Dear Supporters,
I hope you are well,
Please find below a Summary of the Public Meeting to Defend Ealing Libraries, which took place last Wednesday. It was compiled by Nana Asante (former Chair of Harrow), who Chaired the meeting.
Also just to clarify some more details about the UNISON-organised demonstration, the march is on Saturday 25th May, from 11 am; starting from Greenford Library (25 Oldfield Lane South, Greenford UB6 9LG, Middlesex) and will end at Greenford Town Hall (Ruislip Rd, Greenford UB6 9QN).
“Hands Off” captures the public mood perfectly. Thank you Akuba (aka Grace Quansah) for using words in such a powerful way and sharing the poem with us. Great thanks to Save Ealing Libraries and UNISON Ealing for organising a brilliant public meeting.
Nana Asante, Chairperson Africans for Jeremy Corbyn Values, activist, campaigner, mother of 4, grandmother of four and past Mayor of Harrow chaired the meeting. She told the meeting that the Save Ealing Libraries Petition stood at 4910 signatures. She reminded the meeting of the words of Coretta Scott King: “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.” The struggle to save our libraries is a continuous process.
Alan Wylie, library worker, national campaigner, socialist, anti-fascist, UNISON member, activist and exiled Glaswegian gave us a glimpse of the national picture, highlighting why the “community model” does not work. Public libraries need library staff, a professional resource able to provide a service. A few examples East Barnet saw an 85% drop in visits with the library only open 15 hours a week. In Essex the library is only open 6 hours a week. There have been one third decrease of loans in Sheffield, 90% drop in usage in Manchester. Enfield in 2013/14 had 124 library staff, it now has 50 staff and 24 volunteers. He stressed that language is important. Using Community may evoke quite a different picture from the reality. Librarians provide a professional service. For a full account of Alan Wylie's presentation of his data please check out this link (https://www.dropbox.com/s/mervw5kszvf843r/DATA%20PROVIDE%20BY%20ALAN%20WYLIE%20AT%20THE%20EALING%20TOWN%20HALL%20PUBLIC%20MEETING%2010TH%20MAY%202019.odt?dl=0
Semra Eren-Nijhar, sociologist, author of nine books, documentary maker, social commentator, policy consultant on migration and Mum gave us a very personal view. “Libraries are a refuge, the place we go to when we want to lose ourselves, a magical place, part of our identity.”
James Conlon, local UNISON convenor/Ealing Libraries made a plea not to overlook Library Staff. Reminded the meeting that when the Library Service was outsourced in 2013, there were 70 full0time Library staff, this quickly reduced to 35 posts. A budget of £6 million was reduced to £3 million. Council did the right thing bringing the Library in-house after Carillion went bust but their current plans are causing Library staff stress.
Eve Turner, Chairperson of the Ealing Trades Union Council, NHS campaigner and well-known local activist rallied the troops! “Enough is enough. People standing together can change things.”
Contributions from the audience included highlighting the value of libraries as Community space for providing support to residents, use of computers to access Job Seekers Allowance, Housing Benefit and Universal Credit. There was also suspicion of the Council’s consultation with some thinking it was a sham and that the decision has already been made.
Rev Jon Westall offered the support of the Church of England to the campaign. John Viner of the Socialist Party encouraged activism.
Messages of Support were read out:
In a recent Press Release, Grace Quansah, Save Ealing Libraries Campaigner commented:
“…Professional librarians at risk of losing their jobs may be positioned in opposition to community volunteers who come forward to replace them on a ‘cheap’ and unpaid basis. It also creates a false sense of security because the evidence suggests community-run libraries are doomed to fail.”
Gina Barber’s recent research (UCL, July 2018) echoes those comments “Ealing Council’s idea of “volunteer-run libraries are not sustainable, and cannot be run in an efficient, freely accessible and wholly ethical manner.”
An extract of a statement from Mor Dioum, co-founder and Director of The Victoria Climbié Foundation: “Since 2016, we have heard rumblings about plans to close libraries, alongside a list of cos-cutting measures affecting children and their families. We were not unduly concerned as the rights of children are paramount and embedded in law, and that any action to close libraries would be unlawful and robustly challenged within council. Alas, this has not been the case and we are now facing closure of 7 local libraries in Ealing…the plan is to harness the goodwill of the local community to take over these responsibilities, and then walk away. Across the country, we have seen a dereliction of duties …. with increasingly unlawful practice for children and families in need of support, or facilities to learn or play.
Let history not repeat itself….”
Ian Anstice, Public Library News: ….” Libraries cost barely 1% of any council budget. Close all of them and it won't make any dent in the problem. No, invest in them. Make them even more of a haven and a place to provide equality of access to information and imagination. Change your plan for austere costs to values that will last not just for this budget for people's lives. Prove that you're as civilized as those who work and use your libraries. Or get out and make way for those who understand values and not just costs, the long-term and not just the short, and that you get what you pay for."
Joanna Trollope OBE: “It is both short-sighted, and extremely unfair to future generations, to allow the vital public library service to decline. The standard of general literacy in the UK is shockingly low - the UK came 22nd out of 25 in a recent OECD survey of literacy in the developed world - and this situation is depriving the young of the chance for any real progress in modern life. The general attitude to libraries as easily expendable is disgracefully and ignorantly dismissive. Libraries are the best - and often the sole - places where each one of us can feed and expand the only person we are stuck with - ourselves.”
Rt Hon John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington and the People’s Shadow Chancellor: “Libraries were one of the first invaluable universal basic services. They are part of the essential foundations of a civilised society. I am totally opposed to the government’s continuity of austerity which is attacking so many of our public services. Labour will end austerity and invest once more in these essential services.”
The meeting, by a large majority showing hands, passed the Resolution below which was proposed by Bill Reed and seconded by Grace Quansah
This meeting resolves that
1. Ealing Libraries must remain open
2. Ealing Council should remove the threat of cuts and closures to Libraries and Children’s Centres
3. Ealing Council should campaign alongside Communities, Staff and Service Users to secure additional funding for services in this Borough
4. The resolution to go to:
I. MPs
II. Councillors
III. Ealing Council Meeting
IV. Constituency Labour Parties
in Ealing
V. Ealing Trades Council
VI. Other Trade Unions
VII. Press & Media
Next Steps
· Check UNISON Website for future action
· Set up and convene Steering Group from volunteers present
· Distribute Resolution
· Send out Press Release
· Each person present to send a letter/ email to their Councillors and MP. For those who do not live in Ealing but work or use leisure facilities and businesses, write to MPs, Leader of the Council and Chief Executive. Steering Group to produce model letter & list of elected representatives to be placed in all libraries
· UNISON to produce large size of leaflet used to publicise Public Meeting to be put in windows by residents as public demonstration of support
· Support UNISON demon at 11:00 AM, 25th May 2019, Greenford Library to Town Hall. Details on UNISON Website
· Attend July Council meeting in large numbers.
· Meet in a year’s time to celebrate our victory