The People's Library, Friern Barnet

Yes, Friern Barnet Library was shut last week, but it lives on, in spirit, in the community where it belongs. And today saw a the appearance of a brilliant idea: a pop up library - a people's library, organised by Mr Roger Tichborne, of the Barnet Eye, attended by a big crowd of local residents, bloggers, councillors and friends from all over the borough.

Mrs Angry has to go out now: proper blog later, in the meanwhile, here are some more photos:

Keith Martin, occupier & campaigner

swopping books at the People's Library

Roger Tichborne addresses the crowd

In homage to the Tooting Twister: all conveniences laid on, courtesy of the emergency services

blogger Mr Mustard and Unison secretary Mr John Burgess, who should have ironed his t shirt


Withdrawn: a hideous photo of two Barnet bloggers, with a present for Councillor Rams. See: this is why your mum always told you not to make faces, especially when someone has a camera in their hand. Actually, here is a funnier version, courtesy of A.N. Other blogger, who is a cheeky flipping monkey:

http://pinkhamwayincinerator.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/first-friern-barnet-pop-up-library.html

Dr Hines ran off with a Mills & Boon entitled 'Beth and the Barbarian' but has promised to pass it on to Mrs Angry, who will (eventually) pass it on to Robert Rams, with a special dedication.


here is a short clip of footage from today's event, stolen from the Barnet Eye:



Mrs Angry thought today's event was a huge success, and great fun, and it was so nice to meet so many virtual friends, and talk about what is happening here in our beloved borough of Broken Barnet.

A common theme of conversation was the unexpected consequences of the One Barnet agenda foisted on us by our Tory council.

The consensus is, unquestionably, that by mistake they have somehow strengthened the very thing they are trying to deconstruct: a sense of community.

Here is the real Big Society, people coming together and forming a form of resistance movement set on liberating the residents of this borough from the tyranny of Tory policies: a network of newly formed activists, rebels, non conformists. Look at them: they are just ordinary people: from old to young, from all classes and backgrounds, all united in one thing, an opposition to what is happening to their community.

The death of Friern Barnet library has acted as a catlyst for something lying dormant in so many residents' minds: a need to take action and oppose the reckless, self serving policies of the current council administration, and to wrest back control of the direction of our lives.

We don't want libraries and museums sold off to balance the books, while so much of our money is being diverted to pay for over paid and non productive consultants, and casual, non regulated commercial non compliant contracts with non compliant contractors, or elocution lessons for senior officers, or to subsidise free parking permits for Tory councillors. We pay for the council budget, and we will decide how our money is spent, thank you very much.

The People's Library will continue to take place on the greenspace next to the Library - until the developers move in to board it all off, of course. In the meanwhile, watch out for more iniatives and acts of resistance and civil disobedience from the residents of Broken Barnet.

Update: the Friern Barnet pop up library is featured in an article in the Independent on Sunday this morning:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keep-on-borrowing-libraries-refuse-to-die-7645949.html