CAMPAIGNERS who prevented the closure of a 100-year-old library have been nominated for the prestigious Contribution To Arts and Culture Award in this year’s Argus Community Stars.

The prize, sponsored by the host of the awards ceremony, the Theatre Royal, has in past years gone to Fringe performances and art installations.

This year the saviours of the twice-threatened Hove Library, formally the Andrew Carnegie building in Church Road, are in the running for the award.

Having first been rescued from closure in 2003, the 1908 building has once again been snatched from the jaws of redevelopment by campaigners.

Their opposition to plans to create a new modern structure for the community and turn the existing building into flats bore fruit at a July council meeting at which Green and Conservative councillors worked together to vote down the Labour administration’s plans.

Campaigner Cllr Robert Nemeth said: “The Save Hove Library campaign, which saw volunteers drawn from a large cross section of society locally, may well have been the most successful community campaign of the past year.

“The most passionate campaigners stood outside the library in all weathers and attended council meetings with pertinent questions.

“Thousands of residents got behind them with posters and letters. The end result was that Hove Library was once again saved.”

Last year the award was scooped by the Hove Plinth, a public art competition which featured eye-catching design concepts including the solar system, the fluidity of the sea, a covert antique cameraman and a prancing multicoloured horse.

The competition was spearheaded by the Hove Civic Society, which called for artists to submit their ideas for pieces of art to feature on the seafront plinth.