YOU WON! OUR LIBRARY IS SAVED

Nick Galvin (BLAG), Jeff Donaldson (Maianbar Progress), Dani Cooper (BLAG), Justin Case (B&M Chamber of Commerce) after the meeting

At Monday night’s full council meeting, Sutherland Shire Council backed down from its outrageous decision to try and steal your library.
Thanks to all your letters, emails, signs, phone calls, petition signatures, film-making, song-writing and general concerted community action we forced council to listen to us.
We can now look forward to the continuation of our community library in the fabulous, new state-of-the-art building.
Congratulations to everybody!
The hard-fought decision finally came in the form of a “Mayoral Minute”.
Mayor Lorraine Kelly proposed the following motion:
“That council continue to provide a library at Bundeena Public School at existing service levels and within existing budget.”
That motion was passed unanimously.
So many people were involved in this spectacular piece of community action it is impossible to name them all. Specials thanks must go to school principal Michelle Shelton who calmly and methodically negotiated with the council to get this great result.
A big thank-you must also go to Councillor George Capsis OAM, one of Bundeena’s councillors, who led  the fight within council to get this decision overturned.
If you want to personally thank George, his email address is gcapsis@ssc.nsw.gov.au or you can call or text him on 0434 327 758

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Bundeena Library: The Film!

Don’t miss this awesome protest film made by local film-makers Valerie Etienne and Justin Case and starring Dani Karis and YOU!
Enjoy it then share is as widely as you can – FaceBook, email, your own website …
Let’s get this one going viral!
(Here’s the direct link to the video in YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJoC8t6AwTE )

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Latest news

1. First up, there will be NO bus going to council on Monday (21st). Please spread the word. The council are drawing this out longer than we would like and there won’t be a substantive motion about the library at Monday’s full council meeting so there is no point in us being there in large numbers. All being well, we’ll be taking a busload of Bundeenians and Maianbarites to the next council meeting in July.

2. The campaign is going pretty well so far with plenty of press coverage. Council is starting to listen to us but it’s a long way from in the bag. Please keep writing, calling and emailing your councillors. All the contact details are on our website, www.dontstealourlibrary.wordpress.com as well as on a leaflet you should have had in your letterbox.

3. If you haven’t been to the website recently, it’s worth a look with lots of information on the campaign, including a briefing paper to download. And don’t miss the little slideshow starring lots of you – go to www.vimeo.com/12523223

4. There are lots of people working away behind the scenes to stop council stealing our library. Our principal Michelle Shelton and one of our ward councillors, George Capsis deserve special mention for all their hard work. If you are talking to either of them, please let them know you appreciate their efforts.

5. As ever, if you want to lend a hand, drop an email to librarystolen@gmail.com

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A picture tells a thousand words

We asked Bundeena and Maianbar people to send a message to council about the theft of our library.
And, boy, did you respond! Here are all the pictures we took in just a few hours last Saturday.
Maybe our councillors will realise now that we are all individuals and we’re all determined that they will not steal our library!

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Sending a message to council (turn up your speakers!)

Here’s a quick video we made to send council a message about the great library theft. Check it out – how many people do you recognise?
You can also send this link http://www.vimeo.com/12523223 on to anyone you can think of!

Bundeena Library from Nick Galvin on Vimeo.

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Your chance to be a movie star!!

As part of our protest campaign against the closure of Bundeena Public Library, local filmmakers Justin Case and Valerie Etienne will be shooting & producing a video clip or two to appear on our website and YouTube, and be sent to councillors and other interested parties.

As we have little time to act before the vote at the next Council meeting on Monday 21st of June, we would like to film a number of scenes with children and adults this Monday 14th June and we are asking Bundeena/Maianbar residents to come at 10am to Hordern’s Reserve (Bundeena Park between Hodern’s beach and playground) We are hoping to be finished by 12.

Please bring with you BOOKS (a few per person), DRAWINGS and MESSAGES on A4 paper – get your child(ren) to do a drawing, help them to add a few words if they want to, write a catchy/fun message in BIG LETTERS – we will need them all, children’s and adults’ messages on A4, for individual & crowd shots. Also bring a towel or beach chair as we may need you to read at the beach.

Please come along and be part of this great event, we need the Bundeena & Mainabar Village Community to be seen and heard. Please pass this message along to your own networks

Any questions? Give Justin a call on 0413 267 777

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Vote now in the Leader poll!

There’s a great story in the Leader today which also has an online poll. Make your feelings known by voting here. Spread the word to anyone who is interested to have their say.

The “comments” section has also been opened up below the story online. Why not add to the discussion there, too.

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Vote in the Bundeena Library poll over at Bundeena Info

Here’s the link to a poll over at Bundeena Info. Have your say!

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Petition form to download and volunteers needed!

We have already had an extraordinary response to our petition but we still need more signatures. If you haven’t signed or can get out to collect signatures, you can download and print the petition form here. Completed petition forms can be dropped in the letterbox at at 72 Loftus Street.  If you would like to register to volunteer for jobs such as leaflet distribution and petition circulation please email us at librarystolen@gmail.com

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The great library heist protest day!

What an extraordinary morning! The rain stopped, the sun shone and Bundeena and Maianbar folk turned out in their hundreds to protest against the council’s decision to steal our library service.

It was a festive event with plenty of youngsters – and not-so youngsters – dressed up as their favourite literary characters and a very popular sausage sizzle.

But as well as being a fun community morning, there was a very serious side to the event and the anger and disbelief among the crowds was very evident.

It’s a fight we know we can win with concerted community action. If you didn’t manage to make it along you can still register your objection to council’s high-handed and ill-thought-out action by politely writing to or calling as many of our councillors as possible.

All their contact details are listed here. Don’t let council yet again treat the people of Bundeena and Maianbar as second-class citizens!

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