Cllr Tulip Siddiq said: 'This idea came from library users during the consultation which 6,000 people responded to'

Published: 28 June, 2012
by DAN CARRIER

A NEW coalition of library groups across the borough has been launched by the Town Hall.

Called the Library Network, it was unveiled on Tuesday by leisure chief councillor Tulip Siddiq as part of the range of changes to libraries, announced last year on the face of swingeing central government cuts to Town Hall budgets. 

There have been fears expressed by members of Friends groups that it will be used by councillors to silence campaigners such as the Camden Public Library User Group (C-Plug), who fought against the plans to take three branches out of Town Hall control. 

C-Plug chairman Alan Templeton said: “I am sitting on the fence at the moment. 

“Nothing has yet to be firmed up that is useful to any branch but it may be very useful for library users in the long run. There is no evidence either yet that this new network will undermine C-plug but we’ll watch very carefully. 

“C-plug is full of members of the ‘awkward squad’, so even if this was an attempt to sideline us, it isn’t going to happen.”

The plans will see a new network of Friends-style groups for each library – including those no longer managed by the Town Hall – and their aims will be to share good practice and resources. 

Cllr Siddiq said: “This idea came from library users during the consultation which 6,000 people responded to. 

“I announced I would be launching the network in my annual review earlier this year, as part of our wider library strategy.

“People said they wanted a library network facilitated by the council so that libraries could share best practice, keep the community libraries close to the council and establish Friends groups in areas which don’t have them.”