Who'd have known?

The promotion of activities in Croydon libraries is sporadic, leaving some residents unaware of what our libraries have to offer.

 Where it works well it is often excellent.

Where it doesn't work it's poor indeed.

That's why we are encouraging residents to pass on information about any items of interest, as a group of Bradmore Green residents did regarding the Croydon History Talks in May, in order that we can promote them.

Here's just another example of a poorly advertised activity in a Croydon Library, on today, but not advertised on the council website....

 and only posted on a facebook page, a page liked by only 49 followers, late morning today.

Even those with access to the internet do not all have access to a Facebook account, as a Croydon resident reminded us, only last week.

Had we known of this activity we would have promoted it in good time.

Chris Cyrus and LoveLife 6958 do some amazing work. You can find details here of a previous event, along with clips of their work, here. This event was held as part of The Reading Agency's MyVoice Project, now renamed Reading Activists.

What a shame many who would be interested will not even know it is on. Do go along if you can.

Chris Cyrus and LoveLife6958

Thornton Heath Library

TODAY

3.30 - 5.30pm

Suitable for 12+

No need to book, just turn up!

And do keep sending us details of any activities you spot so we can promote them!

Local History talks to Celebrate Bradmore Green Library's 50th

A series of talks is being held at Bradmore Green Library in May, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its opening.

These talks are not yet advertised on the Council's listings of events but local residents are keen to promote them as they feel sure they will be very popular and may be of interest to Croydon residents from further afield. 

Bradmore Green Library is situated by the school on Bradmore Way (off Tollers Lane), Coulsdon, CR5 1PE.  A map of its location can he found here.

The No 60 bus service, links central and southern areas of the borough to Coulsdon.

If you know if an event or activity in any Croydon Library that might be of interest to others please provide us with details.  We'd be happy to promote it!

STOP PRESS! Wrong dates advertised!

You can only do what you can, big society and all that, but some councils seem determined to put every barrier in your way.  They just don't get it, do they?

Residents are being mislead and misinformed about events in Croydon libraries by haphazard, careless, some might even go as far to say a shambolic handling of the details and advertising.

The latest is that the Creative Writing Session advertised for tomorrow, Saturday 4th August, 2012 at Sanderstead Library is not on and has been moved!  The new date is now Tuesday, 7th August, 2012 from 3-4pm.

Saddened at the lack of promotion of Croydon libraries and of the activities run in them, we have done out utmost to promote the details.  It is not easy as Croydon Council, so proud to serve, refuses to release a list of library events to the campaign group or to individuals who request them.

A new blog, Teens4Libraries, has also sprung up, trying to promote libraries and library events, particularly  in Croydon libraries. They are tweeting about events in order to promote them as many library events are so poorly supported now as Croydon residents just don't know about them. They have been promoting this series of events via their blog and twitter.

If this date is incorrect, how many others are also? It is difficult not to trust information clearly advertised.

The actual poster, advertising the date.

Spot the mistake?  No.  We couldn't either.

And it is also clearly listed on the council's own website, at the top of the list, still visible today,  promoting the event on the wrong day too!

We fail to see how any resident could read this as an event actually being held on Tuesday, 7th August.

Can you?

Please let us know if you get details of events and we will promote them as libraries are important to the residents of Croydon.

MyVoice in Croydon Libraries!

The MyVoiceUK project, led by young people aged 11-19, has been running in Croydon for a little over a year now.  We only found out about it recently, but regularly attend the monthly meeting at Ashburton Library to organise library events, promote the use of local libraries and… eat pizza!

Last month we hosted a celebration of all the MyVoice UK work in Croydon so far, with a guest appearance of the Rap Poet Chris Syrus and LoveLife6958, who had worked with the MyVoice group in Croydon before we joined.

We also showed a video to summarise the work and events that had been organised by the MyVoice group in the last year, and interviewed some of the young people who participated in the running of the events. 






The Mayor of Croydon was unable to attend but the Deputy Mayor and his wife attended to show their support for the project. 

Unfortunately Liz Rose, the librarian who organises the MyVoice group, was ill on the day and unable to attend. I think she will be proud of what we achieved and we look forward to sharing our photos and videos with her.

Although the MyVoice project is not well advertised in Croydon, full details are on the Reading Agency site (where we discovered it!).


It is certainly a great opportunity for young people to get more involved in their libraries, and we personally feel that it is just a nice thing to do with your time. Hopefully the MyVoice group at Ashburton will soon be able to set up what some other MyVoice groups have done by setting up our own Twitter account, Tumblr site and Facebook page to better advertise what we do and what is on offer in our great Croydon Libraries!  Liz Rose, the librarian in charge of this project at Ashburton, is currently looking into this.

We would highly recommend trying it out at Ashburton Library. The next planning session will be held on Saturday 21^st April from 2.00pm to approximately 3.00pm, although it can run on much longer.  It is good fun and a great constructive thing to be doing with spare time!

To find out more or to get involved, get in touch with Ashburton Library’s Liz Rose by calling her on 020 8726 6900 or emailing her at Liz.H.Rose@croydon.gov.uk

We hope to see you there!


Amber and Poppy

You can find Croydon MyVoice on the Reading Agency site at http://www.myvoice.org.uk/croydon/ 
You can follow the Reading Agency MyVoice project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/myvoiceuk
and on Twitter @myvoiceUK and @readingagency

Croydon under fire for National Libraries Day

The Bookseller carries an article which mentions Croydon and its response to promoting National Libraries Day, which will be marked by libraries around the country, holding hundreds of special events. The full Bookseller article is here.

The Bookseller points out that some councils have come under fire for failing to schedule any special events for the day. Kent was the first authority to come under criticism, now followed by Croydon. We previously covered the Croydon story here.   

Again we have an unidentified spokesperson for the council making statements on behalf of the council, refuting the claims of Elizabeth Ash, a Croydon library campaigner, who spoke on behalf of the Save Croydon Libraries Campaign. The nameless official claimed that there were,

"a number of events taking place under the National Library Day banner this Saturday, including an author reading by Monica Carly and a Manga workshop by Chie Kutsuwada. Other events include Rhymetime and Storytime in several libraries." 

The campaign group sought to clarify the situation over the past month. The facts are:

•  residents across the borough reported they could find no information about any special events going on locally.
•  residents' enquiries to staff were met with the response they knew nothing of National Libraries Day, even as late as yesterday, just two days before National Libraries Day.
•  a resident who emailed an enquiry, some weeks back, when she could get no information in branch, still awaits a response.
• There is still no reference to National Libraries Day in any library or on the council website.
• The activities that the council claim are being run under the National Libraries Day banner are regular activities, run in any case. A look at the council's website will confirm this. There is no reference to National Libraries Day against these events either. In fact, if you compare this weekend with next, there are far more activities running next weekend than this.
• Manga workshops are part of the work undertaken by the MyVoice project in Croydon, funded by the Reading Agency, and have been running for some time.
• Cllr Sara Bashford, although taking up valuable time at this week's council meeting, regaling us with her tale of a long overdue book being returned, made no mention of National Libraries Day. She also made not even the most fleeting reference to National Libraries Day in her Cabinet member bulletin or in any of the written questions or her verbal responses given to a number of supplementary questions asked.

The only activity that might just be considered as an 'additional' event this weekend is the author, Monica Carly, reading from her second novel, The Golden Thread.  A search of the on line catalogue shows that only three of her books are held in Croydon Libraries.

  

Residents have also noticed that recent author events have offered the opportunity to purchase the books being promoted. Here is just one example.

And a search of the catalogue shows not a single copy of this book is held in any Croydon library.

As one resident remarked,

"It's hardly promoting the use of our libraries, is it!"  

If Croydon are planning to celebrate National Libraries Day tomorrow it highlights the colossal lack of effort that has been put into promoting the day or the events they purport to be running under the National Libraries Day banner. Even the staff themselves were unaware.  Quite shocking when you consider the effort going into National Libraries Day activities and their promotion elsewhere. 

Is it any wonder, given the evidence, that residents and campaigners doubt the word of yet again another nameless, faceless council spokesperson?

Author Events at Shirley Library in January 2012

There are two free talks by authors at Shirley library this month.

Monday 16th January, 2012 
11.30am-12.15pm


Holocaust survivor, author and historian, Agnes Grunwald-Spier, will give a talk about her life and experiences on . She will sell copies of her book, The Other Schindlers: Why Some People Chose to Save Jews in the Holocaust, following her talk. Spaces are limited so please book your place soon to avoid disappointment.


If you’d like tickets for this talk, drop in to Shirley Library or phone on 020 8726 6900 and ask for Shirley Library. Alternatively, you can email  shirley@croydon.gov.uk  - When booking you'll need to provide the names of those attending and a contact telephone for each person.

Details are under the events tab here: http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/library-events/ but not yet listed under the Shirley Library tab here: http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/croydonlibs/shirleylib

Tuesday 24th January 
2pm -3.15pm

Author Bobbie Darbyshire will give a talk about her books, the writing process and will be selling copies of her books, Truth Games and Love, Revenge and Buttered Scones, following her talk. Spaces are limited so please book your place soon to avoid disappointment.

If you’d like tickets for this talk, drop in to Shirley Library or phone on 020 8726 6900 and ask for Shirley Library. Alternatively, you can email  shirley@croydon.gov.uk  - When booking you'll need to provide the names of those attending and a contact telephone for each person.


Details are not yet listed under the events tab here: http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/library-events/, nor under the Shirley Library tab here: http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/croydonlibs/shirleylib




Please keep sending us details of events in Croydon libraries, particularly those that are difficult to locate.