Between Shelves and Screens: How Barnet Still Uses Its Libraries
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
By Youssef Bashir
Libraries have historically been a site of public access to information; the average person, upon hearing the word library, may tend to imagine a big space with rows and rows of shelves, stacked to the top with books, but not much more. The ease of access to and prevalence of the internet in this day and age may leave many unknowing of anything else that libraries, such as our very own in Barnet, may have to offer. Therefore, comes the question, do the residents of Barnet still value these public spaces, or are they viewed as mere relics consigned to history?
As the doors of Hendon Library slide open and its warmth spills out onto the street, the question feels ever present, what, in this modernised world, do local libraries mean to the people who still walk through their doors? In an age of remote and instant downloads, Barnet’s libraries are often spoken about in terms of budget cuts. Yet standing outside Hendon, Colindale, and Mill Hill libraries over several days, it becomes clear that public feeling regarding these spaces is more layered than simple nostalgia or an acceptance of their decline.
At Hendon Library, where the service alternates between staffed and self-served depending on the day, the mood is practical rather than sentimental. “I don’t mind the self-service bit, actually,” says Rishab Patel, a university student who uses the library between lectures. “It’s nice to have it as an option, rather than it being shut.” For him, Hendon library is not an old-fashioned relic, but a reliable and less-busy workspace than his university’s study areas that does not require buying a coffee. Still, he admits the non-staffed days feel different. “When there’s someone at the desk, it feels more human.”
That human touch is something many older residents, who made up the majority of library users on the days visited, reported to value. Near the noticeboard advertising IT help, Cost of Living support, and the different community language books across Barnet’s libraries, Margaret Allen, 61, shares: “I would be lost without places like this. My children tell me everything is online, but someone still has to show you how to get to what you’re looking for.” Hendon Library’s small but dedicated section for older residents, full of bright posters and straightforward advice, is apparently well used and liked, with several people mentioning it unprompted.
Colindale Library, which also switches between staff days and self-service ones, is slightly bigger and has a more modern feel. Parents with their children, teenagers on the computers and slightly older visitors just reading, share the same space. As she was just leaving the library, Aisha Khan, a local resident who was visiting with her child, praises the “Toddler Time” session that takes place there every Wednesday that she had just found out about, but wishes for more. “I was told it’s only one hour. It would be nice to have something longer, or on different days” she says. Her son tugs at her sleeve, hoping to go back inside and explore, a small reminder that the next generation is already forming its own library habits.
Mill Hill Library tells a different story. It is only ever staff serviced and feels more traditional and calm. However, the trade-off is shorter opening hours and full closures three days a week. “They keep reducing the opening times,” says resident Charles Green, 57. “But when it’s open, it’s brilliant. The staff know everyone.” He gestures towards a staff member while smiling. That scene repeats itself often in Mill Hill Library, reinforcing the idea of it as a place of quiet assistance rather than one that needs to be full to be useful.
Across all three libraries, the question of obsolescence produces mixed reactions. “Books aren’t obsolete,” insists Margaret, firmly. Rishab is more neutral. “The books are nice, but it’s really about the space. The computers and printing are also good to have. Those are definitely not obsolete.” A third space, as urban planners might call it, with useful facilities and information, where no one is expected to spend money, seems to still hold value to many that were spoken to.
Barnet’s libraries may not all be massive, with some more automated, and some offering shorter opening hours than residents would like, but they are far from forgotten. They have survived and continue to aim to be useful to the community, and that is what people notice. As the New Year rings its bell and and resolutions are made, the libraries stand quietly ready, in its visitors’ eyes not as monuments to the past, but as living rooms for a borough deciding what it needs them to be.
Written by Youssef Bashir . Published 5 January 2026.
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