Old documents could be used in bid to save Aberdeen library

A campaigner fighting to save a library from closure has uncovered a letter from the original benefactor which he believes could help his cause.

Hayden Lorimer wants to stop Aberdeen City Council shutting Woodside Library.

It is one of six earmarked for closure by the council as part of plans to save an estimated £280,000.

Mr Lorimer says the documents dated 1883 and 1929 set out conditions for the building's future and could form the basis of a legal challenge.

He hopes the information could be used to help reverse the closure decision.

The council said it could not comment.

One letter written by the original benefactor Sir John Anderson dates back to February 1883.

In the text, Sir John writes to the Woodside Library Trust about the need to protect it from "ruthless hands which do not care for any of the things that have been or will be referred to in this memorandum may be prevented from some day trying to upset all our good intentions".

A legal petition from June 1929 also sets out conditions for the building's future.

Mr Lorimer, a local resident and member of the Save Woodside Library campaign, said he spent time looking at the archives at the city's Central Library and found the "interesting" material.

"There is a remarkable 116-page letter written by the original benefactor Sir John Anderson, to whom we're indebted for the establishment of Woodside Library," he told BBC Scotland.

"As you can imagine he manages to set down, at some length, some very particular conditions for how the library should be set up and also how it should be protected.

"I'm paraphrasing here, but what he speaks about is 'the threat of ruthless hands in the future' not valuing the library in the way that he wishes it to be.

"Clearly, 140 years later we can see that he was something of a soothsayer. The dismal plan for library closures is one that Sir John Anderson would appear to have anticipated."

He also found a petition dating from 1929 about the formal transfer of Woodside Library into the charge of Aberdeen Town Council and its library service.

Mr Lorimer said: "I'm no legal scholar, however, in the appendices of that petition there are particular protections and provisions put in place by Sir John Anderson that were respected in the 1929 transfer whereby Woodside library and its future have to be protected by the town, or city council and moreover that should any future be envisaged for that library, the building or the land, then that would be potentially subject to challenge.

"That is the information that we're looking at at the moment because it seems to present us with a possible stateable case to challenge the closure plan for Woodside."

On the decision to close Woodside Library, Mr Lorimer said he was "absolutely taken aback".

He explained: "Like so many people in this area it's been part of our family story. My son, who has now left school, learned to read with books borrowed from Woodside library.

"I have been a regular book borrower and a regular user of the library across all of those years and it's really shocking and saddening to imagine the disappearance of a building from the heart of the community.

"There's no question that our library continues to be a hub, not just for book borrowers but for all sorts of people seeking connection, company, learning, language, warmth, safety, so many things that a library can offer."

Aberdeen City Council said in a statement: "We are unable to comment on any possible legal action."

Libraries in Ferryhill, Cults, Cornhill, Kaimhill and Northfield are also set to close.

The SNP/Lib Dem administration's spending plans were passed on 1 March.

A partnership statement earlier this month said: "Sadly, as part of the council being required to save around £47m, the difficult decision was made to close six libraries. The closures are happening on 1 April.

"People will still be able to use our library services at 10 branch libraries in locations across the city, Central Library in the city centre, or via our website."

The Save Aberdeen Libraries group has organised a demonstration at Marischal College on Saturday at 14:30 as part of the effort to stop the six closing.