A cheerful, local library in Friern Barnet

Residents are using all the dark arts of social media in their campaign to keep Friern Barnet library open. Two can play at that game, Barnet council!

They have set up a blog, Twitter feed, Flickr and YouTube sites. Oh, and a Facebook page. The blog is a work in progress, but the message is loud and clear:

We the residents, students and workers of Friern Barnet are petitioning Barnet Council not to deprive us of our local library. Arts Depot is local to North Finchley but not to Friern Barnet. Public transport is expensive, inconvenient and slow in ever increasing traffic. It will turn a weekly or even a daily drop-in to our local library into a cumbersome expedition. Among us [are] young families, who moved into the area for the proximity of the library.

There is an increasing number of young jobseekers, who badly need a free PC access. There are the elderly and disabled, who can just about make the short distance to their local library. It is the only place in the area where we can spend quality time for free.

Friern Barnet Library in its present place and shape is an integral part of our life. We don’t want a pie in the sky “Landmark” library far away, but a cheerful, local library. Please don’t take it away from us, to show that you really are Putting the Community First.

Please sign their petition on the Barnet council website. They are holding a second demonstration outside the library on Saturday 21 May.