Dulwich library closing for refurbishment

[sunshine_m]

Details here:

https://www.southwark.gov.uk/2025/dulwich-library-closing-refurbishment

[Penguin68]

Considering the private revision study that my children undertook, perhaps 15 to 20 years ago in that library it seems a shame they have timed the refurbishment so it won't be open at this crucial time for children. But hey, so long as it's greener... 

[claresy]

Apparently the 'improvements' include fewer books, which I'm not happy about. 

[Sue]

2 hours ago, Penguin68 said:

Considering the private revision study that my children undertook, perhaps 15 to 20 years ago in that library it seems a shame they have timed the refurbishment so it won't be open at this crucial time for children. But hey, so long as it's greener... 

Yes, why couldn't they have started the work in July, after exams finished?  Then it would have been open again  to give children at least some revision time there  before exams.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

On 04/11/2025 at 07:56, Penguin68 said:

. But hey, so long as it's greener... 

OMFG is it possible for the council to do anything without a bunch of armchair experts moaning about it?

The library refurb is great news, as it's lovely but completely shagged out - the toilets don't even work reliably. Other libraries in the area will be open longer house during the closure. July is a rubbish time to begin a refurb because it's just before the entire construction sector goes on summer holiday, and it would mean delaying the work another 8 months.

[Sue]

6 hours ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

OMFG is it possible for the council to do anything without a bunch of armchair experts moaning about it?

The library refurb is great news, as it's lovely but completely shagged out - the toilets don't even work reliably. Other libraries in the area will be open longer house during the closure. July is a rubbish time to begin a refurb because it's just before the entire construction sector goes on summer holiday, and it would mean delaying the work another 8 months.

Thank you for your explanation, which makes complete sense.

Sadly I'm guessing that most of those who post on here, including me, are not familiar with the  holiday arrangements of the construction industry.

Very sorry to have ventured an uninformed opinion 😀

[David Peckham]

9 hours ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

July is a rubbish time to begin a refurb because it's just before the entire construction sector goes on summer holiday

I thought August was one of the busiest times for the building trade. The clement weather makes it more reliable for planning jobs and shouting obscenities at passing ladies.

Are you confusing brickies with hedge fund managers or the French?  It's easily done and they basically disappear for August.

Edited 15 hours ago by David Peckham

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

4 hours ago, Sue said:

I'm guessing that most of those who post on here, including me, are not familiar with the  holiday arrangements of the construction industry.

Very sorry to have ventured an uninformed opinion 😀

Rant ahead: You're not one of them but unfortunately, there's a substrate of posters here that do very little except moan and come up with weird conspiracy theories. They're immediately highly critical of just about any change, and their initial assumption is that everyone else is a total fucking contemptible idiot.

For example: don't you think that the people who run the libraries will have considered the impact of timing of reconstruction on library users? (In fact, we know they have - because they've made arrangements at other libraries to attempt to mitigate the disruption). After all, these are the people that spend their whole working week thinking about libraries and dealing with library users (and the kids especially). You don't go into the library game for the chicks and fame - so it's fair to assume that librarians are committed to public service and public access to libraries, including by kids. Likewise the built environment people (engineers, architects, construction managers, project managers, construction contractors, subcontractors or whoever is on this job) are told to minimise disruption on every job they do. The thing that occurs to us as amateurs within 30 seconds of us seeing something is probably not something a full time professional hasn't thought about!

Southwark Council, the NHS, TfL, Dulwich Estate, Thames Water, Openreach - they're not SPECTRE factories filled with malevolent chaosmongers trying to persecute anyone. They're mostly filled with people who understand their job and try to do their best with what they've been given - just like all of us. Nobody is perfect or immune from challenge, and that's fair enough, but why not at least start from the assumption that there's a good reason why things have been done the way they have? Any normal person would be pleased that their busy, pretty, lively local library is getting refurbished, and will have more space and facilities for kids and teens, and will be more efficient to run and warmer in winter.

But no, EDT_Forumite_752 had kids who did an exam 20 years ago, and this makes them an expert on library refurbishment who can see it's all just stuff and nonsense for the green agenda and why can't it all be put off... 😡😡😡

[Jenijenjen]

Bravo! 👏

[Sue]

10 hours ago, Dogkennelhillbilly said:

Rant ahead: You're not one of them but unfortunately, there's a substrate of posters here that do very little except moan and come up with weird conspiracy theories. They're immediately highly critical of just about any change, and their initial assumption is that everyone else is a total fucking contemptible idiot.

For example: don't you think that the people who run the libraries will have considered the impact of timing of reconstruction on library users? (In fact, we know they have - because they've made arrangements at other libraries to attempt to mitigate the disruption). After all, these are the people that spend their whole working week thinking about libraries and dealing with library users (and the kids especially). You don't go into the library game for the chicks and fame - so it's fair to assume that librarians are committed to public service and public access to libraries, including by kids. Likewise the built environment people (engineers, architects, construction managers, project managers, construction contractors, subcontractors or whoever is on this job) are told to minimise disruption on every job they do. The thing that occurs to us as amateurs within 30 seconds of us seeing something is probably not something a full time professional hasn't thought about!

Southwark Council, the NHS, TfL, Dulwich Estate, Thames Water, Openreach - they're not SPECTRE factories filled with malevolent chaosmongers trying to persecute anyone. They're mostly filled with people who understand their job and try to do their best with what they've been given - just like all of us. Nobody is perfect or immune from challenge, and that's fair enough, but why not at least start from the assumption that there's a good reason why things have been done the way they have? Any normal person would be pleased that their busy, pretty, lively local library is getting refurbished, and will have more space and facilities for kids and teens, and will be more efficient to run and warmer in winter.

But no, EDT_Forumite_752 had kids who did an exam 20 years ago, and this makes them an expert on library refurbishment who can see it's all just stuff and nonsense for the green agenda and why can't it all be put off... 😡😡😡

Crikey.

I need a lie down in a darkened room after reading that.

And I've only just got up 🤣

Well said, though (apart from the annoying use of "woke").

Edited 3 hours ago by Sue

[Insuflo]

I’m broadly in agreement with you, Dogkennelhillbilly. But why the meme? It’s a very unfair representation of Sean Dyche, a man who to my knowledge has never engaged in any culture war bollocks. From his Wikipedia entry:

Dyche features in an internet meme criticising modern trends in football, in which the phrase "utter woke nonsense" is attributed to him; he said "I wish I'd copyrighted it. Considering I didn’t actually say it, it does follow me around".