At the Any Questions debate at Friern Barnet Community Library on June 20 the question was put: “When does the panel suggest that the library lease be extended by the council to ten years or more?”
Councillor Richard Cornelius, the leader of Barnet Borough Council, replied: “You are pushing on an open door.”
Congratulations are due to him not only for supporting the library’s fundraising event, but also for his firm commitment to enabling it to fulfil the vision of its supporters and to make large grant applications for much-needed sponsorship from bodies who require security of tenure as a condition of giving grants.
The debate at the library also highlighted the panel’s differing views on the reintegration of the library into the family of council-run facilities. Here Cllr Cornelius’s vision of it becoming a model for volunteer-manned libraries at the expense of skilled professional guidance came in for spirited criticism. He found himself in a minority.
Keith Martin
Friern Park, Friern Barnet
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here