What’s going on at Lambeth Libraries? The new Head of Libraries and Archives, John Pateman, has resigned after just one day in office. Jo Cleary, Head of Lambeth’s Adult & Community Services, emailed staff on 30 March saying that Mr Pateman has resigned because of ‘a sudden family crisis’. Formerly head of public libraries in Lincolnshire, Mr Pateman is said to have met staff on 7 March. He was to have attended a departmental meeting on Monday 4 April...
Are Lambeth Council officials making April Fools of us – or of themselves over the crisis in Lambeth Libraries? The Vauxhall Society, on behalf of readers’ groups, is asking for specific information on how the libraries have been run, but so far John Pateman’s Libraries Department will only reply that non-specific information will handed out over the next few weeks. Now, in a note to Kate Hoey MP, the Chief Executive’s office seems to be saying that the Society...
Lambeth Libraries promised The Vauxhall Society and its affiliated Library Friends’ Groups ‘a full response by 25 March’ to our request for information to help our libraries campaign. Well, the council did come back on 25 March, but the response was hardly ‘full’: our ‘requests’ are to be added to a general information handout going out next month. We’re told that ‘there should be no problem’ in giving the information we request in this handout. For confirmation, however, we...
We are sorry to report the recent death of Anne Ward of Lambeth Archives. Anne’s memorial service will be on Sunday 3 April 2011 at 2pm at the Chapel on the Hill, South Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 2UJ.
The Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library are urging you to complete their questionnaire, which calls for ideas on new uses for the library and your views on cost-cutting. You can complete the questionnaire online or download the print version. Visit the Friends’ website at Friends of Tate South Lambeth
The Vauxhall Society is off to a good start in its campaign to get the London Borough of Lambeth to be clear about what it means to do with, for or to the borough’s nine public libraries. A simple request from TVS for information on the library service structure and other background papers made to Peter Jones, the Head of Culture, was followed by what could be read as a time- and money-wasting bureaucratic delaying action. Officials began by...
Make a noise now and write to your MP if you don’t want your library killed off on the quiet, warns ex-Waterstone’s boss If you care about your local library, you should write to your MP now, yes now, says Tim Coates, the national activist and ex-Waterstone’s managing director who advises The Vauxhall Society in its campaign to get Lambeth to reconsider the council’s ‘let’s lose-the-libraries’ policy. Civil servants and local authorities are quietly preparing to bypass Parliament and...
The Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library have a brand new website for their news and events. You can also download back copies of their newsletters, Between Friends. www.tatesouthlambethfriends.org
Picture by Edith Holtham Saturday’s Save Our Libraries Day was a great success in terms of signatures gathered. Laura Swaffield of the Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library reports that nearly 800 signatures were gathered for the petition. However, the Durning Library remains under threat – and the deadline for that petition is Friday 11 February. Laura Swaffield says: “Friends of Tate South Lambeth Library turned out in a freezing wind on Saturday 5 February to support the hugely...
Want to know how to get the best out of your mobile phone?Never touched a computer but would like to try?Worried about how to keep safe when you browse or shop online?Keen to learn about Facebook, Twitter and other social media?Like to set up a blog but not sure how to start?Want to find the cheapest flights online? These are some of the subjects on offer at the free Digital Bazaar, where local people will share what they know...
