Campaign targets council with spoof book covers
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to Save Whiteinch Library have been getting creative in their protests. On the railings outside the library, they have turned book covers into items of protest by altering the titles to target senior figures at Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life.
The book covers are aimed at the top politicians and officials in both organisations.
They include Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council.
The campaigners have mocked up a Penguin Classic cover of The Department of Dead Ends and changed the author from Roy Vickers to Aitken.
Others getting the same treatment include Bridget McConnell, chief executive of Glasgow Life, who is the subject of the spoof cover Ways of Sinning. David McDonald, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of Glasgow Life, is also featured as The Complete (M)Angler.
Other famous books have been used to illustrate the protesters’ point.
George Orwell’s 1984 has the subheading of “we did try to warn you” added.
While famous Glaswegians have been utilised.
Jimmy Reid, who spoke of the importance of libraries in his life, is also invoked.
A book about the Clydeside socialist named A Clyde Built Man has been added to with “turning in his grave”.
As well as a number of homemade signs attached to the library railings there are quotes on the benefits of libraries from famous people, present and historical.
A quote from Billy Connolly:
“I hear people saying that football or rock n roll is the escape for the working classes.
“No, it’s not, the library is the escape, that’s where the tunnel is.
“You’ve access to the great brains of the world and it’s free.”
This week, Aitken wrote in the Glasgow Times about the Maryhill and Whiteinch libraries and said that libraries could be moved to community hubs and new uses found for the existing buildings.
She said: “Neither services nor buildings are being abandoned.
“Indeed, back in August I stated that innovative solutions would be needed to overcome Covid’s challenges, including re-imagining some public libraries through the development of community hubs.”