As of the 2021 Census, 97% of Islington residents had a library within a 15-minute walk, the highest proportion in the country.[6]
History
1855-1921: Founding
Despite the passage of the Public Libraries Act of 1850, it took Islington until 1905 to establish its first public libraries. In that half century, there were a number of failed efforts to establish public libraries.[5]
A first attempt seems to have been made in 1855, when a public meeting was held at St. Mary's, to address a motion from an MP for Finsbury (Thomas Challis) for the establishment of a free public library system. The motion failed, upon objections that war taxation "had greviously burdened" people, and taxing poor ratepayers for the project would cause "more evil than good."[7][8] Another attempt was made in 1874, when Professor Leone Levi proposed the formation of a free public library and museum -- the motion was rejected 1,435 to 338.[9]
In 1897, Passmore Edwards offered £5,000 for the building of a central library, and twice £2,500 for the building of two other library buildings, on the condition that Islingtonians agree to maintain the libraries. Passmore had helped fund libraries in other parts of London (such as in Shepherd's Bush, or Dulwich). In his offer, he lamented that:
"such a large and commanding parish like Islington, should have no such libraries, and particularly when so many other smaller and poorer parishes in London have adopted the Public Libraries Act, and provided themselves with libraries [... I] now leave the matter in the hands of the ratepayers of Islington, and hope they will practically act on it, and so be abreast of other London districts, in the promotion of a great education and ameliorative enterprise."[10]
By a majority of 3,075, Islington ratepayers rejected the proposal.[11]
North Library was the first Islington public library to open, in 1906
A few years later, plans for a central library and four branches were finally adopted, with the support of £40,000 from Andrew Carnegie.[5][12] The system's first library, North Library, opened off of Holloway Road in 1906.[13][14]
In 1908, Islington Chief Librarian James Duff Brown was invited by the Belgian Government to lecture in Brussels and Antwerp on British municipal libraries -- the first time an English librarian had been invited to give such a lecture on the Continent.[15] He closed his speech by noting that British municipal libraries deserved recognition for the "popularising of the book as a vehicle for conveying instruction, amusement, and conserving record."[16]
By 1921, the system had expanded to also include the Central, West and South Libraries (all four considered Carnegie Libraries),[17][18][19][20][21] and to contain more than 95,000 volumes in its lending departments, as well as 10,000 works of reference.[22] Library usage grew dramatically after the end of the first World War. According to a 1922 report of the Islington Public Libraries Committee, the total number of books borrowed was 585,368 in 1919/20 -- this roughly doubled by 1921/22 to 1,052,914.[23]
20th century: service expansion
Following the war, additional branch libraries opened, including a dedicated children's library.[19][24][25]
The passage of the Public Libraries and Museums Act of 1964 mandated that councils provide a "comprehensive and efficient library service" to all those "whose residence or place of work is within the library area of the authority or who are undergoing full-time education within that area".[26]
The 1965 merger of the borough of Finsbury into Islington led to Finsbury Library becoming the newest (and southernmost) public library in Islington upon its opening in 1967.
In the 1950s and 60s, Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell began surreptitiously to remove books from several Islington Libraries and to modify the cover art or the blurbs before returning them -- activities for which they were later convicted and incarcerated. In "Library Tolls and Database Animals," Melissa Hardie argues that "rather than simply disrupt the circulation of library books the men introduced queer objects to the library that facilitated and fostered new and more engaged understandings of the library’s collection of book objects."[27] The book covers (some of which can be viewed online) have since become a valued part of the Islington Local History Centre collection, with some exhibited in the Islington Museum.[28] Amidst debates about how the Orton archives should have been handled, literary critic Simon Shepherd credits librarian Eric Willats as having "the foresight to establish and mainstream an Orton archive before Orton became an industry."[29][30]
21st century: library renovations and budget cuts
In adjusted 2010 pounds, the budget has shrunk by nearly 75%.
In 2004, the N4 library opened, followed in 2008 by the reopening of the Lewis Carroll Children's Library.[31][32]
Budget cuts in the 2010s led to expenditure cuts for libraries,[33][34] which have yet to be reversed. As of 2023/2024, the total expenditure on the library service stood at a little under £3.9 million, a decrease from the nearly £6.8 million in 2010/2011, particularly when accounting for inflation.[25]
The North Library saw its opening hours drop by nearly 25%.
Opening hours for a number of libraries were cut (with the exception of the Central, West and Finsbury libraries), and have yet to fully recover -- as of 2023/24 they were down 6%, or around 1200 hours annually.[25] In 2011, partly to reduce costs, the system began to introduce automated terminals for book check-outs.[35]
In 2016, in partnership with the ALA, British Library and Free Word, Islington Libraries led the organization of Banned Books Week for the first time in the UK. Then Islington council member Asima Shaikh noted that “Islington – one-time home of George Orwell, with its rich history of radical thought, creative expression, and innovation – is the perfect place to celebrate Banned Books Week."[36] Additional iterations took place in 2018, 2019 and 2021.[37][38][39]
In 2017, Islington opened the Cat and Mouse Library, which replaced the John Barnes library, and maintained the number of libraries in Islington -- bucking a national trend of library closures.[40] The Library was named after Cat and Mouse laws, and aims to recognize the sacrifices endured by Suffragettes imprisoned in Holloway Prison, which used to stand nearby.[41]
During the Covid-19 crisis, all libraries were closed to the public at various times,[42] with libraries later serving as vaccination centers.[43]
In 2023, Islington Council ended library fines in the name of access, and in the context of the "cost of living" crisis.[44][45] In 2014/15 and 2015/16, around £60,000 had been charged in overdue fees.[46]
Potential future developments
The development at Vorley Road, expected to start in 2027 and finish in 2029, would include the redevelopment of Archway library.[47]
Governance
Central Library, the main library for Islington Libraries
The Library Service is a part of the Directorate of Community Engagement and Wellbeing.
Within the Islington Council, libraries fall within the Equalities, Communities and Inclusion portfolio. As of 2025, Councillor Sheila Chapman (Labour Party, Junction Ward) is the Executive Member for this portfolio.
The Library Service is also overseen by the Homes and Communities Scrutiny Committee.[48]
Services
Islington Libraries provides a wide array of services, including access to books, music, DVDs and other physical items; access to e-books, audiobooks and other digital media; as well as access to computers and the internet. Five of the libraries (Mildmay, North, West, Central and Finsbury) also offer toy libraries, where parents can borrow toys for their children.[49][50] The service buys monthly selections of LGBTQ+ books from Gay's the word bookshop.[51]:77
They also provide dedicated reading lists on subjects and for specific communities.[52]
Islington Libraries runs a Home Library Service that can bring books, CDs and DVDs to residents in Islington who find it difficult to get to a library because of age, disability, or caring responsibilities.[53] The service is regular and free.
The library also organizes a number of events, ranging from reading and game sessions for children, to exercise and gadget support classes for adults.[54]
Library visits still have not recovered to pre-covid levels -- but are making progress in that direction
In 2024-2025, the library registered 889,990 visits, a 6.5% increase on the previous year, with continued progress towards the pre-covid high of 1,076,355 in 2019-2020 (see figure).[55]
The library issued 530,267 items physically (+12%), and 325,833 items online (+4%). It had 23,472 active members (+5.7%).[55]
62,789 people attended events across the libraries (+9.7%), including 29,633 children.[55]
The borough's LGBT History Month programme is co-organised with Camden with events across both boroughs in February in many of the libraries.[56]
Islington Libraries uses the Library Management Cloud LMS.[57]
As of 2025, Islington operates a total of 10 public libraries, meaning that Islington had one library for every ±22,000 residents.[6]
North, West, Central and South Libraries
Extension of the North Library used as a hospital ward during World War I
The four historic libraries of Islington are Carnegie libraries, and Grade-II listed.[14][18][20][21] They opened between 1906 and 1921.
North Library was designed by Henry T. Hare and was opened on 29 September 1906 by Alderman Henry Mills JP, Mayor of Islington.[19] Between 1916 and 1921, the library was used as a military hospital.[22]
West Library was designed by Beresford Pite, and was built by C Dearing and Sons. It was opened on 24 July 1907 by Alderman G.S. Elliott, and reopened after renovation in 2011.[17][18][19][59]
Central Library construction started in 1906, also with Hare as architect, and CP Roberts as builder. The building was opened by Sir Arthur Rucker on 4 October 1907.[20] The building was enlarged in 1973-76,[19] and renovated in 2019-2022.[60] It remains the headquarters for Islington Libraries.
South Library building construction started in 1915, and was completed in December 1916. The building was designed by Mervyn Macartney.[61] In 1920, the library was taken over by unemployed people, who were forcefully evicted on December 30, 1920.[62] It was opened on 21 May 1921 by EH King.[21]
Finsbury Library was originally supposed to be the central library for the borough of Finsbury, and was built as part of the redevelopment of the Skinners estate.[63] The building was designed by Ludwig Franck; it replaced the Clerkenwell Free Library (built in 1890), known as the "first modern library in Great Britain" for its use of open shelving in 1894.[64][65] Following the merger of Finsbury into Islington, Finsbury Library ended up as a branch library -- but with significant capacity: it also houses the Islington Local History Centre, the Islington Museum, the Islington Computer Skills Centre and the area Housing Office.
Archway, Lewis Carroll, Mildmay, N4, Cat and Mouse Libraries
The Archway Library originally opened on 2 November 1946, and was the first municipal building in Islington to have fluorescent lighting. A redesigned library was opened on 3 December 1980 and was designed by Alfred Head.[19]
The Lewis Carroll Children's Library opened in 1952 as one of the first dedicated children's libraries in London.[24] It reopened from renovations in 2008, and remains the most popular library for school visits.[32]
The Mildmay Library was designed by C.M. Cowney, and was opened on 3 April 1954.[19]
The N4 Library sits alongside the City and Islington College Centre for Lifelong Learning building, on Blackstock Road.[31] Both were opened in January 2004.[66][67]
The Cat and Mouse Library opened on 2 December 2017. It replaced the John Barnes Library, as the Council redeveloped the area.[68]
Map of Islington librariesThe library with the fewest members was the Lewis Carroll Children's Library.
As of the 2021 Census, 97% of Islingtonian residents had a library within a 15-minute walk, the highest proportion in England and Wales (see map). All residents were within a 30-minute walk. According to the 2023-2024 Participation Survey, an estimated 33% of Islingtonians visited a public library in the last year (±5pp).[69]
In 2024/2025, library in the system with the most active members was the Central library with 5793 members, followed by the Archway and South Libraries (see figure).[58]
Awards
In 2018, Islington Libraries won a Social Media Award (delivered by the Publicity and Public Relations Group of the CLIP) for its #Islington50s campaign, which sought to engage residents with 1950s book, music, and film recommendations through various social media efforts.[70]
In 2018, Tony Brown, Islington Council's Library and Heritage Stock and Reader Development Manager, was awarded a British Empire Medal. At that point, Brown had worked in the library service for 38 years, with his first job at the now closed John Barnes Library in Holloway. Upon receiving the award, Brown noted that: "The libraries in Islington are more than just somewhere to borrow books. They are important community hubs, serving as centres of reading, learning, development and a safe space for residents from all walks of life.”[71]
In popular culture
The Central Library was used for the filming of a stop-motion feature film of Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark (2023). Producer and Director Saranne Bensusan chose the library partly because " it has a high enough ceiling for the lighting of the sets."[72]
↑ Hardie, Melissa (28 February 2018). "Library Trolls and Database Animals: Kenneth Halliwell and Joe Orton's library book alterations". Angelaki. 23 (1): 48–60. doi:10.1080/0969725X.2018.1435374.
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