Friends of Chineham Library was set up by a group of local people after a post was shared on social media about the Library Consultation and the possible closure of the library.
The Admins at Friends of Chineham Library (FOCL) are made up of Shane Bennett, Louise Skeats, Emily Daly, Tracy Hinnigan, Mark Butler and Jane Jocelyn who are all people from the local community who met online with a shared passion to save, improve and promote our library and are all active library users.
The group opposed a document from Hampshire County Council (HCC) to reduce provision of library services across the county, and specifically in Chineham and wider Basingstoke.
One of the proposals includes the closure of Chineham Library which would be detrimental to the community. Chineham Library is well used, much needed, and has potential for further growth in terms of users, creating income and supporting a vibrant and growing population.
They believe that the reduced services proposed would result in HCC failing to meet their statutory obligations to provide a comprehensive and efficient service. They believe that HCC have failed to follow their own research, guidance from Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), and their legal obligations.
They oppose the reduction of library services in Basingstoke and Deane. They specifically oppose the closure of or reduction in opening hours at Chineham Library and reject the concept of a third-party or independent community managed library.
As a result, HCC’s proposals and the associated consultation both give rise to a number of objections from the Friends of Chineham Library.
The Friends of Chineham proposals are:
- Give people a real choice about Hampshire Libraries’ spending
- Update rankings using amended analysis
- Give Friends of Chineham Library the opportunity to make Chineham more sustainable without withdrawing council support or funding.
CommunityAd spoke to Jane Jocelyn, one of the admins of the group, about the Friends of Chineham Library and how important the library is to the community.
How important is the library to the community and what can the community do to support and save the library against cuts?
The library is extremely important to the community, especially the younger and older members of the community. Over 55,000 children’s books are borrowed each year. The community can support the library by visiting the library regularly, encouraging people to join the library which is remarkably simple, you just need your name and address, and you get a card straightaway and can borrow books for every member of your household. There really is something for everyone at the library so if you have not been for a while, please plan a visit soon!
What do the Friends of Chineham Library do as a group and how have you campaigned?
Initially, the FOCL campaigned against the closure of our library. We made sure everyone was aware of the consultation document and that people had their say about our library’s future. We explained exactly what the responses to ambiguous questions in the consultation meant. We organised a poster competition and displayed more than 300 entries in Tesco’s windows. This was supported by all the local schools. The competition was later judged by local artist Emma Vallis of My Tiny Gallery. We organised rallies and kept the campaign in the local press (Basingstoke Gazette, Basingstoke Observer). On 4th February we organised the ‘Big Read In’ and ITV Meridian broadcast the event on the evening news. We have attended meetings, lobbied MPs and County Councillors.
How have cuts to the library affected opening hours/availability and how will cuts over the next four years affect the library?
The library remains open however the opening hours have been cut by a day and a half. Part of the library building has now rented out part of the building to The Schools Library Service (SLS) which should make Chineham Library economically viable, however, it does mean the library is now smaller. The library is still in danger of future cuts and closures, and this will be reviewed again in four years’ time by which time we are hoping to have increased usage.
What is FOCL working on in 2021?
We are working with the Hampshire Library Team to improve the visual appeal of the library including layout, outside area, signage and advertisement and we have discussed improving the children’s area and new seating has now been purchased. The library team are also hoping to open up popular groups again such as Rhyme Time, Coding Club and Book Clubs.