The History of Wakefield Library
Before the current Wakefield Library there have been several libraries in the city. In the 1760s there was a book club which met regularly at Westgate Chapel. In 1799 a ‘Dissenter’s Library’ was established by a Dr Crowther. In 1786 a ‘subscription library’ existed for fee payers. It was moved into the ‘Music Saloon’ on Wood Street in 1823. Gradually the Saloon (and with it the library) became less well used and the building was sold to the Mechanics Institute in 1855. Mechanics Institutes existed across the country as a means for the working classes to learn new skills at lectures and access culture (particularly reading, dancing and music). In 1862 they established a library for their members in the room which housed the defunct subscription library. However, none of these libraries were accessible to the general public.
The 1850 Public libraries act gave borough councils with a population of ten thousand or more the power to spend 1/2d (old pence) rate on the provision of accommodation for a library and/or museum and its maintenance. However, the adoption of this act was subject to approval from two thirds of the rate payers. By the 1890s there was demand for Wakefield to have a ‘free library’ and a Public Library Committee led by a Mr Glover was established to lobby for one. Special polls were held to try to establish public libraries, here is Wakefield’s poster from 1899 which aimed at encouraging our rate payers to vote positively…
Plans for a free library were at first rejected owing to lack of funds. Things changed in 1904 when councillor H.S. Childe contacted Andrew Carnegie. From 1882-1919 the Scottish-born industrialist financed 2811 libraries worldwide, saying he wished ‘to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge’ for all (Carnegie, 1881. In: Bentley and Lound, 2005, p.20). Carnegie agreed to donate £8000 to the building of a free library in Wakefield. A site was chosen on Drury Lane. The new library was built from Crossland Moor stone by the architects Bagnall Brothers.
The library was officially opened with a grand ceremony on 6 June 1906. On a rainy day, thousands came to watch the event. Andrew Carnegie himself came to the opening and was told by Childes, now the mayor, ‘a good Scotsmen was not much inferior to a Yorkshiremen’. Charles Skidmore, a Bradford magistrate, donated 2000 books to the new library, most of which were about Wakefield and its history (Markham, 2005, p.150).
The Drury Lane Library was described by commentators to look like a stable on the outside. Through the entrance way was a grand hall. To its left was the News Room, to the right the Magazine Room. Straight ahead was the large Lending Library, which was joined to the Reference Library and a room for women and children. When it was first opened the library was ‘closed-access’. Customers were not allowed to pick books directly from the shelves, instead they would choose books from a printed catalogue and librarians would retrieve them. This system soon proved difficult to maintain, so in 1912 the library became ‘open-access’ and customers could retrieve books themselves. From the beginning the library had braille books for the benefit of blind/partially sighted readers (Hutchings, 1981).
A Plan of the library when it opened, 1906.
As library usage and the number of books increased, expansion was discussed in the 1930s. In 1935 the Lending Library was extended to make more space to the rear of the building. Soon after a new heating system was introduced. In July 1939 a ‘Junior Library’ was opened for the benefit of younger readers in a side extension. This new room was built from scratch and adjoined the library. Interestingly until recent decades the Junior Library was open for less time than the rest of the library.
The Second World War was a difficult time for the library. As well as staff shortages, the library struggled to get new books. During the conflict paper became rationed, resulting in books becoming more expensive and worn out easily. The library was still facing this problem for years after the war. The official report for the year 1948-49 revealed ‘the high cost of new books shows no signs of yet coming down’ and that 7000 titles had to be withdrawn from circulation due to being worn out (Wakefield Public Libraries, 1949, p.2). It still remained popular and recorded 432,799 issues that year!
In 1956 there was a major refurbishment of the Drury Lane Library. To make the library more accessible, the book shelves were moved away from the entranceway and lowered to make the books reachable for readers. The library counter was moved closer to the entrance. As part of a road widening scheme a long wall in front of the library was demolished, opening the library more to the public by making it more visible.
The library’s exterior before (left) and after (right) the 1956 renovations
The lending library before (left) and after (right) its renovation in 1956.
The library changed even more decade later. In 1962 the Gramophone Record Library was opened. It proved to be a great success and within a few years was expanded. At the end of the 1960s the Reading Room (as the News Room had become known as) was seen as ‘old fashioned’ and was closed. It became a space for exhibitions.
For National Library Week in 1967 Wakefield Library won the prestigious ‘Winston Churchill Award’ in recognition of its programme of activities (including a story time), exhibitions and its successful extension. Librarian Hutchings described it as ‘the highlight of the library’s later years… perhaps of its whole existence’ (Hutchings, 1981, p.6). There was great celebration in the library and many events were held to mark it, including a literary themed dinner at the Town Hall.
In 1974 Wakefield became one of the five Metropolitan Districts of West Yorkshire. Wakefield Council gained responsibility for the surrounding libraries, including Ossett, Castleford and Pontefract. They also gained responsibility for the old West Riding County Library Headquarters on Balne Lane. Founded in 1964, this library was a large aluminium-covered building with a Lending Library and reference rooms which had served the whole of the West Riding County library network. Following these developments, it was decided to move the local history department and most of the Reference material from Drury Lane to Balne Lane. Balne Lane also held an estimated 500,000 items of music sheets in its Music Library as well as numerous other departments and offices (Wakefield Express, 2011, p.13). Drury Lane was still recognised as Wakefield’s ‘Main Library’ and became the main centre for popular non-fiction, adult fiction and junior fiction.
1981 saw Drury Lane marked its 75th birthday. To mark the occasion there was a great celebration with the staff dressing in Edwardian-style clothing (to mark the era the library was founded in). Shortly afterwards the old Junior Library moved to the former reading room and the children’s library was turned into the ‘Ad-Lib Gallery’. This room was rented out to local groups and held all manner of exhibitions, meetings and performances.
In 1996 the library celebrated its 90th birthday. Staff wore Edwardian fancy dress again and re-enacted the original opening of the library. Soon afterwards in 1999 a regular Reader Group was founded. This proved to be so popular a second group was formed meeting at a different time. A few years later in 2003 the library was given computers for the public to use with internet access.
By 2006 the library had been at Drury Lane for 100 years. By this time there were plans to combine Drury Lane and Balne Lane into a single library in a more central location in Trinity Walk shopping centre. This plan fell through owing to the 2009 Global Financial Crisis, but there were still hopes of relocating both libraries to a central location. In 2011 the decision was made to move the two libraries plus Wakefield Museum to the then under construction Wakefield One, an office block run by the council. There was much moving, most of the stick from Drury Lane and Balne Lane was moved to a first floor room in Wakefield One. The Drama Sheets from Balne Lane was sent to Leeds Library with the Music Sheets heading to Huddersfield. Other departments from the now defunct Balne Lane building including library administration, schools library service, and the mobie and home library service were dispersed across the district as the huge old Balne Lane former West Riding Library Headquarters building was closed down.
Balne Lane ceased being used as a library in March 2012. It was demolished and affordable housing built over it. From October 2012 the Wakefield One Library opened and Drury Lane too ceased to be used as a library. In November 2015 it became the ‘Art House’, a venue that hosts artist’s studios, exhibitions and major events.
Wakefield One Library under construction, 2011
The majority of the former Drury Lane and Balne Lane Library books were moved to a large, spacious room on the first floor of Wakefield One. Through the entranceway immediately ahead are the adult novels (including audiobooks). To the right passed the help desk is the children’s area. There are regular crafts and story times for youngsters. To the left is non-fiction books. As well as coffee machines and computers there is comfy seating and tables dotted around the library. The library also includes a ‘Learning Zone’ room which is used for staff training, events and creative activities. The bulk of local history from Balne Lane was moved to another room on the ground floor called the ‘Local Studies Library’. Wakefield Museum also moved in together with the library so that people could both do their own research in the Local Studies Library as well as view hundreds of fascinating artefacts and exhibitions created by Wakefield’s Curators, which tell the story of our city and district beyond. As well as thousands of books about Wakefield and the surrounding area, there is a treasure trove of historic newspapers in the form of Microfilms with special machines to view them with.
At the time of writing the former British Home Stores building, opposite the Cathedral on Kirkgate right in the centre of the city, is being renovated. When the project is finished the library and museum will be moved into this new building. It has been planned for the children’s library to be on the ground floor and share an innovative interactive combined play area with the Museum. The rest of the library will be upstairs along with meeting rooms and the local studies library. Wakefield Library will again be on an exciting new journey to develop its offer to a new generation of Wakefield district residents and visitors.
References
Books
Bentley, P.L. and Lound, M (2005) Castleford Free Library, 1905-2005. Castleford Press, Castleford.
Hutchings, S (1981) Wakefield Drury Lane library, 1906-1981, A Historical Summary. Wakefield Metropolitan District Libraries: Wakefield.
Markham, L (2005) The Wharncliffe Companion to Wakefield & District. Pen and Sword Books: Barnsley.
Photographs
Geograph (2018) Mechanics Institution, Wood Street. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5830573
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1906) The opening ceremony of Wakefield Free Library on Drury Lane, Wakefield, June 2nd 1906. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=4378
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1906) Drury Lane Junior Library, Wakefield. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=7171
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1956) A view of Drury Lane and Back Lane, Wakefield, before improvements, 1956. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=7483
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1956). Wakefield Drury Lane Library before alterations, Wakefield, 1956 [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=9543
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1956). Wakefield Drury Lane Library after alterations, Wakefield, 1956 [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=10248
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1956) Improvements to Back Lane and Drury Lane, Wakefield, 20th March 1957. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=7422
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1956) The opening day of the Gramophone Record Library at Drury Lane Library, Wakefield. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38dKVckSDAk
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1964) Wakefield Library Headquarters. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=15658
Twixt, Aire and Calder (c.1965) West Riding County Library Headquarters, Balne Lane, Wakefield. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=10582
Twixt, Aire and Calder (c.1965) Circulation Department, Wakefield Library Headquarters. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=15655
Twixt, Aire and Calder (1981) 75th Anniversary of Drury Lane Library, Wakefield. [online]. [Date Accessed: 16 March 2024]. Available at: https://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/image-detail/?id=7101
Newspapers
Anon (2011) ‘Talks over Future of Collection’. Wakefield Express. 11 November. p.13.
Carr and Hewitson (undated) ‘Why Should Wakefield Have a Public Library?’. Herald Offices: Wakefield.
Webpages
Bagnalls of Wakefield (2024) ‘Press- generosity that spoke volumes’. [online]. [Date accessed: 14 March 2024]. Available at: https://bagnallancestry.co.uk/press/wakefield_express/generosity_that_spoke_volumes.asp
Reports
City of Wakefield Public Libraries (1949) Report for the Year, April 1948-March1949. Terry and Nephew ltd: Dewsbury.
Posted on May 2, 2024, in Uncategorized and tagged community, libraries, Library, news, public-libraries. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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