Reason for this Advice Note:

The future of our 112 year old, independent Upper Norwood Joint Library (UNJL) is threatened due to Croydon Council’s withdrawal of £200K funding. Croydon Council has a duty to consult before a final decision. If responses to consultation show lack of interest in or use of the library, the threat is real. However, with your help, we may persuade Croydon to reinstate funding and save our library.

People have told Upper Norwood Library Campaign (UNLC) they find parts of Croydon’s consultation form confusing. UNLC has thus produced this advice. Please amend or replace our illustrative answers to reflect your own views. However, we advise completing the form so as to leave Croydon in no doubt that the library is much-used and loved. Its independent status means it truly serves the local community (see Q30). The suggestion to use other libraries, cut books, staff or hours would seriously damage the life of this area.

Please return completed forms to Upper Norwood Joint Library, Westow Hill, before 28 April 2012.

UNLC Advice:

It is unclear how Croydon Council’s questions 19-29 will be analysed, as ‘impact’ could be positive or negative – we suggest you write in whether you find the relevant impact positive or negative. For questions asking you to describe the impact, we have provided a list of suggestions you may wish to draw on. Feel free to copy, modify or use your own – but please let Croydon know the strength of your feelings!

Suggested reasons for ‘negative impact’ responses (questions 23, 26 and 29):

• Loss of a proper library would tear the heart out of the area….

• Other libraries – Norbury, Thornton Heath,South Norwood, Anerley – are too far to really replace an accessible local service in the town centre where I shop and do other things….

• Cutting or ceasing funding would destroy a unique service, responsive to local needs….

• Vandalising a successful independent library ruins a model with potential for wider application…

• Ofsted says national reading/literacy levels are worryingly low – does Croydon want to add to this?

• Fewer books, staff or other facilities would undermine a unique, much-loved local service….

• Cutting parts of the library would damage an integrated all-age service….

• Arbitrary funding cuts ignore UNJL’s exceptional value for money compared with unwieldy, centralised Council-run libraries with high overheads….

• Our library costs 7 times less per member compared to Croydon libraries….

Options One to Four:

The form gives no opportunity to choose an option. We suggest you write ‘This is my preferred option’ against the option you prefer.

‘Option One – Croydon continues to fund the UNJL at existing levels’

Q19 ‘What would be the impact on you if Croydon Council’s option one is chosen?’

We suggest you tick ‘High impact’ – continuing funding at the same level means all its great services which benefit you and your community can continue. If so, write next to it ‘(positive)’.

Q20 – ‘If there is an impact tell us what this is?’

We suggest ‘Continuing Croydon funding at current levels would have a high positive impact because’:

• Health and wellbeing of elderly and/or disabled people benefit greatly from a local accessible facility…

• Children benefit hugely from the imaginative, customised Children’s Library….

• Young people have quiet areas for homework, help and encouragement for study….

• Special reading sessions for kids, e.g. linked with activities like nature trails…

• Practical help for the unemployed, poor and socially excluded, in job search and self-improvement….

• Research on theCrystalPalaceand other local history, and e.g. local history talks in the library

• Our library is the buzzing heart of the local community, a hub helping build the Big Society….

• Highly skilled, customer-friendly staff who know what I want and how to help….

• Unique independent status, which allows tailoring services to local needs….

• The library increases footfall for local businesses – 1000+ visits a day….
• Difficult to use a library if it is not where I shop and do other things, as inCrystalPalace…

• As a parent of young children I cannot easily get to other libraries – high travel cost/lack of time…

• My child learns valuable social skills at the Waggle and Hum sessions…

• For young mums and dads this is an important place to engage with other parents…

• Author visits, reading groups, other special events and activities….

• 7 times lower costs per member when compared with directly-controlled Croydon libraries…

• Wonderful choice of books, staff selection of choices of the week and month…

• Remember the riots – community facilities help keep communities alive…

Q21 – ‘If the Council goes with option one but has to make savings at the UNJL as a result of Lambeth’s reduction in funding, which one of the following would you support?’

UNLC suggests you tick ‘None’

‘Option Two – Croydon continues to fund the UNJL at a reduced level’

Q22 – ‘What would be the impact on you if option two is chosen?’

UNLC suggests tick ‘High impact’ and write next to it ‘(negative)’

Q23 – ‘If there is an impact tell us what this is?’

We suggest reply ‘Croydon funding at a reduced level would have a high negative impact because’ (insert reasons – for examples, see Suggested reasons for ‘negative impact’ on page 1 of this advice).

Q24 – ‘If the Council goes with option two but has to make savings at the UNJL as a result of Lambeth’s reduction in funding, which one of the following would you support?’

UNLC suggests you tick ‘None’

‘Option Three – Croydon ceases to fund the UNJL and instead makes some investment in other library services for residents in Upper Norwood and the surrounding area’

Q25 – ‘What would be the impact on you if option three is chosen?’

UNLC suggests you tick ‘High impact’ and write next to it ‘(negative)’

Q26 – ‘If there is an impact tell us what this is?’

We suggest reply ‘Ceasing Croydon funding for UNJL and making some unspecified other investment would have a high negative impact because’ (see Suggested reasons for ‘negative impact’ on page 1).

Q27 – ‘If the Council goes with option three and is able to make some investment in other library services which of the following would you support?’

UNLC suggests you tick ‘None’

‘Option Four – Croydon ceases to provide any funds for the UNJL and uses the savings elsewhere, reducing the need to make other cutbacks to other Croydon services.’

Q28 – ‘What would be the impact on you if option four is chosen?’

UNLC suggests you tick ‘High impact’ and write next to it ‘(negative)’

Q29 – ‘If there is an impact tell us what this is?’

We suggest reply ‘Ceasing Croydon funding for UNJL and using savings elsewhere would have a high negative impact because’ (see Suggested reasons for ‘negative impact’ on page 1).

Q30 – ‘If you would like to put forward other options or variations on the Options set out in this consultation paper, please tell us here’

We suggest: We want UNJL to remain open, independently managed, fairly and adequately funded, and professionally staffed to provide an efficient and comprehensive service, with locally accountable, community-orientated governance, under the terms of the 2010 UNJL Charter.

We do not want our Library closed, outsourced, privatised, under-resourced, inadequately staffed, or ‘taken over’ by a Borough library service, as this would destroy its 112 year old independence that we value so highly for responsiveness to local needs, staff commitment, effectiveness and efficiency.

Published by the UNLC www.unlc.org.uk/ March 2012

Currently showing support to Upper Norwood Library Campaigners with @CarolinePidgeon twitter.com/brianpaddick/s…

— Brian Paddick Team (@brianpaddick) May 1, 2012

Siobhan Benita, independent London Mayoral candidate, has a manifesto that includes a library policy that would see all London libraries run by the London Mayor and the GLA.

With this library policy in mind, Upper Norwood Library Campaign invited Siobhan Benita to lend her support to the  Campaign, after all…. she is independent” and the library has been unique and independent for all of its 112 years. Besides, the Upper Norwood (Crystal Palace) Library Campaign has always remained a steadfastly local group with no political alignment, and have always sought a pragmatic solution that recognizes both the incredible role that the library plays in the community, and the amazing value for money that the library model offers local residents and taxpayers.

Crystal Palace welcome Siobhan Benita’s support

Siobhan Benita brought with her a number of members of the press that included a correspondent from the New York Times, all of whom were naturally welcomed with open arms, as the campaign team have been trying a multitude of avenues to highlight Upper Norwood Library’s plight for a good many years. Anyway, Siobhan was greeted by one of the “Waggle and Hum” mothers and toddlers reading groups and a packed audience of local residents, and spent the first 20 minutes chatting with Crystal Palace residents about the library. Many of the elderly and infirm were particularly pleased to be able to air their views, as were local traders who are incensed about the potential loss of income if 1000 people stop visiting the library and high street each day.

Libraries, Literacy, Education & Youth

Siobhan took the opportunity to talk to the crowd about her manifesto and how libraries and literacy were so important and fundamental to her policy for education and her policy for youth, that includes donating a third of her salary (if elected!) to a youth mayor. Benita spoke with knowledge about the campaign and expressed deep concerns that a library; which boasts 44% of local residents as members, and that is run at half the cost of libraries in most other London boroughs, is in grave danger of closing. She also pinpointed the irony of the original “Big society” independent, community run library being under threat.

Tweets, Retweets and Media

Thanks to the support of Ms Benita, the Upper Norwood Library campaign had reached a massive audience within 1 day of her visit via tweets, retweets, LBC radio coverage and many examples of the story being replicated and cascaded to the masses.

London library services based on the Upper Norwood Model?

Siobhan Benita heard from other Croydon residents about their decimated library services  and showed her dismay at Croydon and Wandsworth Council’s decision to outsource library services, particularly without due consideration of a library service based upon the Upper Norwood model. Benita said that her manifesto to run all library services centrally would safeguard and strengthen the library’s role in the community, eliminate the cross-party / cross-council disputes and look to libraries such as Upper Norwood’s as the blueprint for all libraries.

Take action- it could hit your services next

If you feel as strongly as Siobhan Benita about Upper Norwood Library, if your library services are being hollowed out or cut, or, if you agree that public sector outsourcing should always consider the merits of a best-practice “in-house” option, then please sign this petition, follow us on twitter and be a friend on facebook. If you are local then please please also sign the e-consultation document

Cllr Reed has asked me to respond on his behalf as this matter falls under my responsibility as Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and 2012 Games. I attended the Upper Norwood Joint Library public meeting on Wednesday 30 November along with local Lambeth Labour councillors Matthew Bennett, Niranjan Francis, and Jane Pickard. Attending the meeting I got an overwhelming sense of the support there is for this much loved local library and it was good to see many residents there. Lambeth Council has rejected Croydon’s ultimatum over the future of the Upper Norwood Joint Library.

I am outraged that Croydon’s Tory councillors are trying to close down the Joint Library, funded together by Croydon and Lambeth councils, after over 100 years in existence. In their latest letter to Lambeth Council, Croydon told Lambeth to accept one of
three options, each of which would result in the closure of the popular community library. Lambeth has rejected all three options and told Croydon to get back round the negotiating table to find a way to save the Joint Library. Lambeth is proposing a new option to save the library in line with a deal that has secured the future of every single library in Lambeth. Croydon, in contrast, is planning to privatise their libraries. Under our proposals, both councils would work with local community and library-user
groups in Upper Norwood to hand control over the library service and, potentially, ownership of the building to them. Funding would be
guaranteed by the councils whose residents use the library, with decisions over how to spend it taken by local people.

We urge Councillor Fisher to abandon their destructive closure plans and sit down with us and the local community to find a way to protect this much-loved library for future generations and guarantee its place at the heart of the community.

Kind regards, Cllr Florence Nosegbe Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and 2012 Games www.lambeth.gov.uk email: fnosegbe@lambeth.gov.uk

Croydon tear up the 112 years of library history

In their election promise Croydon Conservatives promised to “Ensure that at a minimum we match Lambeth’s contribution to Upper Norwood joint Library, continuing the Conservative commitment to the library” However, this promise now seems to be empty as Croydon start their consultation document that confirms that they have pulled out of their obligations under the 112 year old library agreement, and are considering cutting funding or closing the library

In their 13 June 2011 document on library services Croydon stated that “Libraries make an important contribution to the Council’s corporate priorities of:

•  Safer, stronger and more sustainable communities
•  Promoting economic growth and prosperity
•  Improving health and wellbeing
•  Achieving better outcomes for children and young people
•  Delivering high quality public services and improving value for money”

21000 members without a local library

Despite this, Croydon are looking at closing our library with its 21000 members who would need to travel for half an hour each way using public transport to get to the nearest alternative library service. In short, if Croydon close the library they will affect the opportunities, prosperity and cultural inheritance of local inhabitants and the wider community.

As Croydon reach the final hurdles of the Procurement process for Library services it is still unclear what will happen to Upper Norwood Library.

Independently run for 112 years and funded jointly by Croydon and Lambeth, Upper Norwood boasts unprecedented membership levels of 44% of the local community thanks to the tailored services it provides. Incredibly it does this at 50% of the cost per capita of most other London libraries and costs per member that are 7 times lower than Croydon’s own costs.

Outsourcing  Croydon’s libraries

Sarah Bashford, the councillor in charge of Croydon Libraries has publicly said “closure is not an option for us” and “We got the message loud and clear that these are important community facilities that must be kept open as a matter of priority.”  However, privately, Croydon have removed the funding for Upper Norwood which will effectively close this vibrant Victorian library which draws around 1000 people to the high street per day. Not only will this reduce literacy, employment prospects and social mobility but it will have a dramatic impact on footfall on the high street and the local economy.

An Independent library model that would reduce Council Tax

Why is it that Croydon are considering venture capitalists and other London Councils to run our library services and yet are unwilling to consider running them based on the Independent Upper Norwood Library model; a tried and tested way of improving efficiency, services and lowering costs. Croydon’s strategy allows another council or corporation to bank the benefits that should be secured in house and passed on to council tax payers.

Croydon seem to find Upper Norwood Library an embarrassment and are hoping it will go away quietly, however, the Library campaign is growing momentum and we have no such plans.

The Upper Norwood Joint Library (UNJL) has served Crystal Palace and the Upper Norwood cross-borough community in South London since 1898  and, from inception, the London boroughs of Lambeth and Croydon have been jointly funders. Whilst the library is funded by two boroughs it actually provides services to members from 5 boroughs as Upper Norwood or Crystal Palace is the meeting points of Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark, Bromley and Lewisham.

The library is housed in a wonderful old Victorian building, has been the heart of the Crystal palace community for over 100 years and runs reading groups, writing groups and community reading festivals and raises more £40k per annum, a considerably larger sum than any other local library. There are no other libraries within walking distance.

The Joint Library has survived two World Wars, the Great Depression of the 1930s and numerous severe recessions since it first opened to the public. It provides opportunities for life-long learning and creative browsing, an outstanding Children’s Library that helps to create a love of books and reading in our youngsters, access to information and informal education, a fantastic programme of special events and activities each year and a free, inclusive and welcoming space for the whole community to benefit from.

It is a library authority operating separately from the two funding boroughs, as covered under the provisions of the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. Library users in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood regard the UNJL as a vital local amenity in an area with very little in the way of public buildings.

The Joint Library plays an indispensable role in Lambeth and Croydon Council fulfilment of their statutory responsibility to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. Many residents of local wards and further afield rely heavily upon it.

The UNJL has strong links with the local community and an extensive outreach programme encompassing local organisations, schools, youth and children’s groups.

Annual programmes of special events and activities cater for all ages and interests. Regular reading and creative writing groups for adults, sessions for parents and children, imaginative and informative events for local residents (Crystal Palace Park and Read promotions, Local History Festivals and Writers’ Days to name a few), and two days of celebrations for the 110th anniversary attended by hundreds of people, all illustrate the Library’s ability to deliver vital information while meeting educational, cultural and recreational needs.

As the government strive for empowered local communities and for benefits from services run by locals for locals, surely we should be looking at existing examples and identifying “champions” to be used as a blueprint for the future.

Upper Norwood Library; which is the UKs only independent library, has been run by the community for the community and self-managed in all respects for 111 years, is jointly funded by Lambeth and Croydon and serves members from 5 London Boroughs. It is run at 50% of the cost of most other London Libraries

“The library has been at the very heart of Crystal Palace and withstood two world wars, its seen one London Olympics and many previous recessions and has always provided a fantastic service to local school-kids, pensioners, job-seekers and most people I know”  P Fewster

The department for communities and local government website outlines the following key principles that are the foundations for localism and community run projects like Upper Norwood Library.  Why then is Upper Norwood Library; which embodies everything that the government are aiming to achieve; having its funding stopped by Croydon Council?

Big Society Principles

• Setting the foundations for a Big Society by returning power to citizens, families and communities.
• Helping councils and local business to work together to promote economic recovery and the regeneration of deprived and run-down communities
• beginning a new era of transparency, accountability and openness so local people can hold elected officials to account
• Cutting red tape and central bureaucracy and freeing local councils to deliver for the public not central government.
• Changing the balance of power in the country so power goes right back to the people giving them a genuine voice in their neighbourhood.
• Building the Big Society by passing power to citizens and communities, encouraging action at neighbourhood level and making neighbourhoods the building blocks for all we do
• Working to support communities overcome tensions and conflict.

The new Mary Portas backed scheme for High Street regeneration acknowledges the need for community hubs in every high street to encourage footfall and commerce.

The Upper Norwood Joint Library is a substantial and sizeable public building and, as a self-contained, self-sufficient library authority, is a microcosm of a borough-wide library authority, offering a range and variety of library services.

For the visitor, it has the feel of a large district-type Inner London library. The key and fundamental difference is that the UNJL is not part of a library system, but is the whole system in its entirety. There are no supplementary staffing input or overhead costs that characterise conventional borough branch libraries.

Importantly, the total pro-rata cost of the Joint Library equates to approximately half that of the average Greater London spending on library services per resident served. For example, if a decentralised and community specific model of library service governance and management, such as that adopted by the UNJL, were introduced to another library service, currently costing say £8m per annum, the latter would have the opportunity to reduce its costs by around £4m.

Service users value the availability and visibility of experienced and helpful specialist professional librarians and ‘front-line’ assistants – an essential component of a modern library service and an imperative during this period of major socio-economic change.

Trained and experienced professional and specialist staff are greatly valued and are always available to provide expert assistance, advice and guidance in terms of access to printed and electronic resources and services to children, young people, adults and those seeking information or local history resources.

There is the limited use of volunteers – but, in accordance with the intentions of retired barrister Francis Bennion who drafted the 1964 Act, UNJL does not rely unduly on volunteers. Certainly volunteers are not used as a cheap replacement for paid skilled library staff.

Upper Norwood is a heritage-rich district. Located close to the site of Paxton’s renowned Crystal Palace, the UNJL fields a constant stream of local history enquiries. These arise from both the immediate locality, neighbouring and regional authorities, as well as nationally and internationally. Consequently, it is essential that both relevant resources and experienced staff assistance are consistently available on-site. This ensures that effective access to services can be facilitated by expert staff guidance.

If you are writing to an MP or councillor why not get more bang for your buck and copy in or also send the letter or email to one of the following contacts who may be able to publicise or letter or throw weight behind your argument.

Guardian save our libraries journalist

hannah.freeman@guardian.co.uk

The National Library Campaign

librarycam@aol.com

The Chief executive of the arts Council (on the library select committee)

chiefexecutive@artscouncil.org.uk  

Evening standard Libraries correspondents

jury.louise@standard.co.uk

Bryant.miranda@standard.co.uk