Saving Lewisham’s Libraries

Libraries across the country continue to be under threat. A Lewisham Library Union Rep reports that staff and campaigners are coming together in South East London to defend this much needed service.

Lewisham library workers and library campaigners are organising a lobby of Lewisham’s Mayor and Cabinet on Wednesday 9th December at 7pm Civic Suite, Catford, London SE6.

Campaigners recently had a really successful public meeting with inspirational speakers from Lambeth  and Bromley (two boroughs where there has already been strike action against library closures) as well as the Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign. We have had stalls in Catford and Lewisham, handed out thousands of leaflets and collected thousands of signatures against the threat to cut 4 more libraries in Lewisham.

We have leafleted council workers and the Unison branch is mailing all members. Campaigners organised a fantastic Library Tales stories and poetry event in Lewisham shopping centre and a “stroll” to a rally at Lewisham library.

Unfortunately Labour councillors in Lewisham are refusing to fight Tory cuts and insist their million pound cuts are better than Tory million pound cuts. Despite the recent libraries consultation coming down overwhelmingly against more library cuts, councillors on the Safer Stronger Scrutiny Committee nodded through the cuts proposals which now goes to the Mayor and Cabinet on 9 December.

The recently launched Lewisham for Corbyn – Momentum is calling for “the whole local labour movement and everyone who wants to resist the devastation of our communities to join them.”

Some local libraries have been turned into “community libraries”, however The Forest Hill Society produced figures that show community libraries are failures as libraries. http://www.foresthillsociety.com/2015/10/library-visits-and-borrowing-in-lewisham.html?m=1

“We need to put the most pressure possible on councillors and build the biggest lobby possible, though we need to be prepared for the council not to listen,” said one of the library union reps, “Then library workers will be faced with taking strike action in the new year to defend libraries and jobs and library workers will need all the support the community and other unions can give. Lambeth library workers walked out last month, closing all ten Lambeth libraries. This was inspiring. It would be great to build coordinated action across Lewisham, Lambeth and Bromley.”

No to cuts in Lewisham! Protest to save libraries and other services. Lobby Lewisham’s Mayor and Cabinet on Wednesday 9th December at 7pm Civic Suite, Catford, London SE6.
https://www.facebook.com/events/427984007400922/

You can also email the Mayor before the meeting: steve.bullock@lewisham.gov.uk
Or write to Steve Bullock, The Civic Suite, Town Hall, Catford, SE6 4RU

Save Lewisham Libraries: savelewishamlibraries@gmail.com