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Description: | Wolverhampton's first Public Library was set up in 1869, under the Public Libraries Act and was situated in the Old Athenaeum in Queen Street. The library became extremely popular and in 1872, the Council moved it to larger premises in Garrick Street. By 1896, approximately 1100 people per day were using its facilities.
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee of 1897 led to the building of the present Central Library. The mayor, Alderman S.Craddock, thought that the construction of a new free library would be a fitting monument to mark the occasion and so with the agreement of the Council, a committee was set up to raise money for a new building. The Diamond Jubilee Fund as it was called, eventually raised 9000 pounds.
Instead of commissioning a designer for the building, the Council decided to hold a competition for architects to submit their designs. A similar competition for the planning of the West Park had been held some years earlier. The conditions of entry were laid down by the Borough Surveyor, with all entrants having to consider construction costs and interior design, both of which were not to exceed 1O,000 pounds and their exterior design had to include something related to the Diamond Jubilee which it commemorated. The competition was won by Henry Hare.
The Council decided to build the new library on the site of what was previously the Old Theatre Royal on the corner of Garrick Street and Cleveland Road, land which had been purchased in 1897. They then had the theatre demolished and sold the remaining materials; the money gained being added to the building fund.
On July 23rd 1900, a foundation stone was laid on the site by the Duke of York, who later became King George V. When construction actually began, the building plans did not totally comply with Hare's original design, various changes having been made, with some rooms having been re-sited. However, the building was completed despite these changes and in 1902, the new Central Library was officially opened.
The interior of the building consisted of four main rooms, the Newsroom, with the Magazine Room opposite, on the ground floor and the Lending Library, with the Reference Library opposite on the top floor. To reduce noise level in the building, the floors were laid in cork.
By 1936, increased use of the library by the public, led to an extension being added to the building. This resulted in rooms being re-sited to their present locations (see description).
The increasing and changing population of Wolverhampton has meant that over the years the Central Library has had to widen its scope, supplying books for people from all walks of life, both cultural and social. There is also a Music Library, where records, cassettes and sheet music are available and an Archives Department is housed in the Reference Library. | Source: | MLA Institutions Server | Address: | Snow Hill,Wolverhampton,West Midlands,WV1 3AX,England | Sector: | Libraries | Type: | Local/Regional government | Jurisdiction: | Wolverhampton | Telephone: | 01902 552025 | Identifier: | 34349 |
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