run by the Reading Agency, which encourages children to read six books over the summer holidays. This year a record 780,000 children took part. "Only the libraries could provide the materials and the staff to make this possible. And nothing could be more important, if we have the well-being of our children at heart," said Pullman.
After listening in on sessions at the conference – which covered everything from legal challenges to library closures to using volunteers to keep libraries open – Pullman said he "saluted everyone who's come here today, everyone who's protesting and demonstrating to save this library or that one, everyone who's devising a way of preserving one of the greatest and the best gifts any society has ever given its seekers after truth, its children, its old people, everyone who is looking for help better to enjoy life or better to endure it".
"There's nothing more valuable in the war against stupidity than the public library. These are hard times, but you are each guarding a beacon," said the author. "The book is second only to the wheel as the best piece of technology human beings have ever invented. A book symbolises the whole intellectual history of mankind; it's the greatest weapon ever devised in the war against stupidity. Beware of anyone who tries to make books harder to get at. And that is exactly what these closures are going to do – oh, not intentionally, except in a few cases; very few people are stupid intentionally; but that will be the effect. Books will be harder to get at. Stupidity will gain a little ground."
The conference’s organisers, The Library Campaign and Voices for the Library, said that one demand from the day was to take the fight to save libraries to a national level, with suggestions including a march on Downing Street. Pullman said that "if it was at all possible", he would join them.
"We already share the same determination," said The Library Campaign chair Laura Swaffield. "If councils insist on fighting us instead of working with us, we will fight back. If central government goes on shirking its duty to support libraries, we will keep on at them. We won't give up. We can’t."
Philip Pullman has lambasted Brent council for its comment that closing half of its libraries would help it fulfil "exciting plans to improve libraries", describing the statement as a "masterpiece" which "ought to be quoted in every anthology of political bullshit from here to eternity". "All the time, you see, the council had been longing to improve the library service, and the only thing standing in the way was – the libraries,” said the His Dark Materials author, speaking at the national conference of library campaigners on Saturday, where over 80 people from around the country gathered to share tactics on how to save the UK's beleaguered libraries.
With 600 of England’s libraries threatened with closure, Pullman called the campaigners’ battle a "war against stupidity". Citing campaigns to save libraries in Oxfordshire as well as in Brent, Pullman said "the war we're fighting is not against this party or that one, this flag or another flag, our parents or our MP or anyone else in particular: it’s against stupidity. And stupidity is not to be underestimated. The poet Schiller, whose great words on the subject of Joy were set in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, knew what a huge part stupidity plays in human affairs: 'Against stupidity,' he said, 'the gods themselves struggle in vain.'
Having worked himself as a library assistant in Charing Cross Road library in the early 70s, Pullman said "if you really want complete freedom of choice, complete openness of information, where nobody is spying on you, no one is selling your presence to advertisers, the only place to find it is a library, where they keep books."
He highlighted the Summer Reading Challenge, run by the Reading Agency, which encourages children to read six books over the summer holidays. This year a record 780,000 children took part. "Only the libraries could provide the materials and the staff to make this possible. And nothing could be more important, if we have the well-being of our children at heart," said Pullman.
After listening in on sessions at the conference – which covered everything from legal challenges to library closures to using volunteers to keep libraries open – Pullman said he "saluted everyone who's come here today, everyone who's protesting and demonstrating to save this library or that one, everyone who's devising a way of preserving one of the greatest and the best gifts any society has ever given its seekers after truth, its children, its old people, everyone who is looking for help better to enjoy life or better to endure it".
"There's nothing more valuable in the war against stupidity than the public library. These are hard times, but you are each guarding a beacon," said the author. "The book is second only to the wheel as the best piece of technology human beings have ever invented. A book symbolises the whole intellectual history of mankind; it's the greatest weapon ever devised in the war against stupidity. Beware of anyone who tries to make books harder to get at. And that is exactly what these closures are going to do – oh, not intentionally, except in a few cases; very few people are stupid intentionally; but that will be the effect. Books will be harder to get at. Stupidity will gain a little ground."
The conference’s organisers, The Library Campaign and Voices for the Library, said that one demand from the day was to take the fight to save libraries to a national level, with suggestions including a march on Downing Street. Pullman said that "if it was at all possible", he would join them.
"We already share the same determination," said The Library Campaign chair Laura Swaffield. "If councils insist on fighting us instead of working with us, we will fight back. If central government goes on shirking its duty to support libraries, we will keep on at them. We won't give up. We can’t."
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Monday, 18 July 2011
Embattled Brent Executive Delays Library Disposal Decision
Leader of the Council, Ann John, tonight withdrew the Asset Strategy for the disposal of vacated libraries from the Executive Agenda. She said that this was because of the proximity of the judicial review and councillors were constrained on what they could say about the issue. Campaigners thought it was withdrawn because the Executive had thought they could slip it thought unnoticed but word spread quickly over the weekend with the Council inundated with many requests to speak today.
The Save Preston Library's 5,897 signature petition opposing any sale or redevelopment of the Preston Library site that does not include a Brent public library, will now be presented at the August Executive when the item is discussed - unless of course campaigner's win the judicial review in which case it will be irrelevant.
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Brent S.O.S, - Donate for the legal challenge
The campaigns to Save Brent Libraries have joined together to mount a legal challenge to Brent's widely criticised closure decision. They are now seeking funds from the public to help mount the campaign. Full details are now on this blog HERE
They deserve your support.
Brent Save Our Six Libraries website HERE
They deserve your support.
Brent Save Our Six Libraries website HERE
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