Library saviour to appear in national press (From Swindon Advertiser)

Library saviour to appear in national press

6:20pm Sunday 7th March 2010

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THE tireless efforts of an Old Town library campaigner are set to be featured in a national newspaper.

Shirley Burnham, 61, will appear in an article published in the Guardian describing how she bucked the trend of community libraries closing down all over the country.

Thanks to Shirley and many other users of the Victoria Road library, it was saved from closure. Now she hopes Swindon can be used as an example to other parts of the UK, after the public came together to save the heartbeat of their community.

Shirley, who is head of Friends of the Old Town Library, said: “We carried on campaigning and never let our heads go down.

“It was important to keep an issue like this one in the public eye. I’d didn’t feel proud that we saved it – I felt relieved.

“There were many people involved not just Shirley Burnham. I’m no Joanna Lumley. But you still have to keep on as if the library wasn’t safe so you don’t lose sight of what’s happening.”

Shirley even went as far as protesting about the closure when Princess Anne came to the town to visit the Swindon’s flagship £10m Central Library in May last year.

Police caught wind of the protest and questioned what Shirley was planning.

“Just a few of us went down there for a small demonstration,” said Shirley, of Arundel Close. “It was just ladies in cardigans trying to wave at the princess – a complete storm in a tea cup.”

Although the Old Town library is still open, it’s not clear what what the future holds.

At one point, it was subject to closure in order to save Swindon Council £22,000.

And now it may move to the Arts Centre in Devizes Road.

Swindon Council’s deputy leader Fionuala Foley said a public exhibition would display the merger plans next month.

Work to make room for the library at the Arts Centre would then be carried out in the summer.

“There’s a cultural hub in Old Town, “ said Coun Foley.

“It’s something very positive and the library plans are moving in the right direction.

“There’s young children and a lot of old people in Old Town and we’ve all worked hard to stop the library from closing.”

For the latest library news email friendsofoldtownlibrary@hotmail.co.uk

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