Setting the record straight on All Souls' 'support'

Thanks to Jodi Gramigni  for this update:

I felt it was essential to provide an update on the developing situation with All Souls College, Oxford, due to inaccurate information being circulated by Thomas Seaman, Estates Bursar and Fellow of All Souls (http://www.all-souls.ox.ac.uk/people.php?personid=61).

He has said that the College is giving the library campaign the space that was requested in our bid. This is incorrect. In addition, their offer of support is a fraction of the over £1m in proceeds that they expect to receive for the sale of the building, and is short term, leaving the library to secure resources to pay for commercial rents in perpetuity. An unsustainable proposition due to the very limited size of the space we are being offered. 

Laura Collignon elaborates:

“Just so you all know what this "support" means, All Souls College are selling the building to property developers who will turn it all into flats, except for the old children's section which will be demolished and turned into our new library. That is all we are getting. Oh, and it is suggested that we should pay a market rent for the space we get. And if we don't want to run a library on that basis, apparently they will find someone who will, because we have persuaded them of the importance of a library remaining there!!” https://www.facebook.com/groups/krlibrary/permalink/421730247880408/

All Souls are requiring the Friends of Kensal Rise Library to negotiate directly with the developer Andrew Gillick of Platinum Revolver Ltd, whose proposal includes partial demolition of the existing building which would require a change of use from Brent Planning (http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/platinum-revolver).

If this is the Colleges idea of support, god help us if they turn against us…

More details to follow soon.
Kind regards,
Jodi
about.me/jodi/gramigni
twitter: @jodigramigni

Sign Kensal Rise Library petition and read latest news

 Dear Supporters,

All Souls College, Oxford, has decided to sell Kensal Rise Library to developers who are going to strip the buildings and convert to flats. The developers are offering us a very small section (for a library) in exchange for helping them with planning, but we will have to pay commercial rates in perpetuity. Not a very good offer.

We are greatly saddened that this venerable college has chosen profit over people. The destruction of our only local cultural asset is shocking and demoralizing for all of us who have been working to support a service that benefits the most vulnerable amongst us. That All Souls chose this path in the face of our shared history, accelerating the gentrification of our community, is a direct rebuke to the original residents of Kensal Rise that the Fellows gifted the land to so many years ago.

Luckily there is another developer with a much more generous proposal for Kensal Rise Library re: space & terms. They have been in touch with the campaign and will submit a Bid to All Souls College, Oxford, by Monday for urgent review. We sincerely hope that All Souls gives this proposal serious consideration.

There will be a lot of activity over the next few days and your support is vital. Please help spread the news and share our petition as widely as you can. If you would like to get involved further, or have any ideas or suggestions for the campaign I'd love to hear from you email me via: about.me/jodi.gramigni or twitter: @jodigramigni

Many thanks again for all your support.

Kind regards,
Jodi

PETITION HERE

Kensal Rise campaigners appeal for funds to strenthen their All Souls bid

 The Save Kensal Rise Library Campaign today launched an appeal, locally and nationally, to ask for pledges to help the community secure their library. 

The appeal immediately attracted a 10,000k pledge from Daniels Real Estate Agents who have supported the campaign since it began. Other pledges so far have been made by local people.

The group who have been campaigning for almost two years to save their library urgently need financial support to strengthen their bid to All Souls, the Oxford College that ownership of the building reverted to after its closure by Brent Council. 

Paula Gomez Medina a Trustee of the group said today,

We need to raise funds to secure the first year of operations, which includes urgent repairs to the building. We have a strong business plan and are confident we can make the library self-sustaining in the long-run, but we need the help of our supporters now. We are asking residents, friends, businesses and supporters to pledge a donation towards our target of 70K. 

We need these pledges urgently - by September 7th when our proposal needs to be with All Souls College.

We will only collect payment if our bid to All Souls is successful. If we are unsuccessful people will not donate anything.

In return for support the group are offering supporters a chance to become permanent public benefactors of the library.

Name on the wall (large) £1,000 Name on the wall (smaller) £500 Name a shelf £300 Sketch (+name) of you in the library crowd £100 pp Sponsor a chair £50 Adopt a book £20 Other 
Details about how to make a pledge can be found on the campaign website www.savekensalriselibrary.org

The Co-Chair of the campaign, Margaret Bailey, added:

 Support from the local community and beyond has sustained this campaign. People cannot doubt the seriousness and commitment of this community to have a library at its heart. We have all fought hard and long. We hope we can rely on the generosity and goodwill of the many people who agree about the importance of libraries to the well being of civilised communities.

As Mark Twain who opened our library said, "Lack of money is the root of all evil". We have been put in the position where our fight is not enough, and we need to find finance to prove ourselves.

 The Appeal follows Councillor Powney's claim on his blog LINK that campaigners have given up their fight for a library on the site.

Children raise their voices for their library

                             Photo: Lorraine Skinner

 BNCTV seemed to have stopped uploading their videos to YouTube so I cannot embed them here. They have posted a video showing Muhammed Butt talking to campaigners outside Kensal Rise Library earlier this week.  Follow the link to see what he has to say.

The film is notable for the militant primary school children spontaneously voicing their opinions about the library at the beginning of the clip.

Kensal Rise issue challenge to Cllr Butt

Kensal Rise community library campaigners have sent this message to Muhammed Butt:

Dear Cllr Butt,

Perhaps after the action early this morning you might like to join us this afternoon at 3.30 at the library?

You might like to explain to residents in this community the reasons for the action you have taken.

That is, if you are still serious about 'engaging' with us.

We are somewhat baffled about why you would choose to do what you have done.
Did you not say the tables and chairs and more importantly the murals that were painted specifically for our library could remain? Along with all the plaques and photos commemorating the opening of the library by Mark Twain.

Regards and hopefully see you at 3.30.
 

Kensal Rise campaigners leave meeting with new council leader empty handed

Kensal Rise Library campaigners emerged from their meeting with Cllr Muhammed Butt, new leaders of Brent Council and Ruth Moher, his deputy, pleased to have had a meeting but disappointed by the result.

Cllr Butt did not give any practical assurance to the campaigners but instead really just restated the John-Powney position.

He said that the ownership of the library had already reverted to All Souls College and the relevant deeds will soon be signed. Campaigners said they had indications that All Souls, even at this late stage, would be content to see the library remain in Brent's hands and be run by the campaign group. However, if it does revert it will be put on the market within weeks, probably at commercial rates.

Butt said he hoped that the council would be able to persuade All Souls to come to a compromise agreement with campaigners. However, they feel that with the current frosty relations an apparent attempt to shift responsibility from the Brent Council to the college will not be well received.  Campaigners said, "Brent seem to think they can give the building back to All Souls and then ask All Souls to let us have it, instead of just letting us have it themselves. All Souls have always said they would be happy if we reached agreement with Brent, so from where we are standing the problem at the moment is with Brent, not All Souls".

Cllr Butt said the council would be reluctant to freeze the transfer of ownership back to All Souls because it would go against their current policy of reducing the council's property portfolio. If that wasn't enough he then claimed that having a community library in a council building would undermine the whole Libraries Transformation Project to which he remains committed.  Kensal Rise campaigners said their proposal was for taking a long lease on the building with no expenditure commitment or administration burden on the council. If the community library failed the building could revert to All Souls anyway. The idea that the whole Libraries Transformation Project would be undermined by a small, volunteer run community library, in an area not otherwise served, was described as 'verging on the pathetic'.

Finally Muhammed Butt said that he couldn't promise the books currently in the library would not be removed as 'the council needs them' (despite removing book shelving from many of the remaining libraries) and All Souls' solicitors had asked for the building's contents to be cleared. Campaigners made it clear that books remaining was legally significant. If the building had no books it would make it harder to argue that the reverter clause had not been triggered. Campaigners offered to move their donated books in at the same time as the council moved their books out.

Refusing to give way on these and other issues Muhammed Butt said he would need to consult Brent's legal team and others to see if  the campaigns suggestions were viable and if he had any room for manoeuvre. He has not yet got back to the Kensal Rise community library campaigners.

They said:

Obviously, we are concerned about the extent of Cllr Butt's goodwill. He may hope to fob us off with bland reassurances while offering nothing concrete. He may also hope he can shift blame for the loss of the library onto All Souls if they refuse a meeting, or if they resist a compromise arrangement. Clearly his main concern is to take the political heat out of an issue that has caused the Council huge problems and a lot of bad publicity. 

Cllr Butt and other councillors may now regret how the library closures and community aspirations have been handled, and they are  obviously nervous about the pubic perception of the council and would like to change that, but if this new 'support' for us is simply a devious attempt to achieve 'good press' we will not be happy about being used in this way and this community will be very angry if this is the case.

 

So we do wonder if this is what the meeting with councillors was all about - damage limitation for the very bad public image that they have created for themselves and an attempt at co-opting us to help with its restoration, because, after all, we left that meeting empty handed.

The campaign will continue to keep on the pressure and will be vigilant at defending the building and preventing the removal of books.

Butt: Libraries 'not an issue' in leadership change

In an interview with Michael R Goss of BNCTV LINK incoming Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt  says that the library closure controversy was 'not an issue' in the leadership change which saw him ousting Ann John.  He said the change was 'democracy in action'.

He defended the Civic Centre project and the Willesden Green regeneration and said that the library closure programme was forced on the Council by the Coalition's funding cuts. The interview was conducted yesterday before the Council emptied the Kensal Rise Library. He said that  no action can be taken on Kensal Rise until the outcome of the reverter to All Souls but that once in office he will respond the various e-mail from campaign groups.

In a key passage outlining how he would be different to Ann John he said:

What I want to do is take stock of what we're doing at the moment and see what we need to do taking into consideration the budget we've just implemented.  The we need to engage with our councillors, especially between the front bench and the back benchers - get them involved in the decision making process so everyone has an input and also I want to have more engagement with out residents and the electorate, listen to them rather than just sort of blindly defending our decisions.

I want to be able to go out to them, reach out to them, explain to them as to why we've taken the decisions we have.

Asked if this was an issue in the library controversy he said:

We should have got our messages a bit more clearer and that's why I'm saying we want to engage with people. I think our communication with the library campaigns, the electorate and perhaps within the Council, could have been a lot clearer and we could have explained things in simple terms, easier terms and expressed the enormity of the £32m cuts we had to make.

Muhammed Butt said that the resignation of the Labour Chief Whip was just a matter of taking advantage of the AGM. He expressed confidence in Cllr Shafique Choudhary, the new whip, and said he was confident that the Labour Group would get behind his leadership despite the close 21 to 19 vote.

Kensal Rise campaigners 'on watch' after emptying of Preston Library

From the Bookseller website LINK

Library campaigners on watch outside Brent's Preston Library cried "Shame on you" as books and computers were cleared from the building by council workers today (29th December), with police in attendance.

Vans arrived at 9.30am to begin clearing the library of its contents. Local campaigners had been on intermittent vigil outside the library building over the Christmas holiday, with a Christmas tree on display decorated with children's book characters.

"We campaigners are still standing here with our signs, which say, 'Children need to read,' and 'Save our libraries,'" said local campaigner and literary agent Geraldine Cooke, today. "We don't think any library should be closed."

Fellow campaigner Samantha Warrington told the Harrow Observer: "We have put an application in to the Supreme Court so while that is happening Brent should not be taking any further action to decommission the libraries. We are trying to obstruct the way but the police are moving us. I feel that Brent Council is showing contempt to the legal process and the community who have shown how much they need their local library by doing this."

Protesters are "on watch" today outside Kensal Rise Library, now the last remaining closed Brent library, which still has its books in place.

Brent council had undertaken not to clear the libraries, or board them up further, until after judgment was given in the Court of Appeal about the lawfulness of the closures. Judgment was given in the council's favour shortly before Christmas. Lawyers acting for the campaigners have now approached the Supreme Court for leave to bring a last appeal against the closures.

The limitations of being 'nice'

Direct actions, from the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest at St Paul's and anti-war protests outside Parliament to the vigils at Kensal Green and Preston libraries, are sometimes criticised as not being very 'nice' because they  look untidy, embarrass passers-by and may involve inconvenience or even confrontation.

Malvina Reynolds, an activist in the US who wrote many well-known children's songs such as 'Magic Penny' and 'Morning Town Ride', looked like a sweet old lady but defied stereotypes with her powerful political songs.  This song of hers, about direct action during the civil rights struggle seems particularly appropriate and has been sung at some of the American anti-capitalist demonstrations:

The theme of 'niceness' was taken up by anti-nuclear activist and paediatrician Dr Helen Caldicott at a recent demonstration in New York when she accused people of being "too damn polite" about the nuclear industry. The following video starts with her passionate speech and includes footage of other demonstrations often accompanied by protest songs, including at 12 minutes a children's choir singing "It isn't nice".

It takes courage to go out on the streets and expose yourself to derogatory comments and ridicule, but if the alternative is acquiescing to injustice, then I know where I stand. Thankfully, on the ground, whether at St Paul's or Preston library there is plenty of support.

Keep on keeping on!

"Whenever I hear the word culture I call in security guards"

Susan MacKenzie, Brent's head of the library service, yesterday supervised four security men to strip Cricklewood Library of books and IT equipment. The action happened on the eve of  legal attempts to limit such moves by Brent Council pending an appeal against the High Court decision in favour of the Council. There was a hasty attempt by local people to stop the action but the doors were blocked by the security guards.

Meanwhile the 24 hour vigil outside Kensal Rise Library continues and Preston Library supporters are calling for local people to join them outside the library to prevent the Council seizing books and equipment.

BBC London News on Kensal Rise Library Vigil

BBC London News reports today on the Kensal Rise Library Vigil LINK

Children stand up for the library they love

Warm welcome at Kensal Rise vigil

The 'Community Library' outside our closed down library

 I've just been down to Kensal Rise Library where people are keeping vigil in the warm sunshine to stop Brent Council boarding up the building. The atmosphere was friendly with passers-by stopping to have a chat and telling us how they value the library and appreciate the campaigners' efforts. Passing cars tooted in support.

Children finished off some of their home made posters and paraded up and down with placards. Adults brought books to add to the outdoor community library that has sprung up and others browsed to borrow books.

As I talked to campaigners  it became clear that beneath the friendliness and spontaneous laughter, there was a steely determination.

Support is still needed with the next danger point at 5.45am on Monday morning, although everyone is prepared for sneaky action by Brent Council at another time. The Council has employed security guards around the clock to be positioned at the library, ostensibly to prevent any damage, but really to call the police if there is any sign of an attempt to occupy the building.

If you can offer any support at all go down to Kensal Rise and you'll be sure of a warm welcome - particularly if you can join the overnight shift.

"Burly contractors" seen off at Kensal Rise

From the Spectator:

A thoroughly English affair

15 October 2011

David Blackburn

An air of calm pervaded outside Kensal Rise Library yesterday afternoon, following the dramas of the early morning. Contractors arrived at 6am to board up the building after a court yesterday decided that Labour controlled Brent Council could close six libraries as part of its austerity agenda. They discovered two people standing guard outside the front door, who immediately stood-to and stopped the contractors from carrying out their task. The same scene was repeated at 8am, when a posse of locals descended to defy council workers. They were bolstered by a phalanx of 140 or so primary school children from the nearby Princess Frederica CofE school, dragooned into action by their parents. The burly contractors slunk off with their chip-board and haven’t been seen since.

The mood was quietly upbeat when I arrived just after midday. The sun was shining, the streets were sleepy and there was fruitcake to eat. The few vehicles that passed through this residential road sounded their horns in solidarity. Local types stopped for a natter. All in all, Nora Batty wouldn’t have looked out of place, so delightfully English was the setting.

Rachel and Pam were on guard duty, and they were being unofficially chaperoned by Paul Lorber, a Lib Dem councillor in Brent who is involved with Save Kensal Rise Library! He told me that 60 local people have volunteered to protect the building 24 hours a day until such time as the council relents. Those same people have also pledged to help run the library in future.

The group striving to save Kensal Rise Library has captured public imagination over the last year; they have been the subject of newspaper columns and television programmes. Next week, a troupe of comics, including Rob Ince, Alexei Sayle and Phil Jupitus, will perform a cabaret to raise money for the possible appeal against yesterday’s court judgment.

With such support, the Save Kensal Rise Library! remains fairly confident of ultimate victory. Rachel and Pam both said that they would remain vigilant, but expected the council to stay away this weekend because apparently Brent's estates officer, Richard Barrett, has said that the council will negotiate a settlement with the campaigners. Barrett was unavailable for comment this afternoon.

There will be changes to the elegant red brick building if the group succeeds. Currently, the library only occupies the ground floor. The first floor is used a reading room, but campaigners intend to invite Into University — a charity that encourages wider access to higher education, which operates out of a local church at present — to take over the floor in order to share the burden of costs.

There is, however, one complication. The site is owned by All Souls College Oxford, who leased the building out in 1899 on condition that it is always used as a library. It is not clear how Brent Council’s policies, the recent court judgments and the campaigners’ plans will be affected by All Souls' rights to the building. The college’s Estates Bursar has been in London today and is believed to have met or spoken to representatives from Brent Council and Margaret Bailey, the leader of Save Kensal Rise Library! All Souls has refused to comment on the case.

Philip Pullman: Why it is wrong to close our libraries

I think it is a bad idea for councils to close any libraries because all libraries are treasure houses which should be looked after and protected.

Children especially are the people who can be nurtured into a love for books in libraries which they don’t easily find anywhere else.

Libraries are the only place where they can get the love of books that will engender a life time love of reading.

It is important because it is the fundamental thing that makes us civilised human beings

Follow this link to see full report of Philip Pullman's comments on the Willesden and Brent Times website LINK

Pullman pulls them in

PullmanThe excellent Save Kensal Rise Library  blog has a posting on yesterday's proceedings which include the morning session which I was unable to attend: HERE

There was a packed audience, including many young people, for the Philip Pullman event at Queen's Park School yesterday evening REPORT

Library case is underway

Outside the court this morning

ITN Report HERE

BBC Report HERE

More Library Legal Fund Events Coming Up

A message from Brent SOS Libraries who have £15,000 left to raise for their legal action against Brent Council.

• Open Garden Party on Sunday, 3 July 3-6pm  at 121 Anson Road NW2  £5 (Nearest station: Willesden Green / Cricklewood) further details from Graham Durham grahamdurham@hotmail.com or at http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/category/events/

• a second Preston Pub Quiz on Monday, 4 July , 7.30 for 8pm start. £5/3.

• Meeting with the writer Philip Pullman on 20 July, 7pm at Queens Park Community School. £10. More details later. 

Library Campaign moves into top gear - more than half cash target met

A message from Brent SOS Libraries:

With another six  members joining our six month old Save Cricklewood Library Campaign last night and a visit from the Tokyngton Library campaign (who have submitted a 670 signature petition to Brent Council this week) I cannot remember a bigger  or more active Brent campaign in my 30+ years of living in this fantastic  diverse borough. Can anyone else? We are swamped with fundraising events, volunteers, supportive authors and have six very lively local campaigns underway .

We are now close to the legal hearing, which the Council is insisting is heard in July. This is our final push to raise money - together we are over half way to our £30,000 target .Many thanks to all those who have helped and attended recent events,donated books etc.

Can you help with one more push ?

1 Selling Garden Party Tickets - meet  at Cricklewood Library -MONDAY 27 June at 6.30pm

Join Anna, Edward and other supporters in a final push to sell Garden Party tickets door-to -door - at £5 it is a bargain and we only have 72 tickets left

2 Garden Party   Sunday 3 July   121 Anson Road  3-5pm

Tea, cakes and a beautiful garden - what more could you want ?

Come and meet Helen and the Save Cricklewood team - a must for your social calendar

3 Wear your T shirt with pride

Brent SOS Libraries T-shirts will be available from 30 June - just ring or text me on 07866616492 and I will deliver .Beautifully designed in tasteful red and white - certain to be this years fashion item.Only £10 each .

How many do you want? (only large available - but good for snuggling up with a book in  )

4 Philip Pullman

Yes the record -selling author is coming to speak soon in support of Brent SOS LIbraries.

Provisional date ( to be confirmed) 20th July at Queens Park Community School 

5 Preston Quiz - Monday 4 July

Return of the popular quiz - can Cricklewood go one better and win this time? Just turn up at 7.30pm at the Preston Pub, Preston Road .

6 Cricklewood Music Night

Tapping into the local classical musical talent Sonja is organising a musical evening later in July - contact sonjarobin@hotmai.com

7 Any more books ?

We still need book donations l Just let me know and I will collect .There is a picture of Sonja at our Glastonbury bookstall in the local paper this week

8 Protest and Survive

Soon we will be staging a peaceful protest at the court as the library hearing commences - watch this space.


Graham Durham