Save our Library

The council are planning on closing lots of libraries around the country and we found out a couple of weeks ago that one of them is the library in Stony Stratford. Now I know there have to be cuts made in lots of places due to the recession and everyone being skint and there are hard decisions to be made when it comes to the money to be spent on health and schools and social care. But the Government are making a big thing about the 'Big Society' where we all look after each other and build our communities.

Well let's think about our little library in Stony Stratford. As a child, Friday's after school for us were always the same, we'd walk home to Nan's house, have a cup of tea and cake with Nan and Gran and then go home to collect our library books and go to the library. Every Friday. Every week. Take our used books back and get a fresh set out. It's where I learnt to sit on the coloured cubes and pick out my first kiddies books. And then graduated to the children's section through teenage angst and progressing to the scary adult section upstairs as well as discovering the music library when I had no money to keep up with the charts myself. Then came the reference section and homework in the evening when I needed to look things up, long before the days of Internet and easy-access information. And then computers and family history research. I've spent hours in that library and it's very very dear to me.

Our library isn't just a library it's a meeting place, numerous societies use it, the Stratford parish council have their meetings there and it's always a buzz with activities. I remember going there with the Brownies and the Guides as well as the school. If we want a Big Society then it starts in little communities and little parishes. It starts in places like Stony Stratford.

Thankfully the people of Stony know this and before the Council came to make an inspection during the week they got all the members of the library to take out books from the library. So when the Council turned up there wasn't a single book in the library, every one of the 16,000 books was on loan. I hope it made the point. I'm so proud of my little home town because they are standing up to the council and their campaign has been in the local and National press, all over the Internet, on the TV and even on International news sites. It makes me so proud to come from and belong to a community who care enough to stand together and make a fuss.

Wot no Books?

Here are a few snippets...

Local News:
http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Buckinghamshire/Milton-Keynes/MK11/Local-Information/Local-Photos/185025-Photos-from-the-Wot-No-Books-campaign-at-Stony-Stratford-Library

National News:
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jan/14/stony-stratford-library-shelves-protest

The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/library-emptied-in-bid-to-fight-closure-2185447.html

International News!
New Yorker
http://links.visibli.com/links/342091

ABC News Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/16/3113825.htm

In France
http://lepetitjournal.com/londres/breves-londres/71029-sauver-la-culture-une-bibliotheque-videe-pour-etre-conservee.html

And in Holland
http://www.biblioservice.nl/advies_ontwikkeling/bewoners_lenen_alle_boeken_uit_protest_tegen_sluiting_bibliotheek.asp

Live in Milton Keynes? Then sign the e-Petition!
http://epetitionsmk.firmstep.com/node/19