Volunteer reading-room in Wembley faces its last weekend unless new premises can be found

A volunteer library which has attracted hundreds of visitors since it was set up will be opening for the last time this weekend unless it finds a new home.

Barham pop-up library, has been a popular weekend fixture at Barham Primary School in Danethorpe Road, for the past three months.

However it will run for the last time this Saturday (21) as the school breaks up for their summer holidays and regeneration work starts on the building.

However, volunteers have claimed they will not give up in the fight to find a permanent home.

Cllr Paul Lorber, a member of the Friends of Barham Library, who helped set-up the pop-up initiative after

Barham Library was axed by the council last year, said they were ‘immensely proud’ of the work that had been done.

He said: “We have clearly shown that there is still a need for a library service and that we are providing a vital community facility.”

Since the pop-up library opened in April, volunteers and members have benefitted from two generous donations from environmental charity Healthy Planet and publishing company Usborne Books who have given them hundreds of books.

In addition more than 200 people have also joined the library.

Cllr Lorber said: “We are very confident of finding a new home and are actively working at looking for new premises.

“We have approached a number of empty shops and properties and have also shown that we could easily occupy the original library building but the council have remained unhelpful on that front.”

The move to shut down Barham, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton libraries will save the local authority �1m.

Cllr Lorber added: “The last few weeks have been very rewarding for the whole of the Barham Volunteer team.

“We have done a fantastic service to our community and I would like to say a big thank you to all of them.”

The Barham pop-up library will be open on Saturday, from 11am to 2pm.

Anyone who can help the library in its mission to find a new home should email barhamlibrary@hotmail.co.uk

Or call the newsdesk on 020 7433 6228.