Book donations to the Friends of Barham Library passes the 6,000 mark

Generous residents show their support to community-run reading room in Wembley

A community library has rung in the New Year with a collection of more than 6,000 books thanks to generous donations.

The bulging stock in the reading room in High Road, Wembley, continues to increase after residents rallied around and collected more stock.

The branch was opened by volunteers from the Friends of Barham Library (FBL), after Brent Council axed their original library in October 2011 as part of a �1million cost-cutting exercise.

Tokyngton, Kensal Rise, Cricklewood, Preston and Neasden were also casualties of the controversial closures.

In addition to the community, businesses have also shown their support for FBL with IKEA Wembley donating 15 new bookcases to the branch.

Cllr Paul Lorber, leader of Brent’s Liberal Democrat party and FBL member, said: “Our Volunteer Library has plenty of books to please people of all ages and all tastes.

“I have had the pleasure of reading books on Dickens, Samuel Pepys, the Doomsday Book, Isambard Brunel, Meriwether Lewis and his exploration of American West and many more stocked in our wonderful collection.”

FBL and other library campaigners are continuing their crusade to reopen the axed branches.