[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-carnegie-occupation-save-libraries":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"You know the library closure situation is bad when people are actually locking themselves into doomed libraries and refusing to leave. That's exactly what's happening with the \u003Cb>#CarnegieOccupation\u003C/b> and these people have been in the \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_library\">Carnegie Library\u003C/a> in the Herne Hill-Loughborough Junction area of southeast London for five days and are not planning to leave until it's saved from Lambeth Council-led ideas of turning it into a gym. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/71833_original-f0abf726f9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWhen I visited today, the protesters at the front gate explained to me that there are lots of gyms in the area, and this library was given to the people by Carnegie, not the council; they claim the council have no right to take it away from them. They said that the council thought they could leave some shelves with books, and still call that a library - '\u003Ci>a healthy living centre with a self-service neighbourhood library\u003C/i>' are the words \u003Ca href=\"http://healthy living centre with a self-service neighbourhood library\">on the council library website\u003C/a> - but the book area would be unstaffed. They were frustrated that the council was trying to call this book area a library, arguing that a space with books isn't a library unless there are librarians present. (Too right!) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/72022_original-d88280dee1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI wasn't sure if the occupiers would have enough to eat after five days, but when I got there, I saw that the community have been great about keeping them stocked up with food and toiletries. What they need most is publicity for the cause, so the Carnegie Library and others don't quietly disappear. The council and the government need to realise libraries are a BIG DEAL in their communities, and they need MORE funds to stay up to date with modern times, not budget slashing and closures. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/72238_original-7669f56e4a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a poster I drew for the protest, based on a poster I'd designed earlier (\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/737425.html\">which you can download free here\u003C/a>). Some people argue that the Internet makes libraries irrelevant; you can find information and buy books cheaply online. But if you plonk a kid in front of a computer to do their homework, they're not going to know how to find good information other than what Wikipedia and Google turn up. How can they know which sources are helpful and reliable, or do more than copy and paste? How will they even know what 'a reliable source' means? \\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\nThis argument also assumes everyone has access to the Internet, computing equipment of some sort, and at least a little bit of money and a credit card to buy cheap books. But this isn't the case, library closures deeply affect the poorest and most vulnerable. Many of them need the library for a safe and warm place to study, free access to books and computers, the guidance of librarians, and a wide range of other services, depending on the local area and their needs. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/72838_original-15a7657045.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe area closest to my heart is children's books: kids go through SO MANY books when they're young, more than even most well-off parents can be expected to buy. One quality picture book will cost well over a fiver, and a young child will easily read 20 in a week; a 10-year-old in a week might read five or more novels. Kids need a wide range of books coming at them constantly, not one book every year for their birthdays. \\r\n\\r\n(When the kids in Carnegie Library found out I made books, they rushed back inside to see if the library had any and brandished them victoriously. We had a nice little chat about how I create the pictures in \u003Ci>When Titus Took the Train\u003C/i>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/72465_original-33d6648712.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThe #CarnegieOccupation are looking for support and it's great to see them getting it from other groups, such as this tweeted photo from the Lambeth Library staff. One of the protesters told me that none of the occupiers in the Carnegie are library staff; they said they wanted to protect its staff from losing their jobs, and it's non-employees who really need to speak up. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/73120_original-6d0316d4cd.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can read more about library cuts in the recent \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35707956\">BBC report on library closures\u003C/a>, with exact figures, a grim read. (Go there first if you're going to follow any of the links here.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/73217_original-379d09d13c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI don't only want to focus on London libraries - so many more isolated communities need their libraries just as much if not more - but the #CarnegieOccupation seems to have hit a real nerve with people and the media coverage can lead a lot more people to consider their own libraries and decide how much they value them. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/73630_original-ebe1e520c7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can get updates on \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/carnegieoccupation?f=tweets&vertical=news&src=hash\">#CarnegieOccupation by following the Twitter hashtag\u003C/a>, you can read \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35955378\">a BBC article on it here\u003C/a>, an \u003Ca href=\"http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/40-protesters-including-baby-twins-occupy-carnegie-library-for-fourth-day-in-protest-over-gym-a3217036.html\">Evening Standard article here\u003C/a>, a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosebuchanan/campaigners-have-occupied-this-library-for-five-days-to-try?utm_term=.vvQDZAZk1#.dv4V878PR\">BuzzFeed article here\u003C/a> and an article \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thebookseller.com/news/carnegie-protestors-continue-occupation-325633\">in The Bookseller here\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\nYou can sign a CILIP library services petition about library closures overall at the\u003Ca href=\"https://www.change.org/p/john-whittingdale-hm-government-act-now-to-protect-my-statutory-rights-to-a-quality-public-library-service\"> My Library By Right website\u003C/a>.  \\r\n\\r\nThe official demonstration Twitter account seems to be \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/defendtheten\">@DefendtheTen\u003C/a> (here's the \u003Ca href=\"http://defendthe10-lambeth.org.uk/\">Defend the Ten website\u003C/a>, and \u003Ca href=\"http://defendthe10-lambeth.org.uk/2016/04/02/carry-on-carnegie-library/\">Carry On Carnegie\u003C/a> - a blog run by young occupiers) and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SaveLambthLibs\">@SaveLambthLibs\u003C/a>; I've seen tweets of support from the Society of Authors (\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Soc_of_Authors\">@Soc_of_Authors\u003C/a>) and CILIP library services (\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/CILIPinfo\">@CILIPinfo\u003C/a>). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/73845_original-fa40801e0a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBest wishes, Carnegie Library, I hope you win this one. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"3300\"/>\\r\n\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ci>EDIT: There's a march scheduled for 11:30 on Saturday!\u003C/i>\\r\n\u003Ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jabberworks/10236801/74320/74320_original.jpg\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/74320_300-28da829b82.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>","2016-04-04T18:22:00.000Z","carnegie-occupation-save-libraries",[],"carnegie occupation: save libraries!",1776628728271]