H L A G N E W S
H L A G N E W S
REPORT ON SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Highgate Library has been in the newspapers almost continuously since March, when the Libraries Best Value Review was sprung on an unsuspecting public. The anger and consternation caused by the suggestion that instead of properly funding libraries the council should destroy two or three of them - Highgate, Stroud Green and St. Ann’s - has caused a major and unprecedented row.
HLAG orchestrated a flood of letters to councillors, ran a poster campaign, cooperated with the local papers to run stories, and also bombarded the Library Service with protests, ideas and suggestions. Thank you to all of our supporters who have always responded magnificently.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION (14TH JULY)
The rather raucous public consultation exercise, run as part of the council’s Best Value programme of consulting the public, was extremely well attended (if we could get this many people visiting the library weekly there would be no suggestion that we are underused!) and Cllr. Alan Richardson, who chaired it, as well as Jean Earley, Head of Library Service, and nine local councillors who attended were left in no doubt that Highgate Library was central to this community and would be fought for. The key issues of opening hours, lack of up-to-date stock and financial problems were dealt with in detail, and the place of Information Technology in branch libraries was discussed.
VISITORS ARE THE KEY
Saving the library will take more than letters, public meetings and sales. WE NEED MORE VISITORS - more legs through the doors, more faces among the shelves, more hands on books. Please keep up the pressure and introduce our very fine branch library to your friends, neighbours and family. It is the MOST VITAL EXERCISE for the Autumn. Keep coming in - keep taking out books!
JUNIOR LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS
With profits from the walltop booksale, HLAG is bringing comfort and sparkle to the Junior Library - and a few toys as well. A carpet, comfy seating, a radiator cover and dinosaurs are on order - all to prepare for the magnificent donation (see following).
MAGNIFICENT DONATION!
Helen Cooper, local author and illustrator, who has just won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for her book "Pumpkin Soup", spoke at the start of the Public Consultation meeting, and announced that she was donating her prize of £1000 worth of children’s books to a library to Highgate Library! We are thrilled, delighted and immensely grateful to her for this wonderful gesture of support. The books will be bought (locally in Muswell Hill) and delivered in November in a blaze of publicity. Watch for it!
BOOK SALES
HLAG will be running a book stall at the Highgate Fair in Pond Square on September 11th, so please start culling your shelves now and bringing books in to the library. We hope to see many of you there.
Selma Ibraham, our Librarian, has been clearing the shelves in preparation for new stock, and wants to have a WallTop sale of books on October 16th. We have happily agreed. Watch the notice boards for details nearer the time.
HERE COME VIDEOS!
With the help of Hornsey Library, we have taken delivery of £2000 worth of videos for children and adults. This will mean that the rentals will be plowed back into video stock and we can suggest particular videos we would like to have on the shelves. Let Selma know your wish list! And tell your friends and family to come along to choose one. Videos have been successful in other libraries in increasing visits.
AND NEW VENTURES
In the Autumn (IF THERE IS INTEREST!), we will be starting several new programmes.