Central Library in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, Scotland, opened in 1890, was the first
public library
A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...
building in the city. Edinburgh Central library comprises six libraries: Lending, Reference, Music, Art and Design, Edinburgh and Scottish, and the Children's Library.
History
Today there are 28 public libraries in Edinburgh but, as the first to open in the
Scottish
Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including:
*Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland
*Scottish English
*Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
capital, the creation of Central Library was funded with £50,000 by
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...
.
[Central Library](_blank)
City of Edinburgh Council[Edinburgh Public Libraries 1890–1950, p. 2][Armstrong & White, p. 3] At the opening ceremony a telegram from Carnegie was read out stating: "We trust that this Library is to grow in usefulness year after year, and prove one of the most potent agencies for the good of the people for all time to come."
The site selected for the library was the former home of
Sir Thomas Hope, 1st Baronet Hope of Craighall, advocate for
King Charles I.
The structure, built in 1616, was demolished in March 1887 to make way for the library.
The
lintel
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented/structural item. In the case ...
from Hope's home, bearing the carved inscription ''TECUM HABITA 1616'' from the fourth satire of
Persius
Aulus Persius Flaccus (; 4 December 3424 November 62 AD) was a Roman poet and satirist of Etruscan origin. In his works, poems and satire, he shows a Stoic wisdom and a strong criticism for what he considered to be the stylistic abuses of his ...
, is preserved above an inner doorway of the library.
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
A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...
of
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
George Washington Browne
Sir George Washington Browne (21 September 1853 – 15 June 1939) was a Scotland, Scottish architect. He was born in Glasgow, and trained there and in London. He spent most of his career in Edinburgh, although his work can be found throughout ...
's
French Renaissance
The French Renaissance was the cultural and artistic movement in France between the 15th and early 17th centuries. The period is associated with the pan-European Renaissance, a word first used by the French historian Jules Michelet to define ...
-styled building.
Washington Browne's design was the winning entry in the architectural competition for the new library and was selected from 37 submissions. His grand building stands three levels tall above George IV Bridge and reaches down to the Cowgate below, spanning the disjointed streets of
Edinburgh's Old Town.
Above the main door is the motto, "Let there be Light" which Carnegie insisted was placed above the entrance to every library he funded.
The facade of Central Library is also decorated with stone carvings depicting the coat of arms of the City of Edinburgh, Coat of Arms of Scotland and the Royal Arms. There are nine small square reliefs relating to printers and a large sculpture of Caledonia by
Alexander Handyside Ritchie.
Records for 1890, the first full year the library was open, show that over 440,000 book loans were issued.
Central Library has been adapted and expanded many times over the years.
Only a year after opening, the library was already running out of space and a book store was added in 1903. By 1928, the library was short of space again. Proposals were made for a better use of the space and a public lift was installed.
In 1930, the adjacent building at No.3 George IV Bridge was acquired allowing the library to expand again.
Further nearby premises were bought in the 1940s. In 1961 a mezzanine level was created above the former Newspaper Room.
In May 2014, the new children's and music libraries were opened within the main library building. These had previously been housed in a separate building on George IV Bridge. The children's library features a wall graphic by award-winning children's book illustrator
Catherine Rayner.
In November 2017, on the 100th anniversary of her death, a memorial to Dr
Elsie Inglis, the founder of the
Scottish Women's Hospitals, was unveiled at Central Library.
Collections
As with all public libraries in Edinburgh, adult collections are organised using the
Library of Congress Classification
The Library of Congress Classification (LCC) is a system of library classification developed by the Library of Congress in the United States, which can be used for shelving books in a library. LCC is mainly used by large research and academic li ...
system.
Since
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
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
The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) (pronounced ) colloquially known as the Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject. ...
scheme.
[Edinburgh Public Libraries 1890–1950, p.4]
Edinburgh Central Library holds in its collections three of the
Scottish book sculptures, which are on display in its main foyer. The sculptures were the work of an anonymous artist who left these artworks among a series of other in literary venues during the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2011. The sculptures in the collection depict a magnifying glass, a teacup and a small figure 'lost in a book'.
File:Scotland Book Sculptures 3.jpg, alt=Lost in a good book..., 2011, Lost in a good book..., 2011
File:Scotland Book Sculptures.jpg, alt=Magnifying glass, 2011, Magnifying glass, 2011
File:Scotland Book Sculptures 2.jpg, alt=Tea, cake and a book, 2011, Tea, cake and a book, 2011
Art and Design Library
Based with in the Central Library building, the Art and Design Library features collections focusing on architecture, design, fine art, photography, and more. There is also a collection of Artist Books.
Within the Art and Design Library, patrons can find study space to utilize and "exhibition space for local artists and groups" is available.
Currently, the Art and Design Library is undergoing renovation. The library website states that "the Photography Room and the periodicals - is currently inaccessible due to maintenance and repair work. Unfortunately, staff cannot access stock in this area at this time. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. The rest of the Art and Design Library remains open as normal and access to the annexe stock remains unaffected."
Central Children's Library
Based within the Central Library building, the Children's Library is focused on providing resources for younger patrons including books and DVDs. The Children's Library offers programs such as story times, rhyme times, and "Chatterbooks book group for 8 to 11 year olds."
Music Library
Based within the Central Library building, the Music Library contains "the largest collection of publicly accessible material on music and dance in Scotland including sheet music, books and recorded music on CD, DVD, and streaming throug
Naxos Music Library" Patrons can also book "digital pianos, drums and keyboards" or music practice space.
In partnership wit
Tinderbox Orchestra the Music Library offers a collection of musical instruments available for library patrons to borrow. Available instruments include "saxophones, trombones, clarinets, flutes, keyboards, accordions, guitars, ukuleles, violins and cellos." The instruments have been donated by the local community and the library has put out the call for additional instruments, especially "if you have an instrument gathering dust, please consider donating it to" the Music Library.
Filming Location
Edinburgh Central Library was used as a filming location for the TV series Rebus, during episode one Black & Blue. Outside building shots were taken and as well as a scene in the reference section.
Gallery
File:Central Library, Edinburgh 001.jpg, Upper Floor Reference Library with original card indices and an abundance of natural lighting
File:Andrew Carnegie bust, Edinburgh Central Library.JPG, Andrew Carneige bust
File:Carnegie motto, Edinburgh Central Library.JPG, Andrew Carnegie motto - Let There Be Light
File:Central Library, Edinburgh-dome.jpg, Domed ceiling
File:Central Library from Greyfriars Kirkyard.JPG, Central Library and St Mary Magdalene Chapel viewed from Greyfriars Kirkyard
File:John Day tablet, Edinburgh Central Library.JPG, John Day's motto on the facade of Edinburgh Central Library.
File:Walter Chepman tablet, Edinburgh Central Library.JPG, Walter Chepman tablet, Edinburgh Central Library
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
City of Edinburgh Council page for the libraryCentral Library - Facebook page*
{{Authority control
Library buildings completed in 1890
Libraries in Edinburgh
Category A listed buildings in Edinburgh
Listed library buildings in Scotland
1890 establishments in Scotland
Public libraries in Scotland
Carnegie libraries in Scotland
Renaissance Revival architecture in the United Kingdom
Libraries established in 1890
Government buildings with domes
Domes in the United Kingdom