What ideas have you got for a more imaginative, community-minded and sustainable vision for our library in the 21st century? How can it better serve our community in all its diversity?
- How can we develop an even better library fit for our times?
- How can money be saved?
- How can revenue be generated?
- How can better use be made of the space?
- What other organisations and activities could it provide a home for?
- How can it be more ambitious?
- How can it further support learning?
- How can it become even more central to our community?
“Ideas for taking our library forward ? Here's some I have thought of please add to them - a mixture here of income generating and subsidised or free activities and events…
“Love all of the above ideas, though after having spoken to most of my 'mummy' friends, we all agreed that if there was a cafe or at least somewhere in the library to get a good coffee or tea and a slice of cake, none of us would go anywhere else! Also loving the idea of yoga/pilates and craft classes. Pleeeeease lets make it happen...” - Mihaela Palameta Veira
“A coworking space like the Hub in Islington but for this area - http://islington.impacthub.net/” - Sophie Leighton
“East Finchley Library is already a hub of the community so we should just make it even more so…
- Hire for Creative Writing classes
- Space for inter-school workshops e.g promoting dialogue and enquiry http://thinkingspace.org.uk around identity and other key issues for teenagers across local schools
- Hire for Mindfulness and Meditation for ALL
- Advice and guidance sessions/surgeries - replace what was lost on Church Lane
- Job shop for local unemployed and returners - career workshops
- Hire meeting space to corporates/businesses for workshops and meetings that inspires learning and creativity e.g http://www.plotvenues.co.uk
- Hire for Yoga and Pilates classes - again all ages
- Exhibition space for East Finchley Open
- Use the exterior for young adults to project their work on the walls e.g Finchley Youth Theatre media projects
- Use at night for immersive theatre experience - children and link with Finchley Youth Theatre
- Cafe space
- Craft classes knitting, sewing (anything that does not require a lot of heavy equipment and dust!)” - Una Murphy
“Love all of the above ideas, though after having spoken to most of my 'mummy' friends, we all agreed that if there was a cafe or at least somewhere in the library to get a good coffee or tea and a slice of cake, none of us would go anywhere else! Also loving the idea of yoga/pilates and craft classes. Pleeeeease lets make it happen...” - Mihaela Palameta Veira
“A coworking space like the Hub in Islington but for this area - http://islington.impacthub.net/” - Sophie Leighton
“East Finchley Library is already a hub of the community so we should just make it even more so…
- Install a simple café staffed by volunteers (revenue with no extra costs)
- Hire upstairs hall for kids’ birthday parties etc. staffed by volunteers (this typically has a charge-out rate of c.£40/hr so again, revenue with no extra costs)
- Make EFL the arts centre of East Finchley, the HQ of East Finchley Open and other active community arts groups
- All councillor surgeries and similar local authority meetings should be based in the building
- Create a Barnet-wide (possibly even London-wide) dyslexia advice centre in the building (c.10% of the UK population has some degree of dyslexia)
- Make EFL a learning centre eg stage study skills courses for teens, especially in the run-up to entering AS year; transfer to Big School sessions for Year 6 students
- What other community groups are short on space or a central hub?” - Adam Gee