Laura Scaife
Nottingham could lose three of its local libraries as the council look for ways to fix their budget. “Under the proposals, the council would close Basford Library in Vernon Road, the Radford-Lenton Library in Lenton Boulevard and Aspley Library in Nuthall Road.” Impact‘s Laura Scaife reports on why we should fight to save the libraries.
In 2010, The Guardian reported that Nottingham had one of the worst reading and literacy rates in the UK
The council argues that the three libraries they are proposing closing are those with the lowest visits, with “22,680 annual visits to Basford Library, 7,920 visits at the Radford and Lenton library and 38,820 visits in Aspley.” The council claim that those affected by the library closures can visit the central library. However, the central library in Angel Row closed in 2020. Two years later, residents are still waiting for the new library on the Greater Broad Marsh site to open. Furthermore, the council needs £10 million pounds to finance the new library. Local residents are being punished for the council’s poor planning. It is unacceptable that residents could be waiting months or even years to regain access to a library. Many simply do not have that long to wait. How will that affect children from low income families who cannot afford to buy new books? Furthermore, there are only 15 libraries in Nottingham, three of which are service centres. These proposed changes would leave the community with only 8 libraries.
In 2010, The Guardian reported that Nottingham had one of the worst reading and literacy rates in the UK. This is partially because Nottingham is the 8th most deprived district in the country. Libraries offer a lifeline for lower income families and are vital for supporting children in developing their literacy. On rainy days libraries are a safe haven for families looking for a way to entertain their children free of charge. Children can also borrow and reserve books for no cost, providing budding readers access to a huge array of books, across a whole range of genres.
Furthermore, the libraries have schemes to encourage children to love learning to read. The annual Summer Reading Challenge is a wonderful resource for developing children’s passion for reading. All a child needs to do is read 6 books over the summer holidays and they receive a medal, certificate, stickers, and a pencil. I volunteered to help run the Summer Reading Challenge for three years at my own library and witnessed first-hand the benefits for children. The challenge is engaging and easily accomplished, it gives parents struggling for ideas a structure over the summer holidays and most importantly it teaches children to love visiting their local library.
The council are threatening to take this away from children. Yes, they can visit the central library but how are parents going to find the time to make the trip into the city centre? Local libraries create a community for children, the librarians at my local library have watched me grow into a flourishing reader, they can offer tailored recommendations and celebrate personal accomplishments. It is simply not the same to visit the central library.
It is clear is that these libraries are community hubs fighting for survival
The council claim that “library services are having to redesign services and find innovative ways to reduce costs” as national book issues decline. The implication is that libraries are dusty, dark spaces filled with old paperbacks no one has any interest in anymore. The council is missing the purpose of libraries, they are a thriving community centre offering support to anyone who needs it. Yes libraries need to change and adapt to today’s environment, but surely that means increasing investment not shutting the libraries before they can flourish. What if instead of closing the libraries the council revitalised them?
Libraries are not just dusty shelves filled with dreary books; they are a treasure trove where community thrives. Libraries offer a safe haven to the most vulnerable members of our community. All three libraries offer a weekly work club and monthly councillor surgery. As well as click and collect; computers with internet; free Wi-Fi; health information and local history collections; and printing, scanning and photocopying services. Both Basford and Aspley also offer books in Urdu, Gujarati and Polish, rooms for hire and a weekly Knit and Natter group. Aspley specialises in children’s services with a weekly after school club and Totstime. It is clear is that these libraries are community hubs fighting for survival.
What if we could take the diverse services they provide further? According to the NHS “more than a million older people say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour, or family member”. As well as this, in 2018 research found that young people (age 16-24) were the most likely age group to report feeling lonely. What if libraries created monthly or fortnightly book clubs to tackle loneliness? What if once a month the young and retired came together to discuss the joys that reading can bring? What if there were groups created for those speaking English as a second language to find new books and practice speaking English? Libraries are already at the heart of a community, imagine how incredible they could become if we gave them just a little bit more support.
Closing the libraries simply isn’t an option, too many members of the community rely on them. We must fight to protect the libraries so future generations have the chance to discover the simple joys opening a new book can bring.
Sign the petition to save Nottingham’s libraries here:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/save-nottingham-libraries
Laura Scaife
Featured image courtesy of Alfons Morales via Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
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