please empty your brain below
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I hope I've got my lists right.
10 years ago you told me if I hadn't.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 12:00 a.m. | #
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In Waltham Forest, Wood Street library has recently relocated to about half a mile down the road - I'm not sure if this requires recategorising.
martin | 24.11.20 - 7:13 a.m. | #
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Of those shown, Waltham Forest Wood Street and Redbridge Woodford Green are under threat of permanent closure. And the City Business library (City of London) is reference only, so should it be listed here?
dg writes: City Business was in my 2010 list, but OK, I'll remove it this time.
amber | 24.11.20 - 7:14 a.m. | #
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In Lambeth Waterloo library closed in 2016 and relocated about 1/2 mile away near Lambeth North tube station
kerspatula | 24.11.20 - 7:42 a.m. | #
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I've amended Lambeth, thanks - its record on library provision is not one to be proud of.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 7:57 a.m. | #
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East Barnet library has been replaced by a mini-library within the new New Barnet Leisure Centre.
David Walters | 24.11.20 - 8:28 a.m. | #
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As a teenager I worked on Saturdays in different libraries in Harrow and Hillingdon. Sad to see Harrow's services so decimated, including the library I used to use as a child. Hillingdon's were always well run and well stocked, by contrast, as compared to Harrow's shelves of old Danielle Steel novels and not much else. Clearly funding them had not been a priority for Harrovians.
E | 24.11.20 - 8:34 a.m. | #
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The list for Croydon might be drastically reduced in the next few weeks if the reports about severe cuts being planned by the council are correct.
Jack | 24.11.20 - 8:35 a.m. | #
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I'm sad to see the Dorset Estate libary closed in Tower Hamlets. Its about 60 years since I first got a library ticket there. It was an odd place, built to a circular plan with a community hall on the first floor, and the children's section was as large as the adult's. It seems an awful long way for readers to have to go to the next nearest library.
Paul Draper | 24.11.20 - 8:51 a.m. | #
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The Merton website lists seven libraries, not eight. Not sure where 'Aragon' was, but it had gone by the time I moved to the borough in 2016.
dg writes: Me neither. Deleted, thanks.
Reader | 24.11.20 - 9:20 a.m. | #
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I wouldn't give Ealing quite the credit you do for maintaining the same library service. Local news item from July 2019: "Ealing Council has approved plans to hand over seven of its 13 libraries to community groups in a bid to save £1.1m, sparking anger from library campaigners." This went ahead and the proposed 'community run' libraries were closed for some time while suitable groups were sought who could afford to run them, replacing professional librarians. Ealing libraries have then remained closed because of Covid so we've not yet got a clear idea of what kind of service these contracted out libraries will actually provide and how it compares with what we had before.
ActonMan | 24.11.20 - 9:25 a.m. | #
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Southwark is replacing the newington / walworth library within the Elephant Park development, but facing onto Walworth Road - see here
F | 24.11.20 - 9:35 a.m. | #
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What's happened to Gayton Library in Harrow? It appears on your 2010 list but not this one. I grew up not too far from it and was taken there regularly by my parents.
Joshi | 24.11.20 - 9:38 a.m. | #
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Gayton is (imminently) to be replaced by Greenhill. I didn’t have a special colour for that complication, sorry.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 9:49 a.m. | #
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Redbridge: Gants Hill Library has been shut since March as Council want to build houses on site and make remnant a community hub.
link here
Tony | 24.11.20 - 9:51 a.m. | #
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Jack beat me to it but Croydon is about to have drastically fewer libraries...
me2 | 24.11.20 - 9:56 a.m. | #
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As this is a November 2020 snapshot, upcoming savagery does not appear,
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 9:58 a.m. | #
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I was puzzled by Westminster being shown as unchanged when I remember the library in City Hall (sometimes know as St James's, having replaced the splendid library on Great Smith Street) closing around 5 years ago. Looking at the website it seems City Hall was replaced by a token "Express" facility in the nearby Archives Centre, though there may have been a gap as there was no mention of it when City hall library closed.
Andrew S | 24.11.20 - 10:00 a.m. | #
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The odd thing about Camden is that they had far more radical proposals to trim down their libraries back in the late 90s, with most of the then part time ones (e.g. Heath - now Keats, Queens Crescent, Belsize, and Chalk Farm - now Primrose Hill, and even some of the full time ones (e.g. West Hampstead) under threat.
So even in the current slightly depleted and partly offcast state, they still have more than they nearly had 20 years ago....
I suspect Barking and Dagenham (the other borough I know really well) long had an unsually high density of libraries, partly to do with its odd geography (specifically that Dagenham/Becontree was designed intentionally to lack a town centre, so facilities were dispersed across the estate), and that as such Markyate and Castle Green are not very far from alternative facilties. Wantz, beyond the Becontree estate, was a bit of an outlier though, and I imagine its loss will be felt.
Dominic H | 24.11.20 - 10:02 a.m. | #
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Some comments label councils as villains; as DG implies in his text, many councils are making decisions as to whether to run the risk of being prosecuted for reducing statutory services. I know from those Labour boroughs I hear about regularly that the choice has become between handing services over to the community or of losing them altogether. Curiously issues like this only play out in the so-called 'local press' as attacks upon Labour.Can we please put the blame where it truly rests!
Brian | 24.11.20 - 10:14 a.m. | #
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What this doesn't tell you is how thinly-spread the service has become nor the huge reduction in staff. It is not uncommon for the busy library I work at to have only three staff for the whole day.
daveid76 | 24.11.20 - 10:41 a.m. | #
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Or daveid76 how much hours have shrunk and indeed how much the library itself has physically shrunk, which is the case for my local one
Mikey C | 24.11.20 - 10:57 a.m. | #
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Your list accurately shows that there are two Blackheath libraries. One is in Old Dover Road, SE3, in the borough of Greenwich, run by Greenwich council.
The other, in Blackheath Village, SE3, is a volunteer library run as part of Age Exchange under the auspices of the borough of Lewisham. Except that, by a few metres, it's in the borough of Greenwich. But as it's at the back of Age Exchange, I'd be surprised if it gets anyone under the age of 70 or so. Oh, and it replaced a building round the corner that is now a private school. That's how social equality is working.
AlanBG | 24.11.20 - 11:03 a.m. | #
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Sighs. Well, this is just indicative of the steps being taken to force us into living a 'virtual reality' (Truman Show) life where we only ever 'rent' those digital experiences (at high cost as there is no real-life experience to be had).
B | 24.11.20 - 11:29 a.m. | #
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In Harrow, I'm fearful for Roxeth.
As you say, Gayton has been moved (to the new flats adjacent to Harrow-on-the-Hill station - you can see it blazed on the windows as you enter/exit the station) and Kenton has recently had a makeover and there were talks to get it reopened during the pandemic, which leaves poor little Roxeth alone and ignored.
Plus, as someone said - the hours have been cut too.
I belong to Hillingdon and Ealing libraries too but annoyingly Hillingdon isn't part of the consortium so I have to make a special trip to those.
Cornish Cockney | 24.11.20 - 11:34 a.m. | #
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Lunchtime update: I've downgraded Westminster and Ealing, thanks.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 1:15 p.m. | #
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Just to point out, libraries are a statutory service which local authorities are obliged to provide, under section 7 of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964.
Josh | 24.11.20 - 1:47 p.m. | #
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A comment from Twitter...
"But it's not just about cuts - it's also about current library levels."
Andrew's been bashing the figures to work out the average population per library in each borough.
By his calculations the City of London, Richmond and Hillingdon are the most generous library providers, with Harrow and Tower Hamlets bottom of the heap.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 1:57 p.m. | #
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Nice calculations, but of course it's not just residents who use libraries. I've never lived in the City or Sutton but have made better use of those authorities' libraries than libraries in my home boroughs.
Reader | 24.11.20 - 2:00 p.m. | #
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We also need to consider demand for library services, questions I used to have for real librarians are now answered by an internet search engine.
When I go (or used to go before 2020) it was striking how few visitors I'd now see. The digital services available are now so much better so I'm afraid I've not missed my visits at all.
Surbitonian | 24.11.20 - 2:50 p.m. | #
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In Newham Canning Town Library has moved building and is now over the road at the back of the Rathbone Market site within the "Custom House & Canning Town Community Neighbourhood Centre".
Some of these library names are rather obscure and don't really say where they are. Newham's "The Gate" is especially bad. The premises is subtitled "Forest Gate Community Neighbourhood" and is much the same as it's been for the last decade plus.
dg writes: updated, thanks.
Tim Roll-Pickering | Homepage | 24.11.20 - 4:09 p.m. | #
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In spite of Saturday library assistant being my first job, and many fond memories, I have to agree that I rarely use a library now, and wouldn't personally miss them if they all disappeared. But of course they still provide a vital resource for members of the dwindling band who are book-literate but not computer literate (or who don't have an internet connection).
Malcolm of Kent | 24.11.20 - 4:13 p.m. | #
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The only library in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames that has closed in the last 10 years is Heathfield Branch Library. This was only about half a mile down the road from Whitton Branch Library. Heathfield was maintained for awhile as a part time community library but has now closed. Richmond Council are to be congratulated on maintaining a very good library service despite Conservative Party efforts to disenfranchise the poor and deny the joy of reading to them. In fact over the years Richmond Council have actually refurbished several libraries.
Tones | 24.11.20 - 4:37 p.m. | #
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I agree Tones. I reckon that Richmond Library Service is one of the best in London. Excellent book stock, free reserves for books in stock, amazingly knowledgeable staff and plenty of People's Network Terminals for all the thing you need to use the internet for today!
Tony Finerty | 24.11.20 - 4:47 p.m. | #
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Your post has led to me reserving a book for free at my local Wandsworth library. All reservation charges dropped for Covid!
In the last 10 years the library service has been "outsourced" to a "charitable social enterprise".
What I've noticed is that as well as less staff, there are far fewer books. They seem to now hate keeping old books on the shelves which is a great shame.
ap | 24.11.20 - 5:32 p.m. | #
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A travelling library used to park in Balgores Square at Squirrels Heath. This was replaced by small permanent libraries, of which Gidea Park was one - now in Havering area, but was in the Borough of Romford. Even sweet shops had little libraries then. I guess this is all becoming The Past, as distinct from the Online Present.
Why do I keep wondering what happens if/when the internet is brought crashing down? Is that really impossible? I have my own large collection of books, including a London section. And I am writing a book (making full use of the internet, of course). The local library has very little stock, and very short opening times. Libraries need to find ways of expanding their scope and activities if they are to survive the Government’s draconian measures. But how to do that with few staff and no money? I have long had the feeling that government does not need a clued-up population. Out with most libraries, then.
Herbof | 24.11.20 - 8:30 p.m. | #
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This made me check a few of the other Newham ones again as there were a couple of moves several years ago that I'd forgotten fell in the time period. Manor Park Library moved a bit west along Romford Road back in 2013. East Ham Library was moved round the corner to its current Barking Road site in 2014. Both left classic Carnegie buildings but whereas East Ham got a brand new multi storey replacement Manor Park got a converted large shop. This leaves Custom House as the only one still in a Carnegie building.
Tim Roll-Pickering | Homepage | 25.11.20 - 1:41 a.m. | #
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I've never noticed a Carnegie building. Plenty of Passmore Edwards, though.
Paul Draper | 25.11.20 - 6:37 a.m. | #
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Bromley shut Penge and relocated/replaced it At same time as closing Anerley. It was badges as a replacement for both even though a few hundred metres further from Anerley.
Matt | 25.11.20 - 7:36 a.m. | #
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Breakfast update: Tweaks to Newham and Bromley, thanks.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 25.11.20 - 8:20 a.m. | #
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To be fair, Southwark only closed Newington because careless workers started a fire in the roof of the Museum next door to it which caused damage in such a way that under H&S rules it couldn't stay open as a library because council staff couldn't work there but it was okay to let a private organisation take it over.
There are plans, as part of the demolition and rebuilding of the Aylesbury Estate to shut down East Street Library and build a replacement somewhere around the junction between East Street and Thurlow Street.
Grove Vale Library is a new library, the old site has shut and the new site is behind an M&S Metro over the other side of the road. Camberwell library is the same, the old site closed about five years ago and moved to a new site and a larger building on Camberwell Green.
Loz | 25.11.20 - 9:16 p.m. | #
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Hammersmith & Fulham: Barons Court Library is both closed & open.
Identified in 2010 to be closed as a cost-saving measure, a local campaign saw the library building transferred to Citizens Advice in 2012 & renamed "Avonmore Library & Neighbourhood Centre". [link]
LBHF describe it as "self-service library resource is delivered by Citizens Advice H&F and enhances the provision beyond our four main libraries".
So not a LBHF library but delivers LBHF library services Hence "both closed & open"
It's in the "Avonmore & Brook Green" ward, so that's where the new name came from
Peter W | 30.11.20 - 9:59 a.m. | #
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January update: Croydon proposes closing Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Sanderstead, Shirley and South Norwood libraries.
diamond geezer | Homepage | 20.01.21 - 11:20 p.m. | #
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