Dear Supporters,
First, I wish to thank everyone who came, contributed and supported yesterday's Public Meeting at Ealing Town Hall. The Liz Cantell room was packed to maximum capacity with people standing around the sides and at the back. A special thanks must go to the Chair of the meeting, Nana Asante and speakers, Alan Wylie, Semra Eren Nijhar, James Conlon, and Eve Turner for their short but poignant contributions; highlighting why Ealing's seven libraries (Greenford, Hanwell, Northfields, Perivale, Pitshanger, West Ealing and Wood End) should be defended. Towards the end of the meeting messages of support by Ian Anstice (Public Libraries News), Joanna Trollope, OBE, Mor Dioum (Victoria Climbié Foundation), and Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, MP. were warmly and gratefully received.
After presenting my poetic message to the Council (a copy of which is below), members of the audience shared their views and made a number of suggestions to consolidate support, strengthen the campaign, and decide urgent future action. A detailed record of the meeting is being prepared for circulation shortly, as well as the formation of a steering group, to coordinate the campaign.
Please see a copy of the poem below and you can access a recording attached here (https://www.dropbox.com/s/nrgel78bsvx5k54/Hands%20Off%20by%20Akuba%20May%202019.wmv?dl=0
The video will be edited to add subtitles in the next couple of days or so.
Finally on Saturday, 25th May at 11 am there will be a march in Greenford. I'm sorry, I don't have all the details of the exact route as yet though I know it will end up at Greenford Library. I will update you as soon as I can.
Will be in touch soon.
Thanks again.
Grace
Hands Off!
Dear Councillor Julian Bell
Please listen up and listen very well
Not simply to one poet’s plea
To defend Ealing’s seven libraries
Thousands including us here tonight
Stand together to unite and fight
To protect our communities’ seven libraries
We reject Ealing’s Draft Library Strategy
As you know it is absolute fact
That the 1964 Public Libraries and Museum Act,
Was for local Councils to fully observe the law
In providing a "comprehensive and efficient library service", evermore.
If not for this Act, and community resistance
Our library service would disappear from existence
We know since 2010, under the Tory’s austerity plan
Almost 650 UK libraries have been closed down
Some that remain ‘open’ rely on volunteers
With zero paid staff, and plenty of tears
A literature loving and lyrical girl,
Hanwell Library has been my centred world,
Where in childhood I visited several days a week
Because devouring books was a special treat
Imagine a Carnegie Library in Hanwell town
Gained international fame in a Carry On film
The building became that iconic police station
Carry on Constable, a hilarious media sensation
Nwia-Amah, my great-gran, a Ghanaian healer
Imagine….! My mother finding a book about her,
In Hanwell Library of all places to inspire her publication
Which she launched at the Central Library location
But that’s enough of my history and one library
All seven are valued by our communities,
Greenford, Hanwell, Perivale, Pitshanger,
West Ealing, Wood End, Northfields for real
That they’re’ threatened with closures is simply surreal!
When you attempt to make sure no books are around
You destroy children’s love of reading, as Neil Gaiman, expounds
Councillor Bell please listen to all of our truths,
That Draft Libraries Strategy will damage our youths.
Our professional librarians work hard for a living
To replace them with volunteers is unforgiving,
With inadequate funding, failure will follow,
The library’s proposal is short-sighted and hollow.
Ealing Council listen up and listen for good!
All libraries add value to our neighbourhoods
Return to your cabinet and rip up that Draft Strategy
Hands Off! We will fight for our seven libraries.
Akuba May 2019