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JANUARY 19, 2009
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"RESCUED LIBRARY SET FOR £255,000 CASH LIFELINE"
- East London Advertiser
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Carnegie Reading Room, January, 2009
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Bancroft Library, as reported in the East London Advertiser (19/01/09) is due for a..."cash injection of a quarter of a million pounds..." after our joint successful campaign to save it from closure.
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FEBRUARY 2, 2009
'BANCROFT LIBRARY DECANT - PROJECT INITIATION DOCUMENT' produced by council officers JUDITH ST JOHN, PETER FOX, MALCOLM BARR-HAMILTON and DAVE WALTERS.
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FEBRUARY 26, 2009
Meeting arranged for Campaign Group to be introduced to STEPHEN HALSEY (LBTH Corporate Head of CLC - Communities, Localities & Culture). HEATHER BONFIELD (LBTH Interim Head of Culture at CLC) and COUNCILLOR ROFIQUE AHMED (Lead Councillor, Culture) also attend. For future engagement with the officers, Campaign Group will have to be 'formalised' via a Steering Group.
A new council post is to be created, a 'Heritage Manager'. The officer will be responsible for bidding for future funding (from the Heritage Lottery Fund etc) and developing a Heritage Strategy/Vision.
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FEBRUARY 27, 2009
Visit to 'Who Do You Think You Are Show' at Olympia, London by Campaign representative. Contact made with
ANCESTRY organisation with regard Bancroft Library and possible future involvement with them - as already in place at the London Metropolitan Archives. ANCESTRY also has the
WORLD ARCHIVES PROJECT which is a collaborative effort to preserve records in archives all over the world that would otherwise be lost.
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APRIL 1, 2009
2nd Version of LBTH PROJECT INITIATION DOCUMENT drawn up by officers following "revisions to programme." The Council's PROJECT INITIATION DOCUMENT (PID) final version was VERSION 6. The Campaign Group was asked to contribute to this Document from VERSION 3. PETER FOX (Project Manager) drew up the plans to accompany the PID:
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The Campaign Group were also asked to contribute to the LBTH 'DRAFT TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE STEERING GROUP.' VERSION 5 was the final version. In it, it states that:
"The role of the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives (Bancroft Library) Steering Group is to advise on and monitor the planning, implementation of works and further development of the Local History Library and Archive Service at Bancroft Library for the benefit of the people of Tower Hamlets and the wider community."
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APRIL 7, 2009
Meeting arranged by Councillor Alibor Choudhury (Lead Member for Skills and Employment) between officers STEPHEN HALSEY and HEATHER BONFIELD and the Campaign Group.
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APRIL 7, 2009
EAST LONDON ADVERTISER win "Campaign of the Year" Award.
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APRIL 8, 2009
First 'PRE-STEERING GROUP MEETING' between LBTH officers and the Campaign Group. Officers JUDITH ST JOHN, HEATHER BONFIELD, PETER FOX and SHARON BALL (Senior Management Support Officer) meet with TOM RIDGE, BRENDA DALEY and MELISSA PARKER, Campaign Group representatives.
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APRIL 13, 2009
Campaign sends out a NEWSFLASH/UPDATE
Thanks to the continued support of the Leader of the Council, Cllr. Lutfur Rahman and his cabinet colleagues Cllrs. Rofique Uddin Ahmed, Alibor Choudhury and Marc Francis, the promised £255,000 for improvements to Bancroft Library was included in the 2009-2010 budget approved by the cabinet on Wednesday 8 April.
Senior officers in the Communities, Localities and Culture Directorate have also been busy setting up a project (initially under the directorship of Judith St John, Head of Idea Stores) which will involve twice-monthly meetings of the Bancroft Library Steering Group. The campaign will be represented by Brenda Daley, Melissa Parker and Tom Ridge; and representatives from "active Local History Groups in East London" (please email the campaign with your representative's name and contact details). It is also anticipated that council officers on the Steering Group will include representatives from Children's Services, 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Development and Renewal and the Conservation and Urban Design Team; also a representative from English Heritage.
A Heritage Manager is also being appointed to manage the Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives at Bancroft Library; and to direct its future development as a hub for improved local history and archive services. Many details have still to be worked out but there is now a real possibility that the Tower Hamlets Local History Centre (former Bancroft Library) will be fully operational by 2012.
Obviously, further progress depends on fundraising by the Heritage Manager and others. We were very pleased to learn at our meeting with senior officers on Wednesday 8 April that arrangements for the building work are in the capable hands of Peter Fox of THE PROJECT AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY. Peter is already drawing up a short list of suitable conservation architects to specify and supervise the works. This conservation-led approach will meet the requirements of heritage funding bodies, such as English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Clearly, not all the rooms at Bancroft Library can be made suitable for their new uses in 2009-2010. But it is envisaged that the large first-floor front room will be used as the Local History Library and search room, whilst the present Local History Library and search room is being repaired for eventual use as the main search room or reading room.
Unfortunately, the essential replacement of the lift will have to wait until funds are available. An additional archive strong room is urgently needed, together with an archivist's work room on the ground floor. We hope that the front part of the former ground-floor children's lending library will eventually become a large multi-purpose room for school groups and meetings. In the meantime, temporary arrangements should allow this area to be used as soon as possible; and the entrance hall used for reception and exhibitions.
The campaign thanks Tower Hamlets Council Leader, Cllr. Lutfur Rahman for his October 2008 decision to "retain Bancroft for the Local History Library and Archives"; and thanks the Council for setting up the project which will "give the Local History Library and Archives the home it deserves". The world-renowned Bancroft Library can now become an even better centre of excellence on High Street 2012, not only for local residents and visitors from all over the world but also for the borough's school children and students: helping them with their national curriculum studies in local history and geography, and other initiatives such as Find Your Talent and One Tower Hamlets.
Tom Ridge
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APRIL 21, 2009
TOM RIDGE receives a Civic Award for Outstanding Service to the Community from Tower Hamlets Council as a "teacher, campaigner and local historian."
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MAY 12, 2009
Another 'PRE-STEERING GROUP MEETING.' JUDITH ST JOHN announces choice of new LBTH 'Heritage Manager'. TAMSIN BOOKEY will start on 20 July 2009, appointed due to her success in securing a multi-million pound grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the BLACK CULTURAL ARCHIVES (Brixton, London) where she was their Archivist. PETER FOX to draw up list of local architects - as the £255,000 falls under the OJEU threshold of £3.5m. MARK HUTTON (LBTH officer, Team Leader of Development, Design and Conservation) to advise on local architects in acceptable postcodes.
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JUNE 4, 2009
'ARCHITECT EVALUATION MEETING' with LBTH officers and 'PRE-STEERING GROUP MEETING'. Three architects attend - they have put in tenders in response to the LBTH Project Brief which seeks Architects to "prepare an outline design scheme for the building and within this scheme to prioritise and deliver an initial phase of the scheme that is to be completed by March 2010 within an overall budget including fees of £255,000 plus VAT."
Architects will be KENNEDY O'CALLAGHAN with JANIE PRICE, the Conservation Architect.
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JUNE 8, 2009
'PRE-STEERING GROUP MEETING' - last meeting. Final PROJECT INITIATION DOCUMENT and TERMS OF REFERENCE for the STEERING GROUP drafted and agreed by Campaign Group representatives and LBTH officers. Officers updated on possible visit from ANCESTRY (after initial contact made at 'Who Do You Think You Are' show in February) to Library when DAN JONES of their WORLD ARCHIVES PROJECT has a gap in his schedule. Officers want to put a piece in 'EAST END LIFE' to publicise start of BANCROFT LIBRARY STEERING GROUP.
Campaign sends out a second call for representatives of 'active Local History Groups in East London' to join Steering Group. The Chair will be CLIVE WRIGHT OBE.
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JUNE 10, 2009
EAST END LIFE's Press Officer asks Campaign to invite all (final 15) Members of the Steering Group to a photo shoot for article in paper. The local history groups who are represented on the Steering Group are:
WHITECHAPEL SOCIETY
EAST LONDON HISTORY SOCIETY
SWADHINATA TRUST
ISLAND HISTORY TRUST
STEPNEY HISTORICAL TRUST
JEWISH EAST END CELEBRATION SOCIETY
HISTORY OF WAPPING TRUST
SHADWELL LOCAL HISTORY CLUB
OCEAN ESTATE TENANTS' AND LEASEHOLDERS' ASSOCIATION
FRIENDS OF ST. GEORGE'S GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH
EAST OF LONDON FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY
SAVE TOWER HAMLETS LOCAL HISTORY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES AT BANCROFT ROAD - Campaign
SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF LABOUR HISTORY & THE SOCIALIST HISTORY SOCIETY - both represented by VICE CHAIR, STEFAN DICKERS of the BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE
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JULY 16, 2009
DAN JONES of ANCESTRY's WORLD ARCHIVES PROJECT visits Bancroft Library and meets with Campaign representatives and Malcolm Barr-Hamilton (Borough Archivist) and Christopher Lloyd (Local History Librarian). DAN JONES believes Ancestry could help with greater exposure for some of the content and with community initiatives.
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JULY 29, 2009
Inaugural meeting of the BANCROFT LIBRARY STEERING GROUP at Bancroft Library in the former Children's Library. Besides Members, there are also 'Advisory Officers' from ENGLISH HERITAGE; the MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES COUNCIL London; LBTH DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN and CONSERVATION; LBTH CULTURE (IDEA STORE SERVICE); LBTH CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES DIRECTORATE; LBTH 2012 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES (DEVELOPMENT AND RENEWAL) and the new LBTH 'HERITAGE MANAGER'. Also PETER FOX (Project Manager) and architects JANIE PRICE and KENNEDY O'CALLAGHAN.
Architects make presentation. Detailed Costs have been prepared for Priorities ("Expenditure to comply with current legislation and refresh the building") and they amount to £430,000. Officers and architects announce intention to close off upstairs to public.
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AUGUST 14, 2009
HOWARD DAWBER of the CANARY WHARF GROUP meets up with Campaign representatives at Bancroft Library to advise on possible sources of £175,000 (to make up amount to £430,000.)
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AUGUST 20, 2009
CLLR ALIBOR CHOUDHURY asks LBTH interim Head of Culture, HEATHER BONFIELD, to meet with Campaign representatives over sudden intention to shut down upstairs of Bancroft Library despite nine months of work and plans for the Project Initiation Document.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2009
Second BANCROFT LIBRARY STEERING GROUP meeting. Campaign ask to address other Members and the Advisory Officers on the abandoned LBTH PID and plans, and closure of the upstairs of the Library. Campaign suggests an alternative proposal that could later include the replacement of the lift (with a new hydraulic lift, DDA compliant, in the existing shaft) and keeps the upstairs open.
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OCTOBER 12, 2009
Officers cancel next Steering Group Meeting (two days hence) as the Quantity Surveyor has not finished a report. Suggestion to go ahead with meeting from Campaign Group representatives rejected by officers who want meeting deferred by a month.
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NOVEMBER 11, 2009
Third BANCROFT LIBRARY STEERING GROUP meeting, chaired by Vice Chair, STEFAN DICKERS who puts forward a 'PROPOSAL FOR FUTURE ADMINISTRATION OF BANCROFT PROJECT'.
Officers put forward a 'PRESERVATION RISK ASSESSMENT' by (outside) consultant JONATHAN RHY-LEWIS; an OPTIONS APPRAISAL AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY by PETER FOX and a BRIEF FOR COLLECTION MANAGEMENT AND SERVICE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS by TAMSIN BOOKEY, MALCOLM BARR-HAMILTON and CHRISTOPHER LLOYD.
Meeting is unexpectedly attended by CLLR. DENISE JONES; also DAVID MANDER OBE (Chair of Archives for London) and TERESA DOHERTY (Collections Manager at The Women's Library).
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DECEMBER 2, 2009
Officers JUDITH ST JOHN, HEATHER BONFIELD, TAMSIN BOOKEY, MALCOLM BARR-HAMILTON and PETER FOX and KENNEDY O'CALLAGHAN (the 'PROJECT TEAM') agree to meet Campaign Group Representatives to discuss the opposing views on shutting down parts of the Library. HEATHER BONFIELD later reported to the Steering Group that "At this meeting it was agreed that the debate was now academic as the cost for the essential works required for regulatory compliance had been estimated and that after fees it would expend the available capital funds."
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DECEMBER 16, 2009
BANCROFT LIBRARY STEERING GROUP meeting. A new Chair is introduced: STAN NEWENS. KENNEDY O'CALLAGHAN (Architect) and TAMSIN BOOKEY (LBTH Heritage Manager) present slide show with 'ideas on a Master Plan', a 'Work in Progress.' Members are asked by officer HEATHER BONFIELD to respond to these ideas and give their feedback at a dedicated Steering Group meeting in one month's time.
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