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Fonds

Southampton City Council: Public Libraries

Catalogue reference: SC/LY

What’s it about?

This record is about the Southampton City Council: Public Libraries dating from 1888 - 1992.

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Full description and record details

Reference
SC/LY
Title
Southampton City Council: Public Libraries
Date
1888 - 1992
Description

Records of The Public Libraries Department

Held by
Southampton Archives Office
Language
English
Creator(s)
<corpname>Southampton City Council, Public Libraries</corpname>
Physical description
13 series
Immediate source of acquisition

These records were deposited January 1966 (Acc. 1325), July 1966 (Acc 1349), April 1971 (Acc 2421)

Administrative / biographical background

The Public Libraries Act of 1850 gave boroughs the right to levy rates for the provision of a free library. It was not until 1887 that this Act was adopted in Southampton, after the local Parliamentary Debating Society and the Council of the Hartley Institution passed resolutions leading to the calling of a public meeting. The resulting Libraries Committee met for the first time in January of 1888, and a year later the town's first free library was opened in two rooms over a stable in St Mary's Street.

The foundation stone for a new Library (on the site of New Place House, London Road) was laid on 31st August 1892 by the mayor, James Lemon; the completed Central Library was opened on 29th July 1893. On 26th April, 1939, the Central Library reopened in a new home - the Civic Centre.

Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/100c3bc5-35f4-4896-aeab-0c44b5ce01b0/

Catalogue hierarchy

27,094 records

This record is held at Southampton Archives Office

You are currently looking at the fonds: SC/LY

Southampton City Council: Public Libraries