We’d love to know how you got on lobbying your MP.
Whether you managed to meet with your MP today, as part of the Speak Up for Libraries Lobby of Parliament, have arranged to meet with them at another time, or have been in correspondence with them, we know others will be as interested as we are to know the outcome.
For example,
What issues did you raise with your MP?
And, have they acted or promised to take action as a result of your lobbying?
Ideally, please add the details you are happy to share as a comment to this post.
Or you can email us and we will post them up, if you prefer.
Speak Up For Libraries is a coalition of organisations and campaigners working to protect libraries and library staff, now and in the future.
Website: www.speakupforlibraries.org
Twitter: @SpeakUp4Libs using lobby hashtag #SUFLlobby16
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SpeakUpForLibraries
Eventbrite: http://sufl.eventbrite.com
Jane and I met up with Alison McGovan and Angela Eagle. They were both very supportive and listened to our concerns about the current proposals for Wirral libraries. Handing over up to 12 libraries to volunteers over the next 12 months. They have promised to speak to the strategic director and the Labour Council leader.
We really appreciated their support.
I only had 15 minutes with my MP today. She bases her constituency office by a new Volunteer led community library. We discussed the issue of community libraries. She was totally unaware of the very restricted service they offer. My MP was also unaware of a recent Countywide consultation document on the future of the Library Service in Hampshire, which could find 3 of the 5 libraries in her Constituency being closed or turned into volunteer run libraries. I will be following up the lobby with a more detailed letter. My MP is keen to visit my library and has offered to help with the Summer Reading challenge and also would like to take part in a baby bounce session.
I met with Rachel Reeves. She was really supportive of the campaign and explained about how the cuts to library services in Leeds have/will be affecting two libraries within her constituency. We talked about the importance of public libraries to communities, and to safeguarding the UK’s future-to lesson the divide between those with access to books, the Internet and positive and unbiased advice on information literacy and those without. She took the campaign information and said she would look into supporting the EDM. All in all I was very impressed and hopeful that she will continue to support the campaign.
Initially I spoke to my MP for Newport East, Jessica Morden. As responsibility for library services in Wales has been devolved to Welsh Government my details were passed on to John Griffiths whom I met today.
He took on board my concerns about the recent spate of library closures and cutbacks in the area and will write to the local authority about maintaining a professionally run service in the face of cuts to staffing and opening hours. Additionally, the council has recently borrowed a lot of money to pay for a new shopping centre and the contractors have said that they would donate the interest accrued from this back to the community. John Griffiths will contact the Cabinet Member for Culture & suggest that the council invest this on an improved central library and museum which is very run down. Unfortunately, the Welsh Government don’t really have much power over what the local authorities do and the campaigning in Newport is fragmented and focused on one particular library rather than what is happening across the county.