Return to Highgate Library Home 

Friends of Highgate Library NEWSLETTER MARCH 2011

WE LOVE HIGHGATE LIBRARY DAY Saturday March 5th l-3pm A day to show how much we love our library and how sad we would be if it were closed. The Friends and a group of Brookfield School parents are organising this event, which, will include story telling, poster making and colouring for children and book signings and readings by local authors for adults. Our local MP, Frank Dobson, will be visiting the library at 3pm to show his support. Please come along and join in!

FRIENDS NEWS
Cuts in funding for libraries have continued to be a matter of great debate. Camden Council has decided to cut its library spending by £1.6 million and is now carrying out a public consultation on how to provide the service on such a reduced budget. This survey closes on 4 April and the forms are available at all libraries and on line. To understand the background to the questions you need to read the supporting document which is tucked inside each survey form. However the Friends committee is very disappointed by this flawed questionnaire. The first three questions are almost impossible to answer and only the fourth gives any opportunity for suggestions on how our libraries might be safeguarded and improved. We believe that no library should be closed and that more flexible opening hours should be seriously considered.

But despite this it is very important that as many people as possible fill in these
questionnaires, so please encourage your friends and neighbours to do so. And as
we have said many times before, please, please, please use the library as much as
you possibly can and take out as many books out as you can. Statistics could be a
matter of life or death for a small community library like ours.

The restoration of the library exterior is now almost finished and it is a delight to
see once more a complete set of urns on the parapet and to have revealed as if
brand new the rich polychromy of its Neo-Renaissance facade in Portland stone,
buff terracotta, red brick and brown glazed brick. 'It also brings home how the
Chester/Balmore flats and shops opposite echo these colours. How sad that these
buildings look likely to be replaced by something so bland and vastly over-
scaled. The Friends have submitted detailed responses to the Council expressing
our concern over the loss of public space on the corner and the blocking of views
towards the library. Fabian Watkinson, Acting Chairman

RECENT EVENTS

Poetry and Jazz 2nd December
Our evening with Graham Tayar and The Crouch End Allstars was as usual a real treat. Graham's thoughtful and amusing poems were mixed with lively jazz from the Allstars. Those who struggled through the snow and ice were well rewarded!

Cuts threaten Highgate Library 27 January
The library was packed out for this public meeting. It was a good chance to learn more - and express our views - about the possible future for Camden's Library Service and, in particular, our library. It was chaired by our President, Roger Lloyd Pack, two of our ward councillors came ( Maya de Souza and Valerie Leach) and Camden's Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Tulip Siddiq answered questions.

Danny Scheinman 17 February
We enjoyed a fascinating talk by this local author whose book Random Acts of Heroic Love was chosen by Richard and Judy in 2008 thus propelling it into the bestseller list. As he puts it - "things went nuts!" His experiences while travelling in South America led him to write this particular book. It has two plot lines which concern the notion of how seemingly random events are connected. It is also about universal themes of love, bereavement, survival and hope. He spoke of the difficulties in trying to get the book published. He amused - and shocked - us with anecdotes about some publishers, their "dubious" methods to avoid actually reading submitted books and sending off soul-destroying rejections.
But Danny realised that while he was writing about other people's lives, he was failing to live his own. He now spends some of his time teaching and acting. Now, he is working on a second novel inspired by the idea of being in a coma. It is also about themes of love, loss and making connections.

Danny Kindly donated the money raised by selling copies of his book on the evening to our campaign fund

Highgate Library Opening Hours
The library is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10-7pm
Saturday 10-5pm
You can renew items borrowed at any Camden library, by telephone (020 7974 4001) or online.

COMING EVENT

Hugh Wood Reflections of a Composer
Annual General Meeting Thursday March 17, 7.30pm
Hugh Wood will look back on his lifetime in music. This includes teaching at Morley College, Glasgow, Liverpool and for twenty years at Churchill College, Cambridge. As well as broadcasting, he wrote numerous articles and hundreds of programme notes. His book, Staking Out The Territory, is a collection of some of these. However, he says 'composing has always been the chief thing for me/ and he will reflect on this, the activity which gives him the greatest happiness.

We will have a very brief AGM, which will include elections to the Committee. Current officers and committee are listed at the end of this newsletter. Nominations to the Committee are welcome. You can do this beforehand by sending a nomination to the secretary of FOHL c/o Highgate Library or in person at the AGM..
Membership renewal

Membership renewals are due in March. Current subscription is £5 (concessions are £2). We have reluctantly increased the concession contribution to cover the rising costs of postage and printing. A renewal form is enclosed. You can pay by cash or cheque, cheques made payable to Friends of Highgate Library. Donations are always welcome and this year will help us to campaign to keep library services. Thank you for your continuing support. You can bring your subscription to the AGM on March 17th, OR you can leave it at the library in a sealed envelope for Linda Lefevre, Hon. Treasurer FOHL, OR you can deliver it to her at 35 Dartmouth Park Road NW5 1SU.

We have begun to use email to send urgent messages and reminders of events. If you wish to keep up with last minute changes and campaigning activities please ensure that we have your up to date email address. Ours is fohl@dartmouthpark.org so you can email us with comments too. Our main expenditure is on our activities: the newsletters, hiring the library for events and giving annual prizes at Brookfield school for the children who have made most progress in reading.

Why not tell your friends and neighbours about FOHL and encourage them to join? Our library is a unique public space with a proud history of providing a local public service for the whole community. FOHL members receive a quarterly newsletter with news about the library and notice of our events.
Membership forms are in the library entrance area on the FOHL notice board.

News from the Library
We understand from Joanna Birch ( in charge of our library) that the staff will also hold two evening meetings. All members of FOHL are welcome. Speakers at both are authors of recently published well-received books. Here are details: Thursday, 7th April 7.30 Michael Foley The Age of Absurdity. A book for our crazy times of "war without casualties, public services without taxes, celebrity without achievement " and other madness. Can we stay calm and survive it? Part philosophy, witty observation, sad and funny. Thursday, 26th May 7.30 Harry Wade Out on a Limb - Growing Up on One Leg After operations as a baby, Harry Wade had to learn to walk, ride a bike and play football with an artificial leg. Supported by a loving family, he never let it hold him back. He worked in Camden's Library Service for some time. His illustrated talk about growing up in Camden will include readings from his frank and funny book.

At the FOHL public meeting about the possible future for our library on 27th January, several young mothers spoke eloquently about Rhyme Time (Tuesdays 11-11.30am) and Baby Bounce (Thursdays 10.30-11). The children love these sessions, join in and enjoy the songs and rhymes. It's also a great chance for mothers and carers to meet and mix in our beautiful building, a welcoming public space for everyone.

A National Census is due this year. Joanna tells us that since Camden's response was low last time (2001), it hopes to increase the uptake by inviting you to fill in the forms at the library online. Library staff will help you. You must bring your census letter which shows your identifier number. In addition, Census Coordinators will be at the library to give advice on Tuesday, 29th March between 4-7pm.

Enid Evans adds - Do you want a bargain?? I bought two cards in the library today, both wonderful local photographs by Ruth Corney. Blank inside, multipurpose and about half the cost of the same or similar card in the shops.

FRIENDS OF HIGHGATE LIBRARY
c/o Highgate Library, Chester Road, N19 SDH

President Roger Lloyd Pack
Acting Chairman: Fabian Watkinson
Hon. Secretary: Margot Kafno
Hon. Treasurer Linda Lefevre
Committee: Sarah Carrier, Natalie Doyle, Andy Edwards, Enid Evans, Alice Gutkind, Adrian Oliver, Sally Thompson

Patrons: Hunter Davies and June Rose