Community could take over Hull's Anlaby Park library
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save a popular library have been told the council would support a community takeover.
But they have ruled out any prospect of a last-minute U-turn over plans to close Anlaby Park library in west Hull.
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Campaigners at Anlaby Park library
The branch library is earmarked to close under budget proposals being put forward by the city council's ruling Labour group.
The annual budget will be set at a meeting of the full council on Thursday.
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Campaigners against the move have already collected almost 1,000 signatures on a petition opposing the closure.
Now, senior councillors have revealed they will back any efforts by the community in Anlaby Park to take over the running of the building in The Greenway.
Council leader Councillor Steve Brady said: "If local people want to run it as a community facility, we will do everything we can to support them.
"I think it is our duty to look at every possibility.
"We want to work on the options with the community to make sure the facility is a fit place for activities.
"We are not saying it is going to be easy but we will try our very best to work with local people to provide a facility which may involve the community running services from there."
Cllr Brady said the council had made "outstanding efforts" to protect the city's library service from the impact of government cuts now facing the authority.
"In cities such as Sheffield and Newcastle, they have just decided to give up running their libraries full stop.
"In contrast, I think we have done some outstanding work in retaining our library service when many cities have just handed theirs over."
Michelle Alford, the council's assistant head of libraries, said: "We would look at the possibility of a community trust being set up to run the building as a community facility."
A scrutiny hearing into the Labour budget proposals was told a recent survey of the Anlaby Park library found it required £330,000 of structural repairs.
The building dates from 1915, when it opened as a recreation and social club for residents in the Anlaby Park estate.
It was later bought by the city council and converted into a branch library 49 years ago.
Hull-born actress Maureen Lipman has given her support to the campaign to keep it open as a library, having used it regularly during her childhood.
Lib Dem leader Councillor Abi Bell welcomed the offer of transferring the building to a new community trust but said she was worried that users were being given little time to organise any possible takeover.
4 Comments
by farfutavision
Tuesday, February 26 2013, 1:18PM
“Dear Profanity, yes I have heard of Google and Wikipedia. Yes I agree we must save money somewhere, but if by saving money we cut of access to education, community groups, literature....... then we are screwed. If you do not think that children need to go to a library then I despair, perhaps you would rather they sat in front of their computers and Googled it, instead of venturing out and interacting with people, reading and learning form a variety of sources.
Yes schools have books, but not all homes have bookcases rammed full for the children to pick from.
Of course children do I.T. at school, but going to a library with a parent and picking out a book to learn to read from? You don't think this important?
By your use of the word "crusties" I can only think you mean the older population who use the library for community groups and access to reading material. A night class does not replace a daily or weekly trip to a library for access to community groups and a new book or two.
The government says "We want to achieve more integrated communities and to create the conditions for everyone to live and work successfully alongside each other" a community that never meets cannot achieve this.
I think Age UK has it spot on "Age UK believes local communities should offer a good quality of life to all generations. This means having well designed physical infrastructure, good local services, a strong civic fabric and a real sense of identity and place"
To be quite frank Profanity, your comment made me and many others despair, it outlines many of the reasons why Britain is going to the dogs. I hope more than anything Anlaby Park Library can be saved.”
by red_karen
Monday, February 25 2013, 6:50PM
“Yes Profanity, who wants or needs libraries???? I dunno, why don't you ask the thousand people who signed the petition, maybe some of them do.......”
by profanity
Monday, February 25 2013, 11:25AM
“Any of you ever heard of Google? Or Wikipedia?
Why on earth do we need Libraries? We MUST save money somewhere.
Don't Schools have books? Why would Children need to go to a Library?
They do I.T. at School and the crusties could do a nightclass.
Discuss.”
by red_karen
Monday, February 25 2013, 8:09AM
“And will this "support" from the City Council include training the volunteers in stock management, teaching people to use computers, teaching whole classes of school children library and research skills and all the other services that prevent libraries simply being a book borrowing service? I suspect not!”