Central Library, Edinburgh

Panoramic image of the front of Central Library on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh.

Central Library in Edinburgh, opened in 1890, was the first public library building in the city.[1] Today there are 28 public libraries in the Scottish capital[2] but, as the first, the creation of Central Library was funded with £50,000 from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.[3] At the opening ceremony a telegram from Carnegie was read out stating: "We trust that this Library is to grow in usefullness year after year, and prove one of the most potent agencies for the good of the people for all time to come."[3]

Central Library and St Mary Magdalene Chapel viewed from Greyfriars Kirkyard
The Reference Library on the upper floor of the Library. Largely unchanged from opening, the room has the original card indices, and is well-supplied with natural lighting.

Carnegie's funding was initially an offer of £25,000 in 1886 which was doubled, overcoming prior opposition to the establishment of a public library, the city—last of those to do so in Scotland—adopted the Public Libraries Act and on 9 July 1887, Carnegie laid the foundation stone of architect George Washington Browne's French Renaissance-styled building.[3]

Records for 1890, the first full year the library was open, show that over 440,000 book loans were issued;[3] current records indicate that today, over a century on, the library issues over 500,000 book loans annually[4]

In May 2014 new children's and music libraries were opened within the main library building. These departments had previously been housed in a separate building on George IV Bridge. The children's library features wall graphics by award-winning children's book illustrator Catherine Rayner.

As with all public libraries in Edinburgh, adult collections are organised using the Library of Congress Classification system.[5] Since Wigan dropped the system during a 1974 local government reorganisation, Edinburgh is the only municipality in the UK continuing to use it. Children's books are organised under the more-widespread Dewey Decimal Classification scheme.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Edinburgh Public Libraries 1890–1950, p.2
  2. ↑ Central Library City of Edinburgh Council
  3. 1 2 3 4 Armstrong & White, p.3
  4. ↑ City of Edinburgh Council
  5. ↑ Bowman, J. H. (November 2005). "Classification in British Public Libraries: A Historical perspective" (PDF). Library History. 21: 161.
  6. ↑ Edinburgh Public Libraries 1890–1950, p.4

Coordinates: 55°56′54″N 3°11′33″W / 55.9483°N 3.1924°W / 55.9483; -3.1924

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