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October 20, 2007
Newington Reference Library
Julie writes:
Meet at Newington Reference Library, Walworth Rd SE17 (few minutes walk from Elephant and Castle or Kennington tube) Sunday 21st October around 1pm. The library will finally close its doors at 2pm. Count the books and reference items, admire the high ceilings, good natural light and ventilation, large staff desk area etc so you can compare it to the new 'IT suite/Study Room' opening on the ground floor on 1st November.
Julie again on Sunday 21 October
"I was greeted at the doors to Newington Library this morning by 5 big burly Southwark Community Wardens. Living on East Street market, a local crime hotspot where I rarely see even one Community Warden, this just makes me really wonder about Southwark Council.
If you're free to pop down to the Thomas A. Gilbert Reference Library on Walworth Road today before it finally closes at 2pm please do and record for posterity what they don't want us to have. Peace, quiet, books, staffing levels, natural light and ventilation, a good traditional Reference Library.
I'm so reminded of the programme about China where petitioners were labelled 'troublemakers', and a report from Burma where a demonstrator said libraries were being closed and bars and clubs opened."
Adrian Olsen- former head of libraries in Southwark writes:
I certainly hope that Newington Library will close at some point in the future - when a proposed new library is built just up the road as part of the huge Elephant and Castle redevelopment. I'm sure then some people will say they like the old building - b***s I say.
In the profession there are views for and against the merging of lending and reference services but it has happened in many libraries over the years, and tends to be the norm now with large, new libraries. The earliest I can recall is Bradford back in the 1970s and notable examples are two of the busiest (perhaps the two busiest) libraries in London, Croydon and Sutton Central Libraries - all without any noticeable collapse of civilization as we know it.
Maxine writes
Very sad to read this news -- in the same week as my stepdaughter is refused a library card in Croydon for petty bureaucratic reasons. You have done wonderful work, and I hope you will have the energy to continue and make a difference, so that everyone can have access to culture in our society.
Posted by Tim Coates at October 20, 2007 5:50 PM