We’re not going without a fight say locals battling for library
THEY FEAR THEIR BUILDING WILL FALL PREY TO CITY COUNCIL CUTBACKS
FAMILIES from across an area of Nottingham have come together to campaign for their under-threat library.
Nottingham City Council said it would review its libraries as part of sweeping cuts to services, with its leader acknowledging closing some would be inevitable.
One of those that could potentially close is the Meadows Library in Wilford Grove. Around 50 protesters went on a march through the area on Thursday, calling on the authority to “save our library”.
The city council said it would start a public consultation over the future of its libraries in April.
Margo Bohacz, an activist in the Meadows, said the march from the Embankment to the library shows “we won’t let it go without a fight”.
“We just wanted to do this to say we’re not going down quietly,” said the 49-year-old. “The library is 100 years old this year, we should be celebrating, not thinking it’s going to be closed down.
Closing it would have a massive effect. Children go daily and elderly groups do sewing. Margo Bohacz
“I think closing it would have a massive effect. Children go daily and elderly groups do sewing. It will be missed. “We’re such a multi-cultural area and people use it to learn English. It’s the perfect place to socialise.” Ms Bohacz said she feared the Meadows Library would be one of the first for the chop due to its close proximity to the new Central Library
“Even though we’ve got the big new library some people can’t get there and it hasn’t got the community feel,” she said.
“I think they will think because we’re so close we can access that but we can’t.”
A spokesperson for the city council said: “Libraries staff are working really hard to establish how the budget savings across the department can be delivered for the benefit of library users.
“While we can’t at this point commit on the extent of service changes that will be experienced in order to implement these savings, we are developing ways to protect provision and maintain a comprehensive and efficient service for our communities across Nottingham. There will be further consultation starting later in April, and lasting 12 weeks, so that we can shape how the libraries saving can be delivered with the views of the public taken into consideration.”
Three libraries – in Basford, Aspley and Radford – were saved from closing in 2023 after campaigns to retain them.