New Events Calendar

We've added this online calendar to the website so you can keep up to date with all our petition signing events and maybe come along to sign the petition or help out.

Click here for a bigger, easier to use calendar. 

If you want to access it quickly again in the future, just click on the "Events Calendar" from the menu bar at the top of the website.

Why Not Print A Poster To Support Our Campaign?

Phil Bradley has created a wonderful set of "Save Our Library" posters for the national campaigns against local councils looking to close libraries. 

The posters are based on old war posters and are simply fantastic. Phil's Flickr website, where you can see and download the posters can be access here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/philbradley/sets/72157625923493122/

For a bit of fun, I've ameneded one for the Wokingham campaign (left), you can access it and download it here:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6_EWgzZLivOODAzNmYxZjctZTg2YS00YTI5LThmMmItOTQ1ODM1OTNlOTA0&hl=en_US

This is amended and published under the Creative Commons Licence here:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Enjoy,

Anthony.

Another Successful Day Collecting Signatures

Despite the rain, we had yet another successful day collecting signatures outside Lower Earley Library today. Thank you to everyone who turned out and signed our petition. We are getting lots and lots of signatures.

Please spread the word, and ask your family and friends to sign our on-line petition, or maybe come along and help us at our next event? or, maybe, even organise your own petition signing event? 

You can get in touch using saveourlibrariesinwokingham@gmail.com

Petition Signing Session Tomorrow at Lower Earley's Library

Please come along and sign our petition tomorrow, 16th July, at Lower Earley library from 10am until noon.

Can't make it? then why not sign the on-line version? Just click the "Sign Our Petition" logo to the left and it'll take you there.

SUCCESSFUL SIGNING SESSION in WOKINGHAM

Wokingham on Saturday July 9th saw another very well supported petition signing session . Library users, shoppers and local residents were keen to sign the petition to show support for the Save our Libraries campaign.

The next petition signing session will be at Lower Earley Library on Saturday July 16th from 10am until Noon. If you are in the area, please do come along .

MORE SIGNATURES and SIGNING SESSIONS

Another very successful signing session was held at Lower Earley library on Thursday July 7th. Library users and people passing through the precinct were queueing up to sign our petition. They were keen to show their support for the campaign to Save our Libraries.

Further signing sessions have been scheduled for Wokingham library on Saturday July 9th from 10.30am until 12.30pm and then the following Saturday at Lower Earley library from 10am until noon. Please do come along if you can.

What's the definition of Privatization?

Wokingham Borough Council have put our library service out to tender in a effort to save £170k a year, but seems unhappy with the project being labelled as "privatisation" of our libraries, perhaps these definitions of privatisation may help to resolve the confusion:

privatize, privatise - change from governmental to private control or ownership. "The oil industry was privatized"

[source:http://wordnet.princeton.edu/]

privatisation - The process of moving from a government controlled system to a privately run, for-profit system. 

[source:www.tricolom.com/glossary.htm]

privatization The transfer of a company or organization from government to private ownership and control. [Source:en.wiktionary.org/wiki/privatization]

News Update: The Express newspaper reports LSSI expects to take-over Wokingham's libraries

In a recent article the Express newspaper discusses whether we're in danger of an American takeover of our libraries, whether cost is more important than culture, and what it may mean for our beloved local libraries. Read more here.

Interestingly the article would seem to inidcate that LSSI (Library Systems and Services) is the most likely candidate to take over Wokingham's library service.

"LSSI has spoken to “dozens of local authorities” over the past three years and held meetings with five councils last week, with Croydon becoming the latest borough to consider a deal. LSSI’s first contract is expected to start next May in Wokingham."

We'll post more infomation as soon as we have it.

Why libraries should remain in the public domain

Here's a video from PrivatizationBeast.org, an American group opposing privatisation in the states, we think it summaries why libraries should remain in the public domain quite nicely.