Campaign grows as three Nottingham libraries face axe

A campaign to save three of Nottingham's libraries has been gaining traction in recent weeks as thousands of people have signed a petition to keep them open and 100 writers, poets and librarians signed an open letter to the city council leader.

Campaigners have even funded a giant billboard on a city street to make sure their message gets across. BBC News has spoken to those who are keen to keep the libraries open.

Stewart Halforty, from the Save Nottingham Libraries group said it was a "travesty" to learn the three libraries - Basford, Aspley and Radford-Lenton had been earmarked for closure in January.

The city council has said axing the inner-city libraries would help save £233,000 as it faces a difficult financial situation.

However there has been growing anger among people who use the services and many argue the closures would be in areas where communities are most in need of them.

"Not only are the three libraries in the poorest parts of the city, but they are absolutely beautiful buildings, purpose built in the 1930s and I wouldn't want to go down this route of losing them," said Mr Halforty.

"We have got a billboard in the middle of Nottingham for goodness sake.

"There's a great deal of love for these libraries in Nottingham because of where they are and how they came about, and there has been an uptake in the number of people signing our petition since that billboard went up.

"It is sending a message to the council that we are serious and they can't get away with this."

In recent weeks there have been protests at each of the affected libraries and Nottingham's Market Square and a read-in at Basford Library.

The campaign group managed to fund the billboard in Basford after a crowdfunder saw £1,405 raised within 24 hours.

Mr Halforty called the support "just phenomenal".

"The council put these plans out in a document called 'The Next Chapter' and for these libraries it is the final chapter," he added.

The campaign has seen an open letter signed by 100 Nottingham writers and industry professionals urging council leader David Mellen not to go ahead with the plans.

It includes the likes of screenwriter William Ivory, poet and film writer Henry Normal and Guardian columnist Frances Ryan.

Novelist David Belbin, who was also part of the bid to make Nottingham a UNESCO City of Literature in 2015, signed the letter.

"In a vehement fashion we wanted to put pressure on the city council to keep these libraries open," he said.

"I understand their rationale and the pressure they are under but taking away from the deprived areas just doesn't hit it for me, especially at a time when people have to choose between heating and feeding themselves, and bus fares to the nearest library are not that cheap."

Last month Mr Belbin launched his latest book at Basford Library and said libraries had helped form his career.

"I grew up in a house without many books in it and the local library was extremely important to me. I discovered all sorts of different writers through these libraries and the decision to become a novelist started there," he added.

"Libraries are the universities of the poor. They are for the people who can't afford to get higher education and can go to find out things there.

"Libraries are absolutely crucial to developing the city's literacy which is much lower in areas of depravation. Books need to be put into the hands of children and children need to be going into libraries."

Nottingham City Council has said there has been a national decline in library usage over the last 10 years, which has been further accelerated by the pandemic.

It said the city's libraries had seen user numbers fall from more than 1.2m in 2014/15 to 879,000 in 2019/20.

Councillor David Mellen said no decisions have been made on the closures and they will review the feedback the council gets through the consultation, adding: "So things could still change."

Chris Cannworked at Basford Library for 20 years and said it was "humbling" to see so many backing the campaign.

"It has been absolutely wonderful seeing the variety of people supporting the campaign - from Nottingham's writing community to the children who like to visit the libraries," she said.

"It makes us more determined as we know how important it is."

The 69-year-old former bookseller called on her old contacts and friends in the city's literary world to sign the open letter.

"It's great to know they understand and value the libraries," she added.

"Most people who work with words have benefited from libraries in the past and wouldn't be doing what they are doing now if it wasn't for libraries.

"The books are important but the community remains at the heart of the library because there's not much else for people to do in the area."

She said the buildings were also used for research, and for people to use the computers and printers.

"It hurts to think of them being shut especially knowing the people that use them and the sort of things they use them for. It just seems so bonkers," she said.

"Without libraries mental health deteriorates, social cohesion deteriorates, literacy deteriorates and that will all have to be fixed in future."

Gwen Eyre is a supporter of the BookTrust a reading charity which aims to give millions of children in the UK access to books and has called on people to take part in the consultation.

"There's a frightening number of children that grow up with no books and it is the most vulnerable children that suffer when libraries close," she said.

"No-one can afford to buy all the books that children want to read which is where libraries come in."

The mum-of-two from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire said she has taken her children to the library at least once a week, every week when they were younger.

"It's not just a place where you can get books," she added.

"It is the computer access, printing access, having a newspaper which not everyone can buy. It's that one-stop shop for people.

"It will be the poorer families and those for whom English is not their first language who need the access more.

"The council should be shouting about how brilliant the libraries are. A lot of people don't realise they are for them or what they offer.

"We are supposed to be a City of Literature and it just seems to me to be shutting people off from a fundamental part of life - reading and knowledge."

Councillor Mellen said as a former teacher and headteacher he knew "only too well how vital it is to encourage reading from a young age and the part that libraries can play in that, especially in our disadvantaged communities".

He said the council had invested in other city libraries in recent years to encourage people to visit.

"We continue to value and invest in libraries where possible through different funding mechanisms - with plans for a new Central Library and Sherwood Library well under way," he added.

"I certainly didn't come into politics to close libraries, but we are facing a financial reality which requires incredibly difficult decisions to be made.

"There is no doubt that there has been a national decline in library usage over the last 10 years which has been mirrored in Nottingham, further accelerated by the pandemic. We therefore need to shape our library service to meet emerging and future needs."

Nottingham's Central Library has been closed for two years while a new library is built, however its opening has been delayed.

The council's consultation on the library closures runs until 24 April.

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].