Sorry for any inconvenience caused by us reducing your life chances....

I was taking a photograph of the sad sight of  the closed down Neasden Library this evening, usually a hive of activity on a Friday evening with a homework club in  session, students busy on computers and others borrowing books.

As I was taking the photographs a woman and her 15 year old daughter approached me.  They were coming to use the library and looked bewildered at finding it closed: "What has happened? Why is it closed?"

I explained Brent Council's decision to close half the borough's libraries. "But libraries are important. We need our libraries!"

I told them about the campaigns and the High Court decision.

"Are they mad? My daughter needs the library. I am on Income Support and we cannot afford the internet. Her homework says 'Use the internet to find out...'. We always come to this library. She needs it for books and her homework."

They examined the Council's notice.

"I can't send my daughter down to Willesden Green in the evening on her own. If I go with her I won't be able to pay the bus fare every night. I am on Income Support. She will get behind the other children who have internet at home."

I explained that previously the Council had understood these issues and that was why they had only recently invested money in refurbishing Neasden library and providing IT equipment and a homework club.

I told her that I had been one of the people campaigning and wrote this blog.

"You write down what I said. You tell them about me and my daughter."

So that is what I have done. I hope Brent Labour Party members think about about what she said at their Conference at Capital City Academy on Sunday afternoon. How many more people who don;'t read the local papers, or blogs such as this, will be standing bewildered in front of closed down libraries over the next few weeks?

Kensal Rise Defence Video

Video of Kensal Rise defence

Maggie Gee- people will not be fooled by Ann John

From Guardian Books

Kensal Rise library in north London. Photograph: Martin Godwin
Brent council has been trying to shut Kensal Rise library down since the 1980s – and now a depressing piece of legalese is trying to help them on their way. The judgment delivered at the narrow, cold high court showed only the huge gap between the arcana of the judicial, bureaucratic mindset and the facts as seen by ordinary people: the library that generations of people in Brent have used, loved and paid their rates for is being stolen from us by a combination of our own Labour council and a coalition government that sits on its hands. Mark Twain, the great American writer who opened the library over a century ago, must be turning in his grave at Councillor Ann John's laughable statement that she is "pleased" because now Brent can "push ahead with our exciting plans to improve Brent's library service and offer a 21st-century service for the benefit of all our residents". Why is she excited by the thought of closing down half the libraries in a poor borough at a time when London's unemployment has hit a new high? Ordinary people all over the country will not be fooled. They know that closing libraries means that overstretched parents and childminders will no longer have a safe, warm place where they can take their small children after school. They know that teenagers with nowhere to study at home because the television is always on, or there are too many people in too few rooms, will no longer be able to sit down in quiet corners of a book-lined room and do their homework. They know that people who have lost their jobs, or never had a job, will no longer be able to come to a place where they need feel no shame and look up courses where they can learn or clubs they can join. They know that newcomers to the country will no longer be able to come in off our cold streets and read newspapers and magazines to learn the language, or find the whereabouts of colleges, clinics and schools. If libraries are allowed to close without a fight, how long will that other service that was once the envy of the world, the NHS, still survive? Oh, and the books. The stories that help us understand each other, the non-fiction that gives us the tools to survive in the world, the picture books that help toddlers make sense of themselves – are they to be only for rich people now? Brent's Labour council should hang their heads in shame.

Residents, including children, defend Kensal Rise library

Children outside Kensal Rise Library

Latest news on Kensal Rise library from the Harrow Observer:

KENSAL Rise Library is being protected by a crowd of passionate residents, some of whom stayed over night so that council workers could not board it up.

Around 100 people headed to the cherished Bathhurst Gardens building last night in a last ditch attempt to save it after a High Court ruling yesterday allowed the council to permanently close it, along with five others.
Residents started the peaceful protest at around 5pm, and soon found there was plenty of support from passers-by.

According to campaigners, council workers attempted to board up the building twice without success. Five protesters slept by the building all night to protect it, with council workers sleeping in a van nearby.

But the effort did not stop this morning. Residents are still protecting the library and intend to continue their efforts.

Protesters brought down boxes of books from their homes, saying that they were willing to 'continue the service' from outside.

Paula Gomez, the treasurer of the Brent SOS campaign, said: "It was all friendly, we were just trying to stop them from boarding up the library and that was very successful, there was a great atmosphere and everyone was cheering. They tried to board it up twice but we turned them away.

"We are bringing our own books to make sure the service continues outside, people have even been bringing back their books to return to the library. We are all very disappointed (about yesterday's High Court ruling) but this has really brought the community together, there are some pretty exceptional people here. We are just putting out the message that we want out services back."

Mrs Gomez said a lot of the protesters in the early evening were children, with many people walking past the powerful scene on their way back from work.

The six Brent libraries at the heart of the High Court ruling have already closed and will not re-open.
The Labour-run authority had shut the half a dozen branches - Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton - in anticipation of the judgment being handed down in the case launched by Brent SOS Libraries.

Staff were briefed about the judgement and the council has now taken the decision to keep the doors locked permanently as they implement their delayed £1million saving plans with immediate effect.
Campaigners were denied the opportunity to appeal the judgement but are considering going to the Court of Appeal.

I Spy Queen's Park on libraries case

Excellent piece on library campaign and the High Court case on I Spy Queen's Park blog HERE

Updates from Library Campaigns

A picture that shames Brent Council

From Save Preston Libraries Campaign:

Dear All,

As you will probably have heard on the TV and radio news, our judicial review of Brent's library closure plan was dismissed in the High Court today. Below you can see the mailing sent out by the Cricklewood Library campaign which gives a report on the judgement. The judgement itself is attached. The Council has taken immediate action and closed the six libraries. 

An application for appeal against Mr Justice Ouseley's decision will be lodged with the Court of Appeal on behalf of the SOS Libraries claimants next week . To read a statement by the Campaign solicitors, Bindmans, and the press release issued by the Brent Save Our Six Libraries Campaign, go to our website at http://brentlibraries.wordpress.com/ .

The fund-raising activities planned to support the legal challenge and now the appeal will continue:

• MONDAY 17 Oct 2011 - STAND UP FOR LIBRARIES (Phil Jupitus, Robin Ince,  the legendary Robyn Hitchcock and others)

          Queens Park Community School Doors 6.30pm – show 7.30pm

• MONDAY 24 OCTOBER -Preston Pub Quiz - 7.30 for 8pm - Flyer will be circulated soon
• SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER  - Disco at Mall Community Centre - more information soon

The judicial review was only one part of our campaign and, while we hope that an Appeal Judge will respond more positively, we also want the Government to fulfil their responsibility to ensure that Brent provides an adequate library service.

It is now more vital than ever to persuade the Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt , to intervene in the Brent situation. It is absolutely vital you ALL write to Jeremy Hunt (at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) and demand an enquiry. This could save our library, but it needs hundreds of letters and emails to be sent as soon as possible – they said they would make a decision by September, this hasn’t happened, so we still have time. Go to http://brentlibraries.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/appeal-to-the-government-now/ for Jeremy Hunt's email address and some ideas on what to put in your letter.

Dear  Cricklewood Library Supporter

1 High Court Judgement
Mr Justice Ouseley (fresh from his support of Basildon Council against the Dale Farm travellers yesterday ) handed down a pretty damning judgement dismissing the Brent SOS Libraries judicial review today. I suggest those who are going to read the attached judgement may consider having a glass of their favourite tipple nearby!

One of our legal team described it as the worst judgement they had experienced .As is usual the judge refused leave to appeal against his judgement stating that he did not believe there were significant points of law or national issues arising from the case.

He also refused any stay on Brent Council action - except that as he believed there  would not be time before any appeal, if allowed, for the Council to sell the library buildings, then libraries could be reinstated were SOS to be successful.


2 Application to the Court of Appeal

An application for appeal against Mr Justice Ouseley's decision will be lodged with the Court of Appeal on behalf of the SOS LIbraries claimants next week .

If agreed an appeal could take up to six months to be heard

3 Libraries
Immediately after the judgement all six libraries were closed by Brent Council - at Neasden shutters were pulled down and locked, Preston library is being boarded up by the Council and a similar boarding exercise was prevented at Kensal Rise by a crowd of children and their parents.Contractors threaten to return tomorrow to complete the boarding up

Cricklewood was also closed early and the standard notice posted on the door stating that the library would be closed until further notice - and directing callers to Harlesden or Willesden Green.


4 Next action

Discussions are ongoing with all Brent SOS Libraries campaigns - further information to follow

5 Monday 17 October - Queens Park Community School - 7pm

Stand Up For Libraries - Phil Jupitus,Alexei Sayle and others support the libraries campaign

Betrayal of library closures

From e-mail correspondence on libraries today:

The upsetting thing were the people who were utterly aghast at Neasden being shuttered. One young man - who spoke fluent Arabic, Farsi and Dutch, and who was desperate to improve his English, was appalled. He loves reading, lives in Neasden. Those are the people being betrayed.

Crowds defend Kensal Rise Library

From a Labour Party member:

There was some good coverage of Kensal Rise library on the BBC1 local news at 6.30pm (,last night). There has been a vigil outside the library and local schoolchildren explained why they oppose its closure.  I was there this evening and there were some very angry people - including local Labour members, who were asking how to deselect the local councillors who supported the closures.