Carnegie Library, Herne Hill

The Carnegie Library is a public library in the London Borough of Lambeth in Herne Hill, South London. The library opened in 1906. It closed as a public lending library in 2016 as a result of cuts to funding, reopening in 2018 with a reduced librarian service.

Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library in Herne Hill
Location	192 Herne Hill Road, Herne Hill, London, SE24 0DG, United Kingdom
Type	Public library
Established	1906 (118 years ago) (1906)
Branches	1
Collection
Items collected	Books, public records
Other information
Website	www.lambeth.gov.uk/libraries-0/carnegie-library

History

The Carnegie Library was funded by a grant of £12,500 from Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) and designed by the architects Wakeford and Sons. This building was one of 2,509 libraries established worldwide with a legacy from Carnegie.^[1] Like many Carnegie libraries, the Herne Hill library has elegant architectural features, such as large windows and a glass dome which provide plenty of natural light, graceful Corinthian columns, and parquet floors.^[2] It was opened in 1906 and is a Grade II listed building.^[1] Historic England notes as one of its reasons for the Grade II designation that "the library is almost unchanged externally, and the internal arrangement remains legible despite later, internal alterations which are largely reversible."^[1]

Present day

The library was closed by Lambeth Council from March 2016 to February 2018, when it reopened with a reduced service. The library was occupied in protest at its closure for nine days by members of the local community, including senior citizens and teenagers studying for A level exams.^[3] Protesters from campaign group Defend The Ten voluntarily left the library before being evicted, and the occupation ended with a protest march to Brixton Library.^[4]

The occupation was supported by many famous authors including Stella Duffy, Neil Gaiman, Nick Hornby and Colm Tóibín,^[5] and had a great deal of public support, as shown by a mass demonstration of over 2,000 people who marched from the library to the town hall when the occupation ended.^[6]

In October 2018, the Carnegie Community Trust^[7] received a Heritage Lottery Resilience Fund grant to run a Community Hub^[8] within the building. According to local news site BrixtonBuzz, "Lambeth Council wants the Trust to manage the building – despite opposition from the Friends of Carnegie Library."^[9]

References

1. England, Historic. "Carnegie Library, perimeter wall and gatepiers, Non Civil Parish – 1185521 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
2. "History". Friends of Carnegie Library. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
3. Demi; volunteer, teenage library (8 April 2016). "Why we're occupying the Carnegie library in London". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
4. "Nine-day library occupation ends". 9 April 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
5. Quinn, Ben (6 April 2016). "Authors support occupation of south London library in protest against closure". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
6. "Protesters occupying Carnegie Library face eviction today". ITV News. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
7. "THE CARNEGIE HERNE HILL COMMUNITY TRUST CIO - Charity 1164005". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
8. Carnegie Community Trust. "Home". Carnegie Library Hub | room hire, workspace & hub. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
9. Cobb, Jason (26 October 2018). "Carnegie Trust given Lottery grant to help take control of Carnegie Library in Herne Hill". Brixton Buzz news, features and listings for Brixton, London. Retrieved 20 January 2019.

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