Preston Campaign celebrates National Libraries Day in style

My next and last stop was the old Preston Library closed by Brent Council and currently used as an annex for Preston Park Primary School. Once surrounded by similar hoardings to those erected at Kensal Rise the building was in use again to celebrate National Libraries Day. The Save Preston Library Campaign has been particularly imaginative in its campaigning and the range of events it organises from pub quizzes to literary celebrations. As well as using the Old Library building as a Community Hub they operate a Community Library on Preston Road,

New building is to take place on the school's main site to enable the school to expand and the school will vacate the annex.. As it still belongs to the Brent Council there are hopes that it could revert to its previous use.

Musician and writer Leon Rosselson took children on a 'Bear Hunt' before reading from his own books

 

Reading aloud to the audience

Book making

Finishing with a song

My visits to all three library campaigns, Kensal Rise, Barham and Preston, was a humbling experience. One cannot but be impressed by the resilience of Brent residents and their resistance to losing their cherished services.

I wish them all success in their campaigns as we approach the local elections.

Battling Friends of Barham Library impress on National Libraries Day

After my visit to Kensal Rise Library for National Libraries Day I took the 18 bus up the Harrow Road to Sudbury Town Station. Campaigners for the closed down Barham Library have a 3 month letting on a vacant room there which has a month or so to run. They also have a shop on Wembley High Road.

The Sudbury Town library looks very professional and hosts a variety of clubs as well as the book lending/sale activities.

 

I popped into Barham's other 'branch' on Wembley High Road, opposite Copland School and again was impressed by all the work and commitment that has gone into providing books and a social space for local people. The sheer staying power of campaigners is amazing.

 

Determined and defiant Kensal Rise clears mess left by All Souls College

My National Libraries Day visit to the three events organised by campaigners fighting to reopen libraries closed by Brent Council turned out to be an emotional roller coaster. Common to all of them was determination to carry on the struggle and the immense value they place on books and community.

The wind and rain did not deter early arrivals at Kensal Rise intent on clearing up the mess left by All Souls College

Kensal Rise after the events of this week deserves a posting of its own. I arrived in the rain  this morning  to find people already working at clearing up the mess left by security guards hired by All Souls College.  They were under orders to clear the pop up library so that that All Souls could hand over the site to developer Andrew Gillick on the completion of the sale. The sale went through despite the on/off police investigation into fraudulent emails that supported Gillick's planning application for the site..

A large number of books ruined by exposure to the rain were being thrown into a skip bag while volunteers were sorting through others. The pop up's piano was also ruined beyond repair. Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt has arranged with the Campaign to get the books removed to a safe and dry place this coming Monday. Unfortunately too late for some of the books.

The ruined books and pianos ended up in a skip

By the late afternoon the surviving books and shelves had been neatly packaged ready for transfer

Campaigners remain defiant as sun replaces the rain

Brent library campaigns alive & kicking for National Libraries Day tomorrow

National Libraries Day tomorrow will see indefatigable campaigners marking the day and continuing their fight.

The Save Kensal Rise Library website  LINK announces:

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

Barham Library campaigners are holding this event:

 

 

 and Preston Library campaigners this one:

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.ljWZEzpu.dpuf

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.ljWZEzpu.dpuf

National Libraries Day Saturday 8th February, 11am at Kensal Rise Pop Up Library

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.ljWZEzpu.dpuf

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.2g8VvgEh.dpuf

The community will be out in force to repair and get re-established, the Kensal Rise Pop Up library and to help celebrate

National Libraries Day.

An opportunity to show that you love libraries including the Pop Up.

Bring balloons, ribbons, cakes, drinks, and energy.

A great chance for the community to come together and show  we will not let the pop up spirit be destroyed.

- See more at: http://www.savekensalriselibrary.org/#sthash.2g8VvgEh.dpuf

Preston Library lives again for National Libraries Day!

Next Saturday, 9th February, is National Libraries Day. The Friends of Preston Library  will be celebrating with a special children's event in the  former Preston Library building on Carlton Avenue East.  The building is now housing extra classrooms for Preston Park Primary School and the Friends are very grateful to the headteacher, Mr John Redpath, for allowing them to use the building in this way.

The event will run from 12pm - 4pm and will include story-telling with a local author, an art corner, the pop-up library - and they are especially pleased to be able to welcome well-known children's writer, Saman Shamsie, who will be reading from her own stories and from the new Puffin Book of Magic Stories.

Do bring your children along to the library building on Saturday and help to celebrate the importance of libraries and reading in our community.

National Libraries Day at Preston Park School on Saturday