Save our tiptree library

06/06/2026

All campaign supporters are welcome to join the SOLE OPEN ONLINE ORGANISING MEETING next Wednesday evening from half seven. We will be discussing the ban on promoting Pride, Black History Month, and others, within Essex libraries, along with other campaign matters. Please remember SOLE is a strictly non-party political campaign

Join meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82707330835?pwd=oaaUnypVKnFk2zMZk9JrENQPWFGD8o.1

Meeting chat link https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/82707330835

Meeting ID: 827 0733 0835
Passcode: 330138

21/05/2026

Libraries will now come under the Residents and Community Services portfolio, headed up by cabinet member Councillor Chris Hossack. His email is [email protected]

For the full list of appointments, which will be confirmed at the first Full Meeting of the new council on the 28th of this month, go to https://www.essex.gov.uk/news/2026/new-essex-county-council-cabinet-announced

15/05/2026

Congratulations everyone!

'It shows that as ordinary people we are strong when we come together and fight back'

12/05/2026

Please continue to encourage others to sign our petition ➡️ https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/scrap-essex-libraries-book-reservation-charge ⬅️ now really is the time to send a clear message to the newly elected Essex County Council.

The charge will particularly hit those that use smaller libraries, as a lack of shelf space means users have no other choice than to order books in from other libraries. We are encouraged that the new leadership has spoken up for people in the countryside, because this is about standing up for people in rural areas, where so many of our smaller libraries are.

We hope that the new leadership will recognise that it is unfair that library users from Thurrock, to Croydon, to Brent, will be able to borrow any book from any library in Essex for free, while users in Essex will be charged to read the same book. Essex's membership of the Libraries Consortium opens up the opportunity to borrow a book from any other member library service, but nearly two-thirds of its members do not charge for book reservations."

We trust that the new leadership will appreciate that the £1.15 charge soon adds up when several books are ordered. But that the one-hundred-and-fifty-thousand pounds saving is a tiny fraction of Essex County Council's overall budget of more than two-billion. And that when libraries - which are so important for the wellbeing of many people - are cut, costs increase elsewhere, such as the social care budget. Libraries are already excellent value for money, and we hope that the new leadership will demonstrate its commitment to the library service by overturning the death sentence for Essex's smaller libraries.

Don't forget to join us outside the atrium entrance of County Hall at 9.30am, Thursday 28 May, as we present the petition to the first Full Meeting of the new council. Full details in comments.

12/05/2026

We will be presenting our petition to scrap the reservation charge before the first Full Meeting of the newly elected Essex County Council, Thursday 28 May. This takes place during the May half-term holiday, and we will gather at 9.30am in front of the County Hall atrium entrance, Market Road, Chelmsford.
ALL WELCOME (children friendly).

More details, including a map, will be found here https://www.facebook.com/share/1NX9hTo484/

Petition ➡️ https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/scrap-essex-libraries-book-reservation-charge ⬅️

12/05/2026

07/05/2026

Which parties have said they will scrap the £1.15 charge introduced last month to reserve a library book?

Thursday's Essex County Council elections will decide who runs our libraries in the run up to local government reorganisation. You can see what the parties have had to say about libraries here https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18LEbxXrvs/

Our petition against the charge will be found here ➡️ https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/scrap-essex-libraries-book-reservation-charge ⬅️

07/05/2026

Tomorrow's Essex County Council will decide who runs our libraries until local government is reorganised. SOLE is a strictly non-party political campaign, so we will not be backing any candidates or parties. However, we have asked all the main parties for their policies on libraries, to help you make up your mind. Please see comments to find out more.

We will present our petition against the £1.15 charge to reserve books introduced last month, at the first Full Meeting of the newly elected council. This takes place during the half-term holiday, so please bring the kids!

We have posters with a QR code linking to the petition that you can download and print. Link in comments.

26/04/2026

Angry campaigners claim the new charge is 'unfair'

26/04/2026

More media coverage for our petition - https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/scrap-essex-libraries-book-reservation-charge - in the Colchester Gazette, Echo Essex, and their sister titles across the county.

'A SOLE spokesperson said: “If the council wanted to find a way to stop people using libraries, and particularly smaller libraries - which they tried to close in 2018/19 - charging users to reserve books is it.

"The decline in use predicted by the two recent surveys shocked even us, and the viral response to our petition reflects the anger felt.

"The council has claimed most other councils charge, but a look at the other 22 members of the Libraries Consortium suggests this claim has been made up.

"The council has claimed most other councils charge, but a look at the other 22 members of the Libraries Consortium suggests this claim has been made up.

"Nearly two-thirds of its members do not charge, including for books borrowed from other library services.

“It means millions of other people, from Thurrock to Croydon to Brent, will be able to borrow a book for free from any library in Essex, while people in Essex will be charged £1.15 to reserve the same book.

"Users of smaller libraries in particular need to reserve books from other libraries, as smaller libraries do not have sufficient shelf space, and the £1.15 charge soon adds up when more than one book is reserved.

“But the £150,000 the council says it will save is just a tiny fraction of Essex County Council's £2billion plus budget.

“Our libraries are already excellent value for money and vital for people's mental health, so any cut will only increase costs elsewhere, such as social care.

"Alas, the council has set our libraries up to fail."'

Please see comments below for the article. Feel free to comment, as this will help us increase the reach of our message.