Here we publish the response by Margaret Martin, on behalf of the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library, the group that has been at the heart of the campaign to see that the library is returned. Their analysis, confidence and commitment transferred to the community, electrified people with the possibility that together they could make a difference. Savvy literature distributed across the locality, public meetings and a demonstration, saw people from all walks of life, from children, young people, families, senior citizens and disabled people, come together to express their love for the library, as radio interviews and media releases reached out to the County. We would be hard pressed to find a community campaign so well organised and versed in detail. Most importantly, the big vision by the group and the need to establish ‘joined up thinking’ in the campaign to see ‘a local library fit for the 21st Century’, became a theme that has resonated beyond the community. In the inspirational spirit of their cogent, inclusive way of working they begin by thanking East Sussex County Council for not forgetting them. With the same clarity of vision and commitment, they analyse the difficulties inherent in the situation by looking forward to the complex tasks ahead. So many questions remain, but who can doubt that in their vision we are seeing a local library campaigning group that is fit for the 21st century.—Bay Life, 16 May 2016
Friends of Pevensey Bay Library
re-opening of Pevensey Bay Library
response to East Sussex County Council
Monday 16 May 2016
WONDERFUL NEWS: PEVENSEY BAY LIBRARY TO RE-OPEN ON 30 AUGUST
Fantastic news – a target date for the re-opening of Pevensey Bay library! Many people in the Bay will be delighted to hear this and will be looking forward once again to browsing through the books and DVDs, collecting whatever they have reserved online, taking part in the summer reading challenge, attending the children’s reading group, getting homework done on the computer – and of course having the wonderful library staff back. Despite the time it’s taken to get this far, thank you East Sussex County Council for not forgetting us.
Perhaps the county council will even promote the re-opening of our library with some special events so that everybody will want to become a library member even if they are housebound. Did you know that library membership now entitles you to a new free e-magazine service which can be accessed online through a computer, tablet or smart phone? Membership really offers something for everyone even if, as a busy working person, you only have time to visit and collect the audiobooks for that long drive to work!
On a more sombre note, we sincerely hope the library won’t re-open only to be heralded by proposals for closure next year when the county implements the next round of cuts following its county wide needs assessment. We all know the cuts are coming, but the timetable for the review process still isn’t very clear. Will residents be consulted on priorities over the coming months or simply be presented with proposals for library closures when consultants report their findings in twelve months’ time?
Let’s hope this issue will be addressed and a clear programme published shortly when results of the recent survey, which accompanied the consultation to cut library hours, will be reported.
Unfortunately, Friends of Pevensey Bay Library are the only Friends Group left in East Sussex which is a poor state of affairs given the size of the imminent cuts to the library service. I would urge all users of local libraries in East Sussex to try and set up their own Friends group so that an informed dialogue can occur between the county and library users over the proposed cuts to the service. By all means contact FPBL if you need advice on this – we are meeting again on Friday 20 at 7:00pm at the Baptist Church, Pevensey Bay – all supporters and members are welcome. Alternatively, we can be contacted by email ; and we are on Twitter and Facebook.
If such Friends groups had already been in place, the national Libraries Taskforce workshop in Brighton scheduled for May 12, one of a series of workshops up and down the country intended to help develop a national strategy, might not have been cancelled as more people would have known about it, particularly if the local authorities had promoted it. If you are one of the growing numbers of people in this country concerned over the hundreds of library closures that have occurred over the last few years and feel that county wide reviews should be informed by a clear national strategy you have chance to offer your thoughts in an online survey.
Back to the good news. When Pevensey Bay Library re-opens on 30 August – make the most of it! Be ready however for the outcome of the needs assessment.
Margaret Martin
Friends of Pevensey Bay Library
