Head of UNESCO City of Music Kevin McManus explains why Spellow Library is more than just a place to borrow books...
Like everyone else I was shocked when I heard the news about the senseless attack on Spellow Library at the weekend.
For me, it was an incident that was literally close to home. I live a couple of minutes walk away, I use the library most weekends and I have history with the place. I’ve been going to the library for over 30 years and I even worked there for six months or so when I was starting out on my working life. I loved working there. The library users were lovely, the team was great, and it really felt like we were part of the community.
I get that same feeling about that sense of community whenever I have visited the library since it re-opened following its refurbishment. Manager Debbie and her team always have time for people no matter how busy they may be. That’s really important because for some members of the community those conversations with the library staff might be the only human interaction they have that day.
When you think of a library you think about books and of course books are a core part of any library but they are so much more than that. For me, libraries like Spellow are, at heart, a safe space where everyone is welcome. That is why the news about the attack on the library has attracted so much attention not just locally but across the world. (A UNESCO colleague in the US got in touch with me about it yesterday).
Spellow is in a deprived area and that makes it even more important as a community resource. It provides access to computers and online services. Many of us take this for granted but it isn’t a given if you are on a low income. Modern life and the day-to-day bureaucracy we all encounter is pretty much impossible to navigate if you don’t have access to the internet so the library is a crucial lifeline for many.
On top of this, the library also provides a space where local councillors can meet residents and community groups can take advantage of the meeting spaces. There is also a space where confidential meetings can take place, if say a local resident needs advice from a CAB adviser or debt counsellor.
When you understand what the library means to the local community the attack on it is even more shocking and heartbreaking. Spellow Library is open to everyone, and its users reflected the diverse community that live and work in the area so the attack on the library was an attack on the very community it sits at the heart of.
I have lived here for over 30 years. I love living here and I know that the mindless actions of a small group of thugs isn’t what this community is about. I’m not trying to say that everything is perfect here because it is an area that suffers from economic deprivation and it is really hard times for many residents. But it is, by and large, a warm, diverse and welcoming community. It is a resilient community and I’m sure we will come together to defeat the idiots who try to create divisions and discord and the library will hopefully return to its rightful role at the heart of this community.
