Marijke Good is known as being the chairwoman of the PHCA who runs the Primrose Hill Community Library. The idea for the Primrose Hill Community Library came about on Saturday 31 March 2012, when Chalk Farm Library sadly closed its doors for the last time. Below you will learn how Marijke Good and an amazing bunch of other volunteers created the Primrose Hill Community Library.
1. What is the history of the Primrose Hill Community Library?
It started as with almost all community libraries: in 2012 Camden Council decided to close down Chalk Farm Library. The community, led by volunteers involved in the Primrose Hill Community Association and Friends Group, and encouraged by local councillors, objected and were told that if they came up with a plan of how to run it and raised enough cash to back that plan, they could run it themselves. So they did!
On 31st March 2012 Chalk Farm Library closed its doors for the last time and within a month Primrose Hill Community Library opened its doors for the first time. First of all this was only on Saturdays, but once volunteers were trained and staff were in place, IT was sorted out and library cards had arrived, we opened Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, leaving the other days free to rent out, to supplement donations to keep going. And kept going we have, with some ups and more downs, to finally arrive at a point where everything is working smoothly, most of the time. At the head we have a great group of volunteers, each with their own strengths that complement one another. That is how we have survived and are now going from strength to strength.
2. How has the Primrose Hill community benefitted from having the library at its heart?
Primrose Hill has always had a strong community, with the Primrose Hill Community Association at its heart. People felt very strongly that, even though the council thought that people could go to the Camden Town or Swiss Cottage library, for the elderly and the very young, this wasn’t so easy and this has proven to be correct, as most of our visitors are the elderly and the very young. It is a warm, dry place to visit in bad weather, it is where you can find a friendly face and a chat when you need it and somewhere quiet to work or study, with free WiFi of course. And it is not too far to go – very important for people who are not so mobile.
3. What are Primrose Hill Community Library’s main challenges?
We have had many, as you may understand. We had to learn everything there was to learn about running a library, as Camden just gave us the use of the building and donated their collection of books, which hadn’t been updated since the decision was made to close it. But we learned and at the moment it is running very smoothly. So, now our main challenge is raising the money each year to cover our annual deficit to run a library which is free to its members and users. The other challenge is to try and bring in more teenagers, which is a common challenge for libraries across the country.
4. How many volunteers do you have working at your library?
We have 57 active volunteers, 43 who work on the front desk and 14 organise regular events.
5. What do people enjoy the most about volunteering at the library?
Different people enjoy different things about volunteering in our library: some like the company, some just love books and since Covid, we have more young volunteers, who work from home and need to get out. But I think the common denominator for all our volunteers is that they like doing their bit for the community.
6. Which of your events at the Primrose Hill Community Library are the most popular?
We have many events, some run by our volunteers and some where people just rent the library. From our own events, the children’s ones are probably the most popular, like Rhyme Time, still going strong, and a new story time on Saturday morning, run by a lady called Tracy. But we have popular events for adults too, like our weekly Games Nights, our biweekly Chess Night, for both young and old with an opportunity to learn as well as play and our monthly Book Talks and, of course, the Music Nights. And let us not forget the Film Club.
7. In Primrose Hill celebrities feel comfortable living a low-key life; are any of them book worms who visit the library?
Not many celebrities come to borrow books, but when asked to do a fund raiser, most are very willing and helpful. Alan Bennett of course, has been extremely supportive, has done many events and fundraisers for us and used to come in to do photocopying. Never to borrow books, as he owns too many, but has donated quite a few. But almost every celebrity has done their bit for us when asked, whether at individual events or the fantastic Book Festivals.
8. What has been your favourite memory of running the Primrose Hill Community Library?
There are many good memories, but I still get a kick every time out of people saying what a lovely friendly library it is and how they love that it is still there. And I love the fact that we buy new books every month, chosen by our excellent book committee of volunteers and most of the books tend to be very popular.
9. What are your future plans for the Primrose Hill Community Library and which direction do you think that it will be going in the future?
We live by the saying: “If it don’t need fixing, don’t fix it.” And the library doesn’t need fixing, not anymore. We are here to lend books to our community and to bring people together. It is what we have been doing since we opened our doors in 2012 and it is what we will be doing hopefully for years to come. The rest is just fluff on the side.
Primrose Hill Community Library
© Adam Reeves, 2026, all rights reserved.