'Broken Barnet' and 'Citizen Barnet': "The library that refused to die: Friern Barnet, and the fight to keep it open"

Link to Mrs Angry's 'Broken Barnet'

"Tory Councillor Kate Salinger sat down at the table facing the Barnet Council scrutiny committee, and addressed the subject of the decision to close her local public library in Friern Barnet.

"...  She told us that only two years ago she had been assured that Friern Barnet Library would not be closed.

"...  Why must the library close? She could see no good reason. Send the decision back to Cabinet she demanded - or at the very least, keep it going until the new services promised in the Arts Depot were ready.

"She received thunderous applause from the residents in the public seating, of course.

"This was where the rebellion began."

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Link to web site
and list of links

"Barnet council's scrutiny committee last night voted to refer back the decision to close Friern Barnet library to the next Cabinet meeting on 4 April, and recommended that the library stay open at least until the promised replacement is up and running at the Arts Depot. The library had been due to close on 31 March. Rams was just about persuaded to keep the library open until 4 April until its fate is revisited!

The Save Friern Barnet Library campaign's announcement [begins]:

"Dear all,

I am delighted to be able to report that at last night's Business Management Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Committee members voted to send the report back to Cabinet for further consideration, with the recommendation that the Cabinet keep Friern Barnet Library open until such time as comparable facilities are available at the Arts Depot. The decision by Committee members was unanimous."