A LIBRARY for the 21st Century in Pevensey Bay has taken another step forward today as the local campaigning group prepares to make a case for their cause on National Libraries Day, this coming Saturday—Bay Life
The Friends of Pevensey Bay Library is to take to the national stage this Saturday (February 6) as part of the campaign to see a library fit for the 21st century in Pevensey Bay.
Saturday 6 February 2016 marks National Libraries Day. Organisers of the Day say “Libraries in the UK are loved, valued and were visited an astonishing 265 million times last year! Libraries are a vitally important public service. Celebrate them on National Libraries Day”.
The campaigning group, which has won widespread praise across the community for the lobbying work undertaken with regard to the absence of a library in the locality, Bay Life understands, is now to put their campaign on a national footing.
Five national literary organisations, all with direct connections with the locality, are being contacted, The organisations include The Pre-Raphaelite Society, the C.S Lewis Foundation and the Goons Appreciation Society.
All of the societies are to be invited to offer public support to the campaign to see a library fit for the 21st Century in Pevensey Bay.
The work to make national links with the societies is being undertaken by a Sussex based literature group planning to pilot a small Arts and Literature Festival in the summer of 2016 in Pevensey.
They point out that the Narnia Chronicles, perhaps the most important chronicle of childrens’ fiction of the twentieth century has an ‘umbilical’ link to the locality. “The name of the family” they explain, ” is revealed in the third book which turns out to be the High Norman Spelling of Pevensey”.
The connection to a rich literary history, particularly 19th century literature is without question. The literature group point out that Pevensey Bay may be the only village in England with two roads in parallel named after two major pre-raphaelite figures (Rossetti and Val Prinsep).
Bay Life understands that one of the most exciting possible developments that is linked to the Friends of the Pevensey Bay Library campaign group is a tentative plan to lobby for a profile in the new library to house a national archive of Goons Show material, scripts and memorabilia.
As many readers will be aware, Peter Sellers, along with Spike Milligan and Micheal Bentine were here in the summers, from 1952 right through the fifties, and scripts of the Goons are littered with local references. One episode “The Pevensey Bay Disaster” (which features a train crash), is even named after the locality.
Simon Montgomery, editor of Bay Life said, “I think that the community has seen the value of all the campaigning work undertaken by the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library, the savvy leaflets and literature, meetings and the co-ordination of all the work with local authorities. The campaign is a textbook example of how a community has been able to come together and start to make things happen..
He explained, “it is becoming obvious that all libraries in the country within a generation will be modelled on trusts, community ventures, collaborations between local people and local authorities. joint ventures and some libraries with commercial interests”.
He added, “The Localism Act of 2011 is game changing, and that explains why we are seeing such interesting developments and challenges with local libraries right across the country.
“What is happening is not in spite of the Age of Austerity, it is happening because of the Age of Austerity.
“By identifying a need, an approach, a strategy and a vision, what the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library has done is something more than engage with the community, they have lit the flame for a library of the 21st century in Pevensey Bay, and that is exactly what we will see”.
Simon pointed to the Wealden Parish Conference in 2011 when Councillor Bob Standley, Leader of Wealden District Council said, “the Localism Bill gives Wealden District Council an opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with the town and parish councils in the District,”
He underlined the foresight in the comments of the Leader of Wealden District Council, Bob Standley who also said in the same conference speech, “I have always taken the view that the public are not that concerned whether it is the District Council, County Council or Towns and Parishes who deliver a service. They want the service to be delivered in the most efficient way possible. The Localism Bill creates the opportunity for some fresh thinking on issues across the District”.
Talking about the work of the Friends Group, Simon suggested, “there may be some disappointment within the group at the fact that the nomination to see the Beach Tavern public house become a community asset was not granted, but the friends of the library group has done something more important through their campaigning work, they have registered Pevensey Bay as a community asset, and that really is some achievement.
“Bob Standley, the leader of Wealden District Council, read the runes in 2011 and that is exactly what the Friends of the Pevensey Bay Library group is doing in 2016″.
Emphasising the sea change in the landscape with libraries across the country he said, “Within a generation it really is obvious that we will be seeing local libraries run not by local authorities., but run by local people working with local authorities. This pattern has already begun right across the country and it will happen here in Pevensey Bay.
“What has been interesting is to see not just the flame lit by the group, but the contact that has been made to the group from different parts of the country by similar sized villages that have already established new models of local library for the 21st century, in exactly the way envisaged by the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library” ”
“In that sense I think all the people behind the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library campaign can be seen as pioneers of some description.
“What has been so exciting is to see young people in the community passionate and engaged with the issue of the library at their meetings, as well as so many people of all ages, from all walks of life, seeing the significance and value of a library to a community.
“The Localism Act of 2011 has changed the community landscape in the country, locally, with such a rich literary landscape and so many people engaged with the idea of a library, it is inevitable that we will be seeing something emerge that will make us all proud.
“If, as seems likely, there is to be some kind of appeal to see a National Goons Show Archive housed in the new library with Lottery Funding, I think it is an interesting idea, because of course it is not the Parish Council or County Council that would make such an application to the Lottery, it would be the Friends of the Pevensey Bay Library that would be making such an application.
“My goodness what a fabulous addition to the profile of Pevensey Bay as a visitor destination and somewhere for residents to enjoy, a library fit for the 21st century and home to the National Goons Archive.
“What is becoming obvious with the work of the campaign is the way in which the group has unlocked the potential for something in Pevensey Bay that could become a flagship library”.
Bay Life understands that the national campaign, with a petition managed through the change.org platform, will be launched by the Friends of Pevensey Bay Library as part of National Libraries Day, this coming Saturday.
