The Library at Willesden Green (simply known as Willesden Library) is a

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...

complex situated in Willesden Green,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The centre includes a public library which spans over 3 floors, and includes a library for children. It includes 40,000 books, and offers computer and study spaces. The library is operated by

Brent Council Brent London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Brent in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. It is based at Brent Civic Centre in Engineers W ...

and houses governmental archives on Brent. Since 2006, the Brent Museum has been located in the building and since the 2015 redevelopment, a performing arts space, as well as an art exhibition gallery, was added to the building. The library is open to the public 7 days a week.

History

1894–1979: Opening

The original library was built in the 1890s. It officially opened on 18 July 1894 and was considered a grand occasion that included a concert of classical music and songs. It was later extended on 26 April 1907, when it was increased from one to two storeys. The area of Willesden was considered an area of decline as little to no redevelopment had taken place after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

1980–2010: Old complex

The library was rebuilt in the 1980s with a £5 million repayable loan over 60 years, to pay for it. Later a £3.1 million Lottery grant was awarded to allow the Brent Archives to move into the location. The building still incorporated elements from its Victorian heritage. It was rebranded as ''Willesden Green Library Centre''. The Library centre was a

but also housed a cinema and an independent bookshop named ''The Willesden Bookshop''. The new library opened in 1989.

2011–present: Refurbishment

Brent Council was taken to the High Court by Brent campaigners over its conclusion to close down six of the borough's libraries in a bid to cut council spending and help it save over £10m In 2011. In 2012, the building closed for redevelopment. The redevelopment cost £10million and took three years to complete and reopened as The Library at Willesden Green in 2015. The new centre contains a public library, 40,000 books, an art gallery, a museum, an exhibition area and a performance space. It was designed by the team at

Allford Hall Monaghan Morris Allford Hall Monaghan Morris is an architecture practice based in Clerkenwell, London, with offices in Bristol and Oklahoma. History Set up in 1989 by Simon Allford, Jonathan Hall, Paul Monaghan and Peter Morris, the practice employs over 500 pe ...

and won numerous awards for its design including the

Civic Trust Award The Civic Trust Awards scheme was established in 1959 to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. As the longest standing built environment awards scheme in Europe, since 1959, more than 7000 projects have ...

(2017), RIBA London Region Award (2017), Brick Awards for Best Public Building (2016) and the WAF Civic and Community Award (2016).

Brent Museum

Brent Museum initially opened up in 1977 as ''The Grange Museum of Community History'' in Neasden. It collects the history of the borough, housing over 10,000 items including artefacts, video and oral history recordings. The museum has collections of items that are over thousands of years old but also works with local people to update their collections. Many of its collections reflect working and domestic life in Brent. The museum has undergone several changes in line with the renovations of The Library. It is part of the Heritage Services of Brent. The museum moved to its current home in The Library at Willesden Green in 2006 where it was added to the first floor of the library in the old complex. Most artefacts in the museum directly correlate to the history of Brent and depends largely on donations and bequests. With the redevelopment of the Library, the museum saw further renovations alongside it and was added to the second floor of The Library with updated collections and new interactive educational displays which visitants can interact with and implement other senses too. The museum contains a focus on the

old Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium (; originally known as the Empire Stadium) was a stadium in Wembley, London, best known for hosting important football matches. It stood on the same site now occupied by its successor. Wembley hosted the FA Cup f ...

and a display on the area's short-lived, nineteenth-century

Watkin's Tower Watkin's Tower was a partially completed iron lattice tower in Wembley Park, London, England (then in Middlesex). Its construction was an ambitious project to create a -high visitor attraction in Wembley Park to the north of the city, led by the r ...

Gallery

Image:WillesdenLibrary1907.jpg, The original library after its 1907 extension Image:Willesden Old Library.jpg, Original Victorian building, 2006 Image:Willesden_Green_Library_Centre_-_geograph.org.uk_-_700249.jpg, Old complex, 2008

Popular culture

* British rapper Nines recorded some visuals for his single " Trapper of the Year" outside the library.

References

External links

Keep Willesden Green

Brent Libraries
{{Authority control Libraries in the London Borough of Brent Public libraries in London Willesden 1894 establishments in England Museums in London