Dear Friends,

Here is our Summer Newsletter with all the Latest on what is going on with the Friends of the Library.

One important piece of work has now been completed and we now have a new Constitution for the Friends of Burnham Library.  As you will know we are part of Burnham Community Association and to enable the Association to operate more effectively, especially to enter into contracts such as the lease for the Village Information Point, it has become a charitable company, which limits the liability of the Directors and members as well as a registered charity.  To meet the requirements of the Companies Act and the Charities Commission, it has been necessary to re-visit the constitution of all the committees of BCA and draw up compatible versions.  

Now, some good news.  The Library is now open from 9.30am each morning, Tuesday to Friday, returning to the opening hours we last enjoyed before the economy regime reduced them a number of years ago.  This is being done with both staff and volunteers.  We do need some more volunteers to take on Library tasks, so if you or anyone you know might be interested, please ask then to speak to our Library Manager, Sue Lemon.  The second piece of good news is that we raised over £1000 for the funds over the Bank Holiday weekend, with over 100 people attending our annual quiz and record sales on our cake sale and café. 

The Poetry Group is now established and meeting regularly under the guidance of Christine Webb and will be an important part of the cultural life of the Library.

Our next venture is the Computer and Technology Literacy Group and this will have two completely free “Taster Sessions” on Tuesday 10th June at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.  We have been very fortunate to obtain the assistance of Martin Carter of Haymill Computers, who is an experienced electronics engineer, with a long history of working in the computer industry.  The intention of the group is to help all those who have purchased computers and related technology and want to get the best out of their purchase.  So come along and find out more and help to fashion the way the group works and the subject matter which could be covered.

In addition, we have three further events in the Calendar.   Age UK are holding a fund raising drive in aid of their programme to help lonely older people and have asked for organisations to organise events.  Under the banner of The Big Chinwag, The Friends and Library staff have decided to run a coffee morning in the library, not only to raise fund for this project, but also to offer an opportunity for people who live alone to come along and have a chinwag with the people supporting the event. This will be held on 20th June from 10am to midday.  We have also been fortunate in gaining the support of Burnham Health Promotion Trust who will try to organise transport for anyone who has difficulties in getting to the Library – telephone 01628 661441.

The Second event is a fundraising effort as we have decided to take a stall at the new Burnham Food Festival to be held in and around Burnham Park Hall on Sunday 29th June from Midday to 5.00pm.  It is shaping up to be a “must attend” event with around 50 stalls, a live cookery demonstration, children’s entertainment and Food, food , food.!  We will be selling bread, cakes, savouries, marmalade and cookery books as well as doing a little bit of recruitment!.  We are taking an outside plot using the Library Gazebo so are looking for help to set this up in the morning and to help on sales during the afternoon.  In addition any donations of bread cakes, or savouries will be more than welcome.  If you can help in any way, please let me know, or tell Library Staff know, the next time you are in the Library.

Each year, the Library has a Summer Reading Challenge for children which ends with a party sponsored by the Friends.  This year this will take place on Tuesday 23rd September at 4.30pm.   More details in due course.

After some discussion, the Committee has decided not to go ahead with the Big Draw event which we had pencilled in for October.  Given the time we have available and the absence of some key members on holiday, it was felt that the time was too short to raise the funding and organise the event to ensure it was successful.  We will have some other and smaller events being organised but the big decision is that we will be having a full blown Arts festival in 2015 and organisation will start for this over the next few months.  We have also announced that in April next year, we will be repeating the very successful Healthy Living week and planning for this will also start soon.   We always need volunteers to contribute to the planning and organisation of these events so if you would like to be involved in these projects or to find out more, then please email me at [email protected] or let Library Staff know.

The Committee has taken the decision to purchase another tranche of books for the Library, so if you have any particular thoughts about what you would like to see on the shelves please let us know.

In addition, we have just made the first purchases for children’s activities in the Library, using some of the grant from the Land Securities money allocated to us by the Parish Council Committee, including chairs and protective mats as well as materials for crafts.

We had a meeting with the County Management Team this week and have a number of pieces of news to share:

1.        Negotiations with the Police are proceeding slowly about them taking space in the Library and we will report on this as soon as we have definite news.  We do know that there will be a desk in the Library manned by Police Volunteers to help with any police related enquiries.  Again an exact date for the commencement of this is awaited.

2.       The Car Park is to be re-surfaced.  As you will have seen the car park surface is not in good condition and can be slippery in wet weather.  The decision has been made that it will be completely re-laid and the work on this will commence in September.

3.       From a financial point of view the Library is performing well against its budget for the current year.

4.       We are talking to the County about the financial support we can give the Library by organising events and making financial contributions to ensure that the services and facilities are maintained and increased.

I hope that you find this update useful and that we look forward to working with all the members of the Friends to keep our wonderful Library as the Community Hub it is.

Best wishes and enjoy your Summer,

 Helen Goodman MP, the shadow Minister has been voicing some views on the future of Libraries and is now conducting a  consultation.  She said in a recent speech: "I am very concerned about what is happening to libraries across the country. The Library Campaign thinks we’re in a process of losing up to 1,000 libraries and last month I visited Lincolnshire, which has been hit particularly severely by library cuts. Below I have set out the current situation faced by local libraries, as well as a case study of what is happening in Lincolnshire. As we continue to develop our policies and move into our manifesto writing phase, it is vital that Labour has a proactive approach to a modern library sector, where the Conservative-led government has so badly failed. I have posed a series of questions and would be grateful to hear from you by 30 June if you have any thoughts."

To see her comments and questionnaire visit:  http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Letter-on-Libraries-Helen-Goodman.pdf


Thanks to Public Libraries News for this information 

Age UK are encouraging organisations to hold a "Big Chinwag Day" to raise funds to help them with their project to deal with loneliness among older people.  We at the Friends of Burnham Library thought we would organise a coffee morning to raise funds for Age UK but also to offer an opportunity to people who live alone to come along and have a chinwag with people attending.  Burnham Health Promotion Trust have also kindly offered to help with anyone who needs transport to get to the Coffee morning, by telephoning them.
So if you would like to come along for a chat, a coffee or tea and maybe a biscuit or cake, come along between 10.00am and 12.00 mid day on 20th June.

Whilst we do not have any elections relevant to the Library this May, others do!  However we can always make sure that out political representatives are made aware of our expectations as far as our local libraries are concerned, and it is never too early to make the point.  
The Speak Up for Libraries alliance* is urging people everywhere to make public libraries a central issue in local elections.

This is a once-in-four-years chance to make sure local councils understand that libraries are a low-cost, essential resource for their work – and deeply valued by local residents.

Already, many library services are threatened by deep cuts, widespread closures of vital local branches – or the damaging policy of turning branches over to be run by volunteers.

Yet the unprecedented cuts to government grant that local authorities are facing mean that libraries, despite being a statutory service that councils must provide, are once more in danger of being seen as soft targets for savings. Such cuts often save little but do great damage.

If people wait another four years, their own library could go. Nationally a postcode lottery will become a reality with only some communities benefiting from the presence of a professionally run library.

Libraries remain the lynchpin of communities, offering access to learning, reading, information and enjoyment.

Libraries are a trusted public space, a place for everyone.

They play a crucial role in improving literacy standards and in combating the digital divide.

Speak up for Libraries believes that libraries, far from being obsolete, are more important than ever. That is why we are asking local politicians, and the government, to make a public commitment to their survival and development.

Speak up for Libraries is asking local councillors to sign up to the following manifesto when standing for election;

• Acknowledge that libraries are important to people – especially when times are hard for individuals and communities
• Give a commitment to engage with communities to design services that meet their needs and aspirations.
• Ensure library services are properly resourced and staffed. A commitment to a service that is publicly funded, managed and run by paid professional staff.
• Recognise that properly funded library services contribute to the health and well-being of communities and so complement the work of other public services.

And lobby the Government to:

• Give libraries a long-term future, with a vision for their future development and clear standards of service.

• Enforce the commitment in law to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” library service. This commitment should also include digital, ICT and e-book services.


Notes:

• Speak Up For Libraries is an alliance of individual campaigners and national organisations: Elizabeth Ash, Campaign for the Book, CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals), The Library Campaign, Unison, Voices for the Library.
• Local Elections – This year there will be Council elections on 22 May for the London Boroughs (32), all Metropolitan Boroughs (36) and a number of unitary authorities (20). There are no local elections in Scotland or Wales or for County Councils in England. The local elections in District Councils are not relevant as they are not responsible for public library services
• Library closures:
- Public Library Statistics produced by CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy) show that there was a net loss of 212 libraries or mobile libraries in the UK in 2011/12 and 71 libraries (including mobile libraries) in 2012/13.
- Public Library News estimate that in 2013/14 493 libraries (including mobile libraries) in the UK were closed, or planned to be closed, or became community managed libraries managed by volunteers. 
- Since April 2014, Public Library News report that 78 libraries (including mobile libraries) are threatened with closure and 5 libraries to become community managed libraries run by volunteers
http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/

• Local government funding and expenditure:

- There was a 33% real term cut to government funding of local government in England between 2011-2015 (Comprehensive Spending Review 20112-2015)
- A further 10% cut to Government’s Core Funding of local government in England planned in 2015/2016 (Spending Review 2016-2016)
- Additional funding cuts are widely expected in 2016-2018

In a press release issued by the Local Government Association on announcement of the 2015/2016 Spending review, Sir Merrick Cockell, Local Government Association Chairman is quoted as saying:,

“,,,the fact remains that some councils will simply not have enough money to meet all their statutory responsibilities. Services such as culture and leisure facilities, school support, road maintenance and growth-related programmes will bear the brunt of these cuts”

http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/media-releases/-/journal_content/56/10180/4044082/NEWS

Website www.speakupforlibraries.org
Twitter @SpeakUp4Libs
Facebook www.facebook.com/SpeakUpForLibraries

Those who attended the Alan Johnson Author Dinner organised by Horizons Books last week were delighted to hear the MP in praise of Libraries and emphasising how important they were.  This was given more force by a study published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which showed that visiting the library was as good as a £1359 a year salary rise.

Visit the full article in the Daily Telegraph or the Bookseller

“Our pre-Easter Cake Sale and Café in the Library is coming up on April 12th 10am - 1pm  and we are looking for volunteers to man the café and to bake some cakes.  These sales are a regular source of income for the Friends and we use the money to keep the Library’s stock of books updated.  Horizons Bookshop in the Village are really great, they get the books for us and let us have them with a reasonable discount and it keeps the business in the village – so Burnham wins all round.  If you are not a baker, do come along and sample and buy, and even borrow a book, CD, DVD or two!

I was talking to somebody in the village this week who was asking about the children’s activities in the Library and was pleased to tell them about the wide range of things which our staff and volunteers offer for children of all ages, both paid and unpaid activities.  I was reminded of the conversation yesterday morning, when I was in the Library  and listened to the Bounce and Rhyme session and heard some rhymes and tunes from my own childhood (and some new ones!).  I wondered how many of those babies giggling with their mothers will take those rhymes on and be teaching them to their children, in the Library, in years to come.  It made my morning!”

For our very popular Annual Quiz
 
We'll  be holding our annual quiz on Friday May 23rd at the Library starting at 7.30pm. Doors will be open from 7.00pm.

Teams of up to eight people can enter and the entry fee is £8 for non members and £6 for members. The price will include a light supper during the interval. (Please bring your own drinks). A 50/50 raffle will be run during the evening and the prize for the winning team will be a £10 book token for each team member.

We hope to finish by 10.30pm. To enter a team please call Philip Everitt on 01628603930/07966040776 or contact us

A big thank you to our sponsors:

Burnham Garage the main event sponsor.

The following have sponsored a question round.

Thay are,

Glenn Flegg Estate Agents

Sherriff Mountford Estate Agents

Nisa Supermarket

Oberon Art

Josephines Beauty Salon

Horizons Book Shop

The Pines Hotel

We've had quite a few requests for the recipes from our recent Dickensian Evening.  Pat Hayman has kindly put some together for us. Click the page symbol in the bottom right corner to view and download

The Friends of the Library are now working with the Culture and Learning Department of the County Council in a partnership arrangement for the Management of Burnham Library.  The County will continue to maintain the staff, buildings and facilities, whilst the Friends will be seeking to offer as much financial support as is needed to maintain services at their present level.  This includes increasing the revenue of the Library from the organisation of events.

In connection with this, some good news!  We made an application to the Parish Council Community Fund for a Grant of £2000 towards the funding of children’s activities for the coming year, given that funding from the County is under great budgetary pressure and I am pleased to tell you that our application was successful.  As a result, we will be able to assist the Library to purchase much of the renewable material that they require to continue to provide the high level and quality of the activities which are offered for our children in the Village.

The Dickensian Fund Raising Evening on Friday, 28th February was attended by 53 Friends and friends!  The evening, compered most ably by Sue Mackenzie, had contributions from Christine Webb, who read some humorous passages from Dickens’ work and gave a short history of his life, whilst Darryl Boot (as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a fellow Portsmouth lad and friend of Charles Dickens) talked about the exciting environment in which he and Dickens worked.  This was interspersed with a very entertaining and participative musical contribution from Sally Sharp with songs from “Oliver”.  With excellent food and wine, it proved to be a very successful evening, which raised some more money for the FoBL funds to support the Library.  Big thanks are due to the organising committee and Pat Hayman, aided by Barbara Rosenberg, who provided the catering.  As always we must acknowledge the invaluable contribution from the Library Staff without whose efforts, this would not have gone so smoothly.

Do have a look at our “Burnham Library in the Press” page and see what good coverage we have been getting in our local paper.

With the tremendous input of the Burnham Health Promotion Trust, we ran a very successful Healthy Living Week in the Library from the 4th to the 8th February, photos of which can be seen in the press links mentioned above.  As it was such a success, in response to demand from both attendees and exhibitors, we will be running another Week in 2015, slightly later in the year, to take advantage of what we hope will be better weather.  So watch out for further information.

Along with Healthy Living Week, a recruitment activity was run for Volunteers in the Library, firstly to help in the Library itself,  as well as in the Village Information Point and for the Police.  There is a decision that the police will have a presence in the Library in the next few months and will be using an office at the rear of the building for a daytime base for the Neighbourhood Officers supporting Burnham. 

We are looking at registering for Gift Aid and several other avenues to increase our income, so we can ensure that the library is able to continue its level of service and where possible improve it.  If you can persuade your friends and family to join the Friends of the Library, there is a membership application here which can be downloaded and handed in to the Reception Desk in the Library