August Update:

In February this year Old Town’s library, which had been threatened with closure, was granted a reprieve until April 2009 when its status will be reviewed once again.   The Council’s decision was warmly welcomed by residents of Old Town, Lawn and other neighbouring areas who find this amenity indispensable.  Retailers and businesses also want Old Town to continue to thrive and enjoy its own amenities so they, too, have given their support to the library and the Friends.  Councillors representing the area have attended events and given the Friends some positive feedback.

Everyone is acutely conscious of the warning issued in February of “Use it, or Lose it” and, determined to take up the challenge, the Friends are working hard to raise the library’s profile in the community. 

A ‘launch’ party in March was followed by the Friends’ art competition between local schools.   The Library Service collaborated with the Swindon Festival of Literature to hold a charming event for children in Old Town Library in May, and June saw supporters and Friends turning out in force for the Old Town Festival Procession.  The website: www.friendsofoldtownlibrary.co.uk , in collaboration with Swindon 105.5 Community Radio, is running writing competitions every month and, currently, a new photography competition, to promote the library in every possible way.

Having read this, Shirley hopes you will be motivated to visit Old Town’s library and discover for yourself why it is valued so highly by so many.

August 2008

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Anne Snelgrove MP has welcomed the news that Councillors have bowed to pressure and scrapped plans to axe Old Town and Walcot libraries. She is now challenging the council to listen to customers requests for extended opening hours.

Anne said: 

"I congratulate Shirley Burnham on her successful campaign – the Council has wasted time and tax payers money, and dithered before coming to the only sensible decision. It was never made clear to me or any of my constituents before work started on rebuilding the main library that this would result in the closure of two branch libraries. I was never convinced by the argument that saving just £24000 from the closure of two much needed libraries in Old Town and Walcot was going to make much difference to the predicted running costs for the new Central Library of well over a quarter of a million pounds.   

The community of Old Town are of an older generation but there is a significant number of houses being built that are bringing younger families back into the area.  East Walcot has a high number of young families on low incomes who rely on the library for books for their children. Local schools in both Walcot and Old Town regularly use the library and I could not see staff and youngsters trudging to the new library and back again. They simply won't have the time to use the new library.  Now the Council should be looking at extending the offer from both libraries and listening to customers requests for extended opening hours."   

"I think it is significant, in the light of no information on the criteria on which these libraries were selected for closure, that Cllr Tomlinson is a Parliamentary Candidate in the North of Swindon and chose to target his cuts in the South of Swindon. I am pleased that the people of South Swindon stood up to him and won."