My idea was to return to the list in ten years time to see what austerity had taken away. On this blog I believe in playing the long game.
What I hadn't anticipated is that ten years later we'd be in lockdown during a pandemic and thus most libraries would be temporarily closed. But with the aid of council websites and wider news services I think I've managed to work out which London libraries are still functional, which have changed and which have permanently expired. In good news, a lot fewer libraries than anticipated have bitten the dust.
Let's start with the good guys (most libraries first).
Boroughs with the same libraries as 2010 Hillingdon (17): Botwell Green, Charville, Eastcote, Harefield, Harlington, Hayes End, Ickenham, Manor Farm, Northwood Hills, Northwood, Oak Farm, Ruislip Manor, South Ruislip, Uxbridge, West Drayton, Yeading, Yiewsley Croydon (14): Central, Ashburton, Bradmore Green, Broad Green, Coulsdon, New Addington, Norbury, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon, Shirley, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Upper Norwood Redbridge (12): Aldersbrook, Clayhall, Fulwell Cross, Gants Hill, Goodmayes, Hainault, Ilford, Keith Axon, Seven Kings, South Woodford, Wanstead, Woodford Green Hounslow (11): Beavers, Bedfont, Brentford, Chiswick, Cranford, Feltham, Hanworth, Heston, Hounslow, Isleworth, Osterley Wandsworth (11): Balham, Battersea, Battersea Park, Earlsfield, Northcote, Putney, Roehampton, Southfields, Tooting, Wandsworth Town, York Gardens Havering (10): Central, Collier Row, Elm Park, Gidea Park, Harold Hill, Harold Wood, Hornchurch, Rainham, South Hornchurch, Upminster Haringey (9): Wood Green; Alexandra Park, Coombes Croft, Highgate, Hornsey, Marcus Garvey, Muswell Hill, St Ann's, Stroud Green Kingston (7): Hook and Chessington, Kingston, New Malden, Old Malden, Surbiton, Tolworth, Tudor Drive Kensington & Chelsea (6): Chelsea, Kensington Central, North Kensington, Brompton, Notting Hill Gate, Kensal Green
Just nine (out of 33) boroughs have kept open all the libraries they had ten years ago. They could have reduced opening hours and curtailed services, of course, so it may not all be good news, but because I'm counting libraries they all score top marks. I'd argue that boroughs at the foot of the list had an easier job, having so few libraries open to start with, so especially well done to Hillingdon at the top for keeping so many buildings open.
Some boroughs have replaced libraries to mantain their overall total.
Boroughs with the same number of libraries as 2010 Westminster (13): Charing Cross, Church Street, Express, Little Venice Sports Centre, Maida Vale, Marylebone, Mayfair, Paddington, Pimlico, Reference, Queen's Park, St John's Wood, Victoria Newham (10): Beckton, Canning Town, Custom House, East Ham, The Gate, Green Street, Manor Park, North Woolwich, Plaistow, Stratford Islington (10): Archway, Central, Finsbury, Cat and Mouse, Lewis Carroll, Mildmay, N4, North, South, West Lambeth (9): Brixton, Carnegie, Clapham, Durning, Minet, South Lambeth, Streatham, Waterloo, West Norwood Merton (7):Colliers Wood, Mitcham, Morden, Pollards Hill, Raynes Park, West Barnes, Wimbledon Hammersmith & Fulham (6): Askew Road, Avonmore, Hammersmith, Fulham, Hurlingham, Shepherds Bush City of London (4): Barbican, Artizan Street, Guildhall, Shoe Lane
Express is a self-service replacement for St James's. Cat and Mouse used to be John Barnes, Colliers Wood used to be Donald Hope and Artizan Street used to be Camomile Street. Hammersmith & Fulham shifted two libraries into other buildings, replacing Barons Court with Avonmore and Sands End with Hurlingham Academy. Newham relocated three of its libraries to new premises. As for Lambeth, their long term rationalisation plan involved co-locating two libraries with other services, which was very much a step down. Simply counting libraries can hide a multitude of cuts.
Next, boroughs who couldn't afford to keep all their libraries on.
Boroughs who've created 'community libraries' since 2010 Enfield (4+13): Edmonton Green, Enfield Town, Ordnance Road, Palmers Green; Angel Raynham, Bowes Road, Bullsmoor, Enfield Highway, Enfield Island Village, Fore Street, John Jackson, Millfield House, Oakwood, Ponders End, Ridge Avenue, Southgate Circus, Winchmore Hill Lewisham (4+8): Catford, Deptford, Downham, Lewisham; Blackheath Village; Crofton Park, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Manor House, New Cross, Sydenham, Torridon Road Barnet (10+6): Burnt Oak, Chipping Barnet, Church End, Colindale, East Finchley, Edgware, Golders Green, Hendon, North Finchley, Osidge; Childs Hill, East Barnet, Friern Barnet, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Mill Hill, South Friern Bexley (6+6): Central, Crayford, Erith, Sidcup, Thamesmead, Welling; Bexley Village, Blackfen, Bostall, North Heath, Slade Green, Upper Belvedere Ealing (9+5): Acton, Ealing Central, Greenford, Jubilee Gardens, Northolt Leisure Centre, Northolt, Southall, St Bernard's Hospital, Wood End; Hanwell, Northfields, Perivale, Pitshanger, West Ealing Waltham Forest (8+2): Hale End, Higham Hill, Lea Bridge, Leyton, Leytonstone, North Chingford, Walthamstow, Wood Street; Harrow Green, South Chingford Hackney (7+1): Clapton, Clr James, Hackney Central, Homerton, Shoreditch, Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington; Woodberry Down
Enfield and Lewisham are kings of the spin-off, having divested themselves of the majority of their libraries since 2010. These community ventures are still part of the borough's library system but rely on volunteers to keep them afloat. Barnet and Bexley have handed over six apiece, again perhaps because they had so many libraries to start with. Ealing closed five last December and intends to reopen them in "community-managed" mode. Waltham Forest and Hackney have lost rather fewer, but in both cases have gone for a total abdication of financial responsibility.
Here come the first boroughs to have scrapped a library.
Boroughs that've closed and replaced libraries since 2010 Greenwich (12): Abbey Wood, Blackheath, Charlton, Coldharbour, Greenwich Centre, Eltham Centre, New Eltham, Plumstead, Slade, Thamesmere, West Greenwich, Woolwich [Closed: Ferrier] Southwark (11): Blue Anchor, Brandon, Camberwell, Canada Water, Dulwich, East Street, Grove Vale, John Harvard, Kingswood, Nunhead, Peckham [Closed: Newington]
Greenwich closed a library in Kidbrooke in 2011 without providing a replacement, while Southwark closed a temporary box at Elephant and Castle in 2018. But both have also replaced library buildings so they're not as bad as the boroughs which follow. The Greenwich Centre is a modern substitute for East Greenwich, Thamesmere ends a long-running saga in SE28 and Canada Water is a state-of-the-art replacement for Rotherhithe.
Here's where things get over-colourful.
Boroughs that've closed, replaced and spun-off libraries since 2010 Brent (6+4): Ealing Road, Harlesden, Kilburn, Kingsbury, Wembley, Willesden Green; Barham Park, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Preston [Closed: Neasden, Tokyngton] Camden (9+3): Camden Town, Highgate, Holborn, Kentish Town, Kilburn, Pancras Square, Queens Crescent, Swiss Cottage, West Hamsptead; Belsize, Keats, Primrose Hill [Closed: Regent's Park]
Brent cast out six libraries in 2011 in favour of "fewer but better-resourced libraries". Four were taken on by dogged volunteers, but the two closest to the new civic centre never resurfaced. Brent's library record is not a proud one. Meanwhile Camden gained a swish new library at King's Cross but turfed out three of their smaller ventures and killed off Regent's Park altogether.
Finally, the naughty list.
Boroughs that've closed libraries since 2010 Harrow (6): Greenhill, Kenton, Pinner, Roxeth, Stanmore, Wealdstone [Closed: Bob Lawrence, Civic Centre, Hatch End, North Harrow, Rayners Lane] Barking & Dagenham (7): Barking, Dagenham, Marks Gate, Robert Jeyes, Rush Green, Thames View, Valence [Closed: Wantz, Castle Green, Markyate] Bromley (14): Bromley Central, Beckenham, Burnt Ash, Biggin Hill, Chislehurst, Hayes, Mottingham, Orpington, Penge, Petts Wood, Shortlands, Southborough, St Paul's Cray, West Wickham [Closed: Anerley] Richmond (11): Castelnau, East Sheen, Hampton, Ham, Hampton Hill, Hampton Wick, Kew, Richmond, Teddington, Twickenham, Whitton [Closed: Heathfield] Sutton (8): Carshalton, Cheam, Phoenix Centre, Sutton Central, Circle, The Life Centre, Wallington, Worcester Park [Closed: Beddington] Tower Hamlets (7): Bow, Bethnal Green, Canary Wharf, Chrisp Street, Cubitt Town, Watney Market, Whitechapel [Closed: Dorset]
Harrow are the serial murderers of London's library system, culling one in 2013 and four more in 2015. It's not a good look. Barking & Dagenham are almost as bad, ditching two in 2012 and one in 2013. The other boroughs on this list have only closed one library, not always a significant one but a local loss all the same. Anerley 'merged' with Penge in 2014. Heathfield closed in 2011, Beddington in 2016 (and I can't find a date for Dorset).
In conclusion my figures show that London's tally of council libraries has only fallen by 17 over the last ten years. I confess that's a lot fewer than I expected would be lost when I tallied the original list, and means 95% of 2010's library total remains.
Although it's easy to blame certain councils for slimming down in lieu of their statutory duties, let's not forget that the real villain is central government for squeezing local government spending year after year after year after year. It is perhaps a miracle that so many libraries survive.
But the next decade may be tougher still, courtesy of pandemic economics, as councils struggle to provide even basic services on pared-down resources. When I return to this list in November 2030, who's to say how many libraries will have been merged, rationalised or lost to save a few hundred thousand pounds, and how many will still be a beacon of learning and culture at the heart of their communities.
