Over recent weeks the SOS Brent Libraries has been not just a contested issue,but so is its continuation.
I'm just one of the "footsoldiers" in the Save Preston Library camapiagn which in turn is just one of now 7 camapignsthat make up this loose coalition.
Several of the campaigns have gone down the road of establishing community libraries run by volunteers as Brent Council have it appears broken their"good intentions",to put it no higher,to estanlish a new relationships with the community.Within afew days of Cllr.butt being elected leader of the Labour Group/leader of the council he expressed some sort of desire for this new relationship with the community.He made some kindof commitment that nothing else would be changed or moved until a meeting had taken place with the community(ies).Within less than a further a raid took place on Kensal Rise library under police gard when at soemthing like 3am the boosk were removed by council staff/security company,which included the removal of the plaque marking the opening of the librray in the 1880s by Mark Twain,and the 1930s murals from the internal walls.Cllr.But may have been caught our by this.It may be an aelement of his"row"with the ex council chief executive.I do not know whether actually he was complicet.
Since then the Council have handed 2 sets of library buildings back to the Oxfor University Colleges who own the freeholds,both of which make explicit that the buildings must remain libraries.The council may be making some realtively small savings onrents and leaseholds but it cannot gain any other income from the buildings by other use or sale.This has given away 2 libraries which it is now difficult to see reopened unless the respective community campaigns opt for some community library model.
The Preston Park area library is to be remodeelled as an overflow school for the next few years.Its future beyond that is unsure but i would suggest that getting it back as a library,now it is not one,will be more difficult than had it remained open on some basis or event empty.There is a lot of resistanec to clousre,there is almost as much resistance to it being aschool but a schoolis better than sale and resisting a school is quite difficult to campaign around.This especially the case where much of the community,in any of the areas might assume that it might have looked to the labour Party,Labour Group,Labour Council for support,advice,guidance leta loen a defene of publicly fned libraries.That has been impossible where the Labur Party in whatever guise has not shown a single sign of fighting back or resisting cuts.Is it surprising that many feel they have no choice but to campaign for a community library or to be left with nothing.This in turn has not been helped when members of the Labour Party who might be dissidents from the cuts have walked away from the campaigns rather than stand and fight,even as a minorit,even a s a losing minority in some of the campaigns.
Let me make clear my own position here.When the campaign locally was launched I became involved when the 1st public meeeting was organised in February 2011.to its credit the local committee did a lot of reasearch and presented a critique of local authority plans and considered a number of other alternatives,some of which presents variant cut options.I was one amongst a nmber fo speakers from the floor which included other local residents and members of other campaigns in the group,who oppossed ALL and ANY options that simply passed the cuts elsewhere.This was the view taken in the Preston Park area.when a journalist approached me for an interview I indicated that I was happy to be quoted but that any quote shoudl not be attributed to me,as I was away fro work on lig term sickness at the time and that such direct quotation might either complucate or make my situatin more difficult.Due to the complexities of my particular sitauion as well as il health itself,i took a back seat but supported the campaign as best i could and "fed in"my opinion and acted as a sounding board for other activists,particularly my partner who has been a member of the committe of the SPLC through most of its life.
The campaign continued.In February 2012 i made a similar,militant contribution to the debate inthe pubic meeting,but remained a supporter of the camapaign.I was however lucky enough to be given an opportunity by Chris of BNCTV(or is it BCNTV?)to be intervied as a campaign supporter,specificaly for my militant position.I wa shappy to do it,was encouraged to be forthright in my marxist,revolutionary outlook of the situation and indeed have some pride in the work i did with Chris.I subsequently inroduced him to other stories...
However,when at a Brent FightBack Meeting about the NHS campaign i argued that SOS Brent Libraries,as a community based campaign fighting the cuts should have speaker on the platform,both i and the campaign was charicatured as lib.dems,opposed to state funding,anarchists and as untrustworthy on a variety of bases.It was like being talked about along the lines of"does he take sugar?"and I'm afraid i lay some of the blame for the situatiin at the feet of those who walk away from campaigns when those campaigns won't embrace particular advocated positions,especially when it is the Labour Party/Council making the cuts!
The plan to convert the library to a school wsa suppossed to take 3 months.Six months on the work has finally begun.About 10 days ago the library building was barricaaded in preparatin for that conversion and refurbishment to begun.Going past the library these last few days has been for me and many others a very sad experience,as the building looks more an more like avacant uncaed for fortress awaiting execution to mix metaphors badly.
Last night i wrote a short valedictory piece of Brent Tusc,Counihan Battlebus and my own timeline on facebook,caling on support for todays Torch of learning event,linking 6 of the closed libraries and ending with a wake at the local hostelry tonight.I called on comrades in other campaigns and organisations to"come rally!",that this was a turning point and that the situation was MAYDAY,MAYDAY!
Then this evening Jimmy Mac,effectivey the convenor and certainly leading activist in the Counihan Sanchez family campaign drove me home after campaigning with them,in the battlebus,we passed Preston Park Library.On the fence thatbguards it were flowers,posters and banners both advertising the event,and calling agin for OUR librray to be re-opened.There were also a number of black flag flying.Although these are funereal rather tha symbols of Anarchy(ah!Anarchy!)-and thisis the nearest certain labour party members will find of anarchy in this locality-more the pity-at least it indicates we stiil have hope and still love our library....
Th truggle continues.Jim drpped me at the Windermere Pub.i entered the wake where there were some subtle surprisse and interesting cntradictions,but the struggle DOES continue!
Lotta Continua!
(to be continued)
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