Proposed local library closure leads to young peoples march!

By Hannah Chowdhry

Hundreds of people - most of them children and youth - joined a march to 'Save our Libraries' in Colchester on Saturday (27th April), to thwart Essex County Council proposals to terminate 25of its 74 libraries and to make a further 26 volunteer-operated.

Young protestors had fun creating boards at a workshop from 11:30 in the morning at the Colchester Town House before starting their 1 mile march from Colchester Library to Firstsite. While walking chants of  'No ifs, no buts, no Essex Library cuts', could be heard.

At the end of the protest a bagpiper and Scottish dancers entertained participants while an African drum group played some rythmical beats.  In between the party atmosphere I was asked to talk about why I had travelled all the way from Chigwell to Colchester to take part in the march.  You can see a video here:

Essex County Concil have claimed that usage of libraries has reduced by 40% over the last ten years but have themselves made many of the venues difficult to use, because they often have very inaccessible hours.  Even then our local libraries serve a number of functions and inevitabley serve the most deprived members of our community.

Libraries are not simply a book repository but are a place where young people socialise and make new friends.  They enable young people to find new study partners and are always filled during periods of exams and holidays.

Libraries are an important place within which to cherish the history of our communities and area.  I know this because my father Wilson Chowdhry and I led a 5 year campaign to restore a lost Mammoth heritage in Redbidge our former borough.  After hearing our pleas for a replica Ilford Mammoth Skull to replace the remains that were excavated in Ilford in 1864, the Natural History Museum donated a £50,000 replica which was once displayed in their mammalian section, but now sits in Redbridge Museum.

I believe or libraries are important community hubs that act as a lifeline to our world and all the wonderful information in it.  It was for that reason that I joined campaigners on Saturday in solidarity.  I believe our family were the only ones who travelled that far but we are a passionate lot and feel that you have to fight for what you believe in.

I have recently joined Chigwell library with my younger sisters and parents and hope to make better use of the local library, especially as I am nearing my GCSE examinations next year.  Already the library has been a useful resource and having one so close to home is a real blessing.  I hope our Essex County Councillors make the right choice and choose to retain it.

In my short attendance at the Library I have already seen images of old Chigwell and learned about the Chig Well a water resource after which the town may have been named. Fascinating community history like this will become a thing of the past if Essex County Councillors have their way.  I believe in modernisation but not at the expense of community and not if it simply causes the rift between rich and poor to expand.

My father has copies of an informative leaflet that also doubles as a poster and has been asked by campaign group 'Save Our Libraries Essex' to distribute them in Chigwell and surrounding areas. the leaflets contain information on how local people can become more involved in the campaign to save Essex libraries. We will be leaving some at Chigwell Libraray and posting some through local doors.  However if anyone would like a copy they can email us at admin@britishpakistanichristians.org.