Bamford & Norden October 2018

From The Archives
LOCAL CARNEGIE LIBRARIES
Following the sale of his assets in 1901
to J P Morgan at the age of 65,
the Scottish steel magnate Andrew
Carnegie, thought at that time to be the
richest man in the world, decided that
the moral obligation of his life would be
to help others, so under the principle of
‘The Gospel of Wealth’ over time he gave
away $350 million.
One significant aspect of this was the
setting up of libraries, the first one being
in his birthplace Dunfermline in 1883
with ‘Let there be light’ above the front
entrance. In subsequent years Carnegie
libraries were opened throughout America
and the world, over 2500 being built
between 1883 and 1929. The first Carnegie
library in Britain was in Keighley in 1899.
There was, however, little or no early library
provision in villages and small towns
outside of Rochdale. A Carnegie bequest
was an answer to this and in the early years
of the 20th century applications for funding
were made to the Carnegie United Kingdom
Trust. The stipulation was that funding
would cover construction only, local
committees having to finance books,
maintenance and repair of buildings, a
reason for some authorities turning down
the opportunity. In applying, proof was
required that there was a local need for a
free library service, a site for construction
and an ability to both pay staff and
maintain the building. These points were
met locally and requests came forward to
the Library Committee to apply for Carnegie
funding from three local councils – Milnrow,
Castleton and Heywood.
It fell as the responsibility of towns to
request Carnegie funding and the vast In Castleton there had been a small branch
majority that did so were accepted at a library at a house in Emma Street in 1901
time when libraries were becoming
but following an application by the Chair
popular as a means of moral and self-help of the Committee, Colonel Fishwick, a
as well as in the education of the poor. grant from Carnegie of £2500 was made
Rochdale had seen the importance of towards a building which subsequently
libraries from the 1850’s when local
opened on Manchester Road in 1905, a
commissioners, backed by Rochdale
gold key presented to the Mayor at the
‘gentlemen,’ considered making a gift ceremony. Designed by Jesse Horsfall, the
towards a free library for the townsfolk library was built with Accrington brick
although such was the stalemate in local and Staffordshire roof tiles and held 10,000
government, the call was still being made volumes. The building served as a local
in the 1870’s! However, the Public Libraries
library until 2007 but due to the need for
Act of 1850 gave local boroughs the extensive repairs has been superseded as a
power to make free libraries and with a library by the community centre. The
thousand Rochdale signatures, a library original building still stands however,
was opened on the second floor of the having at one time been a holistic health
Town Hall in 1872.
centre. It is currently under refurbishment.
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