In place of any staff is a single security guard. In place of a welcoming open door is a PIN-coded entrance gate that would not let me through. With the help of the security guard, I got in, but then had to fill out a form to request future access.
The new version of the old library is empty, lonely and a little scary. It's certainly not a place you want to hang around in.
All music CDs are gone. The three I tried to return came up on the machine as "unknown item detected / return failed", so I could not give them back. But I'm sure they'll be happy to fine me for overdue items anyway.
It's for matters like this that a member of staff would have been useful, but of course they have all been sacked or had their hours cut.
I had to leave the CDs at the vacant desk with a handwritten note and hope that someone will check them in later. Pathetic.
The children's library room now looks like this:
I was told that it has been sold off. So will we be refunded the taxes we paid for it? I don't think so.
The "teen zone" area is also gone. Funny how the next generation has to suffer for decisions made by inconsiderate adults.
There were some signs up, but they made little sense:
It's absolutely criminal what Barnet council are getting away with. The library service I took for granted as a child has been all but destroyed for the next generation. And why? Because of greed.
Forget literacy. Forget education. Forget community. It's all about the money. And yet we are all so much poorer for these terrible decisions.
Bloody disgrace. Our local library's on a tight budget, which means the repairs are delayed and the loos are out of action, but it's still trying with events and despite everything, is vibrant. What's happened at the North Finchley Library looks like Socio-cultural vandalism. Keypads, selling rooms off and crappy signs which - as you say - makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteWhat next? A bunch of p*ssed up councillors using their own effluent to scrawl "We don't give a f*ck" on the walls? Might as well.
Very sad. Just shut the place down. This looks like a real "end of civilisation" scenario.
Thanks for reading. Yes, my advice would be to make the most of what's left of the library system while you still can. It's only by people using them that greedy councils will be forced to admit they have a value.
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