Fundraising success

Over a year ago now, we held a fundraising gig to raise money to support Arbury Library. The evening, which featured local bands Sugarbeat and Swamp Truck, was a great success, and we raised over £700. It's been some time in the organising, but we're now able to tell you how that money has helped the library.

When we first set about organising the benefit, there was an unclear future for the popular Storytime sessions, which regularly run in the library for two to five-year-olds. We initially planned to use the cash to keep Storytime running, but we're delighted to say that funding has continued for this service, meaning we were able to spend the cash elsewhere. However, because we originally put the gig together to support this service for children, we thought it was important that the bulk of the money went to support the children's area of the library.

Over the last few months, we've been able to purchase:

• three sets of books for the Read it Again! programme
• several new poufs for the children's section to replace some of those that were worn out
• a large 'dragon' rug for the children's section
• noticeboards for the library entrance, so staff can display notices outside of opening hours

There's a little left in the kitty to help support the library in future, and we may well be looking to top this up with other events further down the line. We'll use this space to tell you about these as and when they happen.

If you're a regular visitor to the library, and especially if you have children, you may well have spotted some of these new additions. We wouldn't have been able to fund these items without those of you who helped us raise the money in the first place, including everyone who turned up to the gig and of course the bands who gave up their time to help make the night a success. Thank you!

National Libraries Day: use it or lose it!

This Saturday is National Libraries Day, part of a celebration of libraries all over the UK - and that seems like the perfect time to remind people to pay a visit to Arbury Court Library... or better still, join us for a protest!

In recent months our library has seen its share of cuts, yet it remains a valuable space at the heart of our community, with friendly, helpful staff, a range of books for children and adults, computer facilities and a host of other resources. Sadly, as recent media reports have shown, visitor numbers have dropped in the last year from 42,000 a year to 30,000 - at the same time as its budget, opening hours and staff numbers have all been reduced.

We know our community loves its library and wants it to stay - that was proved in 2010, when hundreds of you signed a petition to protect the branch, and again just last month when gig-goers helped us raise more than £800 for the library at two events. Now we're calling on people to help the library again, in one of two ways:

1. Join us on National Libraries Day for a protest against the recent cuts to our library provision. FOAL members will gather outside the library at 10.30am on Saturday 9 February to make our voices heard, and we'd love to see you there too.
2. Pay Arbury Court Library a visit. The more people walk through its doors, the better we can show just how loved and needed it is, and the stronger our case is for protecting it. As the age-old saying goes: use it or lose it!

FOAL is currently exploring ways to use our recently-raised funds to add extra facilities to enhance the library, and we look forward to sharing those with you soon. In the meantime, why not use National Libraries Day as a reason to pop in and see what it already has to offer? The branch is open from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, or for a full list of opening hours, visit Cambridgeshire County Council's website.

Fundraiser with Sugarbeat and Swamp Truck, 18 January

We're very proud to be hosting a corker of a fundraising gig this month with two great local bands, Sugarbeat and Swamp Truck. All profits from the event, which takes place on Friday 18 January at the Portland Arms, will go to support activities at Arbury Court Library.

Sugarbeat are Cambridge's premier punk pop covers band, playing foot-stomping classics including anything from The Sonics to Ceelo Green via The Buzzcocks, Talking Heads, Orange Juice, The Killers and Miles Kane - guaranteed to get people dancing. Southern rockers Swamp Truck are a Cambridge-based five-piece playing good time tunes from the likes of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and Steelers Wheel. Expect a night of cracking tunes and great fun, and all in support of your favourite library.

The gig starts at 7.30pm on Friday 18 January at the Portland Arms in Chesterton Road, Cambridge. Tickets cost £5 and can be bought on the door or in advance from www.greenmind.co.uk. We look forward to seeing you there!

Uncover the secrets of science at Arbury Court Library

A hands-on science exhibition is to visit Arbury Court Library this summer.

Visitors will have the chance to explore the secrets of light, electricity, magnetism and the microscopic world as part of Science Lab, a touring exhibit that will be hosted at the branch from 11-30 August.

The exhibition, which also includes a series of science shows and workshops, will also visit ten other libraries in the county as part of a project from The Cambridge Science Centre and Cambridgeshire Libraries.

To find out more about the project, visit the Science Lab website - and to help plan your visit, you can check Arbury Court Library's opening times here.

Arbury Carnival: we need your books!

The Friends of Arbury Library will once again be running a book stall at Arbury Carnival this year.

If you have any second-hand books you would like to donate for the stall, please get in touch on thefriendsofarburylibrary@gmail.com. Children's books would be especially welcome!

If you're attending the carnival, which takes place on Saturday 9 June, please drop in at our stall and say hello. For more information about the event visit www.arburycarnival.org

Strawberry Fair Launch First Slam Poetry Competition For Age 13 - 25 Across Cambridgeshire

STRAWBERRY SLAM POETRY COMPETITION:
www.strawberry-slam.org.uk

Strawberry Fair has launched the first poetry slam competition for young people age 13 - 25 from across Cambridgeshire.  The competition is free to enter and prizes include a prime performance slot at the Fair and opportunities to be mentored by critically acclaimed poets.

If you write poetry, love poetry and want to share your poetry, then we would love to hear from you.  You can use beatbox, rap, mc-ing, polyvocal or acapella, as well as poetry and spoken word.  All you need to do to enter is:

1. Go to www.strawberry-slam.org.uk
2. Follow the instructions to post a clip of yourself reading or reciting your poem.
3. Wait to hear whether you have been selected as one of 12 finalists to go through to compete in the Strawberry Slam final on Saturday 2 June.

Deadline for entries: Saturday 26 May 2012

The entries will be judged by five professional poets from London’s Point Blank Poets Collective and the 12 finalists will be announced on Tuesday 29 May.  The final will be held in the brand new Strawberry Slam stage at the Fair on Saturday 2 June, 7 - 10pm.  The Slam will be hosted by the formidable Hollie McNish (a former UK Slam Poetry Champion) and emcee Inja, with guest performances from renowned spoken word artists Bridget Minamore, Sabrina Mahfouz, Dean Atta and Deanna Rodger.

Competition Rules:    

• Entrants must be aged 13 – 25 years
• Poems must be your own work.
• Poems must be no longer than 2 minutes in length when read aloud
• You can enter in groups / crews as well as on your own (up to five people allowed in a group)
• You can use beatbox, rap, mc-ing, polyvocal and acapella, as well as poetry and spoken word
• You can read your poetry from the page or recite it from heart
• You must be available on 2 June 2010, 7 – 8.30pm to compete in the final Strawberry Slam.

To find out more visit www.strawberry-slam.org.uk or get in touch with amy@strawberry-fair.org.uk

Public meeting & AGM: Wed 29 Feb

Users of Arbury Court Library are invited to attend a public meeting to discuss the library’s future next week.

The meeting – titled ‘What next for our Library?’ – will take place at Arbury Community Centre on Wednesday, 29 February at 7pm.

Speakers include Christine May, Head of Cambridgeshire Libraries, and Ben Slade, Principal of the Manor School.

The public meeting will be followed by FOAL’s annual general meeting, and anyone who wishes to join the group will be able to sign up on the night.

National Libraries Day, 4 February 2012

Friends of Arbury Library is backing a county-wide library membership drive to coincide with National Libraries Day this weekend.

Cambridgeshire County Council is asking existing borrowers to bring a friend to their local library branch on Saturday 4 February, to show them what they are missing out on and encourage them to join.

FOAL supports this initiative and would encourage anyone to drop into Arbury Court Library on Saturday, to see for themselves why its users love it so much. The library is open on Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

National Libraries Day is devoted to celebrating all types of libraries, library users, staff and supporters across the UK. For more  information on the nationwide event, visit http://nationallibrariesday.org.uk

• All users of Arbury Court Library are invited FOAL’s Public Meeting & AGM, which takes place at Arbury Community Centre on Wednesday February 29 at 7pm. Speakers will include Christine May, Head of Cambridgeshire Libraries and Ben Slade, Principal of The Manor School

Winner Gets A Bit Lost In Doddington

Thousands of children voted in a close run competition to name the winner of the Read it Again! Cambridgeshire Children's Picture Book Award.

A special presentation was held at Doddington, yesterday, to announce author Chris Haughton (Walker Books) winner of the award for his book 'A Bit Lost' - a delightful and witty story about a little owl who falls out of a nest and is just "a bit lost".

Chris received the award from last year's winner, Amy Husband at the special presentation event held at Doddington Village Hall and attended by nearly 200 children from local schools.

"Read it Again!" is a unique award for a first time picture book where the words and pictures are the work of one individual. It is run by Cambridgeshire County Council and judged solely by children who live or go to school in Cambridgeshire

This year, over 5,600 children from 48 local schools and 8 children's reading groups took part in the voting and it was the closest finish ever.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor David Harty, Cabinet Member for Learning, said; "This was the sixth year we have hosted "Read it Again!" and it was probably our strongest shortlist ever. This was borne out by the fact that all eight titles on the shortlist received hundreds of votes with the top three titles each exceeding 1,000 votes. "Read it Again! encourages children to read, explore and discuss picture books and promotes exciting new talent in the world of children's books."

Authors and books shortlisted:

"Magpie's Treasure" by Kate Slater [Andersen]
"The Wychwood Fairies" by Faye Durston [Macmillan]
"Not Me!" by Nicola Killen [Egmont]
"Birdsong" by Ellie Sandall [Egmont]
"The Talent Show" by Jo Hodgkinson [Andersen]
"Immi" by Karin Littlewood [Gullane]
"Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza" [Andersen]

Roll Up Roll Up For All The Fun Of The Circus At Your Local Library

This summer, libraries throughout Cambridgeshire will be hosting the "Circus Stars" summer reading challenge, a great way too keep children reading during the summer holidays.

Last year over six thousand Cambridgeshire children took part in the "Space Hop" reading challenge with over half receiving medals and certificates.

Libraries take part in the highly successful reading challenge as pat of Cambridgeshire County Council's drive to encourage more children to use libraries and enjoy reading.

Children of all ages up to 12 years can enroll at their local library from July 23rd. They will receive a free Circus Stars 3D folder including a membership card and stickers.

Throughout the summer, they will be challenged to read at least six books and to record the details in their folder. For each book they read, they will be awarded stickers [some with scratch and sniff panels!] to decorate their folder.

Most libraries will also be offering special sessions where children can talk to staff about what they have been reading and enjoying and get new reading ideas.

Children may read any kind of books picture books, story books, information books, poetry, joke books or listen to stories on CD. Very young children can read with their parents or carers, older children can challenge themselves with books they have never tried before.

All children who complete the challenge will receive a medal and certificate at special presentation ceremonies.

Every year the Challenge has a new theme. Last year's "Space Hop" challenge had a theme of space travel.

This year's theme has a fun circus theme featuring acrobats and jugglers. There is also a website offering children an exciting fusion of reading and IT with games and blogs from some of their favourite authors.

Cambridgeshire County Council David Harty, Cabinet Member for Learning, said: "The Summer Reading Challenge is a great example of how Cambridgeshire County Council libraries are supporting reading in new ways. The challenge has seen thousands of children taking part and gaining medals but more importantly enjoying reading and using the library. It combines free access to books with social activities and is a proven way of helping children overcome the summer learning dip, sending them back to school really positive about reading."

Novel Children's Awards Turn Over A New Leaf

The winner of the sixth "Read it Again!" Cambridgeshire Children's Picture Book Award will be announced at a special presentation event at Doddington next month.

Around 4,000 children are due to vote in the unique awards which is for first time author illustrators and is judged solely by Cambridgeshire youngsters.

Children in schools, libraries and reading groups across the county have been reading and discussing the 8 books on the shortlist before voting for their favourite.

The ceremony will take place at Doddington Village Hall on Wednesday, 13 July, between 12.45pm and 2.30pm.

Children's Services Manager for Cambridgeshire Libraries Richard Young who devised the award said: "Read it Again! is incredibly popular with children and teachers. By the end of June, around 4,000 local children will have taken part. One teacher described it as the best literacy project she has ever worked on with her pupils. This year's list is one of the strongest ever with eight outstanding books, all very different, and all gathering lots of votes. Three of the shortlisted authors studied at the Cambridge School of Art."

Cambridgeshire County Councillor David Harty, Cabinet Member for Learning, said: "Encouraging children to read and take an active role in looking at and thinking about books is very important. This is why we encourage children to use our libraries and see reading as fun."

Besides delighting thousands of children by introducing them to exciting new books, "Read it Again!" provides feedback for the authors, with many pupils contacting them via letter or e-mail with their thoughts and questions. "How long did it take you to do the pictures?" and "Where did you get the idea from?" being the most frequently asked questions. Many lucky children have already met some of the authors at special events organised by Waterstones bookshop in Cambridge.

The award presentation will take place in front of an invited audience of around 200 school children and local councillors. The award trophy has been generously sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Wisbech and March.

The shortlist:

"Immi" by Karin Littlewood"
"The Talent Show" by Jo Hodgkinson
"Not Me!" by Nicola Killen
"The Wychwood Fairies" by Faye Durston
"A Bit Lost" by Chris Haughton
"Magpie's Treasure" by Kate Slater
"Annie Hoot and the Knitting Extravaganza" by Holly Clifton Brown
"Birdsong" by Ellie Sandall

Prizes for poetry competition winners

Prizes have been handed out to the winners of a poetry competition at Arbury Court Library.

Three poets – Elias Acevedo, 8, Maria Dixon, 14 and Karen Rodgers, 45 – each took home a book token and a framed copy of their work at a prize-giving ceremony at the library this morning. The prizes were given out during the library’s popular Story Club session.

The competition was organised by Friends of Arbury Library (FOAL) member William Brown, and was judged by Mr Brown together with children’s author Paul Shipton (also a FOAL member) and staff at the library. You can scroll down to read the full text of the winning poems.

Mr Brown said: “We had such a high standard of entries that judging the competition was an almost impossible task. We were delighted to see so many people, children and adults, taking part and showing their creative sides. Although we could only pick three winners in the end, everyone who entered the competition is a winner in our eyes.”

Cook Book

Elias Acevedo, age 8

I got a hook

and on the hook

there was a book

and in the book

was how to cook

I took a look

and now

I can cook!

Please help save my library

Maria Dixon, age 14 

Please help save my library

It means so much to me.

Without it, I'd never have known

Tweedledum or Tweedledee.

I would not know What Katy Did 

Or Where The Wild Things Are,

I'd have no clue where Hogwarts was

Or why Frodo journeyed far.

I'd have no fiction friends you see,

No Sherlock Holmes or Baloo the Bear,

Without my books, I would be lost,

Plus, the library's always been there.

I don't want to lose my library,

I love it so dearly.

So please help save my library,

it means so much to me!

The Sanctuary

Karen Rodgers, age 451/2

In the streets it's such a riot

Where in the world can you go to be quiet?

Radios blaring, great screens glaring,

people staring: "what are you wearing?"

People lonely, but nobody caring,

no-one to ask how the old lady's faring.

Where can you go to share a story,

to reflect on life in all of its glory?

Where can you go, where people know you,

where you can share a joke, a recipe too?

Where can you go where you know you'll find

both company and something to stretch your mind?

Is there anywhere left in this whole busy town

where you can go to slow it all down?

Well, there's one place left where it's quiet and sane,

Where the colours are real and they know you by name;

where you can sit for a while, lost in wonder

where you've time to admire, to think and to ponder.

Entranced by myths and lulled by verse,

without having to overstrain the purse.

One sane place left in this whole crazy town,

please don't close our library down.  

Opening hours consultation

Cambridgeshire County Council is currently running a consultation on the opening hours for Arbury Court Library and other branches in the county.

The proposal is to reduce the opening hours to 27 hours a week (from 32.5 hours a week). This reduction is around 17%, substantially more than overall reduction of 7% being proposed for the entire service. Despite claims that 'more popular Saturday opening hours' are to be retained, the proposal would also see the library close at 1pm on a Saturday instead of the current time of 3pm.

The consultation can be completed online and must be filled out by Saturday, June 18. We  urge everyone to use the questionnaire to make their views known before the deadline.

Further information – including a printable PDF of the questionnaire, and a letter from the Head of Libraries to local Councillor and Friends member Andy Pellew – can be found on Cllr Pellew’s blog. More information is also available on the county council’s website.

Public meetings in May

More public meetings are scheduled this month at libraries that are currently 'under review' as part of Cambridgeshire County Council's Library Service Review.

Among the dates is a meeting to discuss the future of Milton Road Library, the closest branch to Arbury Court - while meetings are also due to be held at Bar Hill, Cottenham, Comberton, Warboys and Yaxley.

The branches are currently under review, with the council exploring whether they could become multi-agency 'community hubs' or volunteer-run Library Access Points. The threat of closure if savings cannot be found still remains for these branches. Friends of Arbury Library is offering full support for these libraries, and encourages anyone concerned about cuts to attend these meetings and make their views known. The dates are as follows:

• Cottenham Library - meeting at Cottenham Village College on Tue 10 May, 7-9pm
• Warboys Library - meeting at the Parish Centre, Warboys on Wed 11 May, 7.30-9.30pm
  
• Bar Hill Library - meeting at Bar Hill Church on Thu 12 May, 7-9pm
• Milton Road Library - meeting at St Lawrence Church, Milton Rd, Cambridge on Mon 16 May, 7-9pm
• Comberton Library - meeting at Comberton Village Hall on Wed 25 May, 7-9pm
• Yaxley Library - meeting at Queen's Park Pavilion, Yaxley on Thu 26 May, 7-9pm

Meanwhile, there are currently more than 2,000 signatures to the petition to Save Cambridgeshire Libraries, but we need more - please sign if you haven't already, and pass the link on to others.

North Area Committee and public meeting dates

Residents will have the chance to discuss plans for Arbury Court and Milton Road libraries at a city council meeting this week.

Cambridge City Council's North Area Committee will be talking about the plans, which are being developed by Cambridgeshire County Council, at its meeting on Thursday, 24 March at Manor Community College. The debate is part of the meeting's 'community forum', meaning residents will have the chance to add their voices to the debate. The main meeting is due to start at 7.30pm.

Meanwhile the county council has scheduled a series of public meetings on its proposals over the next few months, including the following dates:

• Cambridge Central Library: Monday, 28 March, 7.30-9.30pm
• Orchard Park Community Centre, Cambridge: Wednesday, 4 May, 7.30-9.30pm

Details of all the planned public meetings, including those to discuss the 13 libraries currently under review, are available on the council website.

Petition to Save Cambridgeshire Libraries

A new petition has been launched to stand up for Cambridgeshire's library service. The text of the online petition reads:

"We the undersigned call upon Cambridgeshire County Council to reject proposals to close libraries or to replace the existing professional service with a reduced service run by volunteers. We believe that libraries are a vital part of the community."

If you live, work or own a business in Cambridgeshire, please sign the petition and pass the link on.

Legislation review - have your say

Is the legal protection for libraries under threat?

While people up and down the country are campaigning to protect library services, central Government has launched a review of legal duties that 'may create unnecessary burdens' on local authorities - including the duty to provide a 'comprehensive and efficient' library service. The public can comment on the review, and it's vital that we let the Government know that legal protection for libraries is essential.

Currently, the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 says public libraries are a statutory service. Local authorities have a duty to provide libraries and promote them, and may not charge people to use a library or to borrow books. Where changes to a library service could be illegal, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has a duty to step in.

But this week the Government launched a review of 1,294 statutory duties placed on local government, asking the public to tell them which legal duties are 'burdensome or no longer needed'. Among the hundreds of duties under review are three relating to library provision:

1. The duty to provide information and facilities for the inspection of library premises, stocks, records, as the Secretary of State requires (reference number DCMS_026)
2. The duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service (reference number DCMS_027)
3. Supplemental provisions as to transfers of officers, assets and liabilities (this provides, for example, continuity of employment for transferring employees) (reference number DCMS_028)

The consultation closes on April 25, and you can comment using this online survey. The survey asks you to quote the reference numbers of each duty you wish to comment on (see above for these). We'd urge people to take part in the consultation and let the Government know why libraries need to be protected.

Save Cambridgeshire Libraries campaign

While our Friends group has been campaigning for the future of Arbury Court library, people across the county have been galvanised by the library service review and are standing up for services all over Cambridgeshire. Now anyone interested in showing their support for Cambridgeshire's library service as a whole can stay up to date by joining the new Save Cambridgeshire Libraries group over on Facebook. The page also includes a report of last week's meeting at Rock Road Library in Cambridge.

Arbury's branch is just one of 25 community branches in the county - not counting hub libraries and the mobile library service that is relied on by so many in rural communities. It goes without saying that the closure of any one of those libraries would have an impact on those that remain open - and even if all libraries stay open, cuts of £3.2m mean anyone who uses the library service in the county is likely to see a change.

We'd encourage anyone to join the group - and for fans of Facebook, you can also stay up to date with the latest news from FOAL at our own page.

Two public meetings this week - Rock Road and Milton Road

Two public meetings at Cambridge libraries this week will give users a chance discuss ways of safeguarding the future of their branches. Friends of Rock Road Library will host a meeting at their branch on Wednesday, 2 March while Chesterton Community Association will hold a meeting about the future of Milton Road Library on Friday, 4 March.

Rock Road Library, Rock Rd

Wednesday 2 March

7.30-9pm

St Andrew's Hall, St Andrew's Rd, Chesterton

Friday 4 March

doors open 7.15pm 

meeting from 7.45-9.15pm

Those wishing to attend on Friday should email enquiries@mycca.org.uk to help them cater for expected numbers. If you have a particular question or point you want to raise, please send it in advance to the same address.

As we've previously reported, both branches are on a list of 13 currently under review by Cambridgeshire County Council. Ideas being explored include joining with other services to become 'multi-agency community hubs', or becoming volunteer-run Library Access Points. The council says some libraries could close 'if sufficient savings cannot be found'.

Although Arbury Court Library is not on the list of branches currently under review, we remain concerned about the impact of the planned cuts and changes on the library service as a whole. We urge anyone concerned about the future of these branches to attend these meetings.

Public meeting at Rock Road Library: March 2

Users of Rock Road Library in Cambridge will have the chance to discuss the planned library cuts at a public meeting at the branch this week. The meeting will focus on those using the Rock Road branch, but everyone is welcome. 

The details are as follows (from Friends of Rock Road Library):

"There will be a meeting on Wednesday, 2 March at Rock Road Library, to discuss the planned cuts and possible changes in the library service. The aim will also be to work out what we can do to help safeguard the future of Rock Road Library and keep our local library going.

"The meeting will be from 7.30-9pm and will be attended by Councillors Tariq Sadiq (Coleridge Ward, Labour, County Councillor) and Geoff Heathcock (Queen Edith's Ward , Liberal Democrat, County Councillor). We have also invited Christine May, who is Acting Head of Libraries, Archives and Information, Cambridgeshire County Council, and who was very informative at the meeting we held back in August 2010."