West Library (Islington)

Last updated

West Library
Islington West library (29025188502).jpg
The library in 2016
West Library (Islington)
51°32′27″N0°06′59″W / 51.5409°N 0.1163°W / 51.5409; -0.1163
Location Thornhill Square
107 Bridgeman Road
London, United Kingdom
Type Public library
Established1907 (1907)
Architect(s) Arthur Beresford Pite   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Branch of Islington Libraries
Collection
Size14,887 [1]
Access and use
Circulation32,032 (2024/25)
Other information
DirectorJamie Mearns
Public transit access Overground roundel (no text).svg Caledonian Road & Barnsbury
Piccadilly line roundel (no text).svg Caledonian Road
Victoria line roundel (no text).svg National Rail logo.svg Overground roundel (no text).svg Overground roundel (no text).svg Highbury & Islington
Website

West Library is a public library in the London Borough of Islington, England.

Contents

Located on Thornhill Square, it opened in 1907. It was awarded Grade II listed status in 1994. [2]

History

Establishment

The West Library was opened on 24 July 1907, by Alderman G.S. Elliott, JP, with Percy Harris (then Chairman of the London County Council) and Thomas Lough, MP. The local paper described the ceremony as a 'humorous jumble of bans and blessings'. [3]

The building had an estimated cost of £8,700, of which £5,000 came from Andrew Carnegie, as part of a grant that saw the construction of 4 Carnegie libraries across Islington. [3] [4] [5]

Architect Beresford Pite Arthur Beresford Pite.jpg
Architect Beresford Pite

The library was designed by Beresford Pite, and was built by C Dearing and Sons. Pite was at this point a well-established architect, [6] [7] with other projects including Paganini's Restaurant (c. 1889), Christ Church, Brixton Road (1897-98), and the Chartered Accountants' Hall (1893). Later, he would work on buildings including 30 Euston Square (1905-08), a new entrance to the Burlington Arcade (1911-30), and a cathedral in Uganda (1913-18). [8]

The building is made of yellow brick, set in bands of purple brick, with a slate roof. [2] In the spaces over the windows, all 26 letters of the alphabet are engraved, superimposed on a Greek palmette design. [5]

Avoided closure, renovation

In the late 90s, the library was threatened with closure as part of Islington Council budget cuts. [9] In the end, partly due to an active campaign by the Friends of Islington Libraries, no libraries were closed. [10]

The library in 2020 West Library, Islington - geograph.org.uk - 6363168.jpg
The library in 2020

The library reopened in 2011 following a significant renovation funded by the Big Lottery Fund's community libraries scheme. The renovation added self-service stations, a new reading space, and additional PCs, as well as a lift. [11] At the time, Islington Council's executive member Paul Convery noted that

"this library is an important landmark in Islington. Although there are savings to be made, we should invest in public buildings to make them work better. As a council our total vision is to improve quality of life, and a library is central to this vision. This is a library that does so much more than lend books – it is an educational resource. It is one of our real jewels, and we are determined to preserve what jewels we have.” [9]

In 2021, as part of the "We are Cally" campaign, Islington Council announced that an empty first floor reading room would be made into a youth employment hub. [12]

Services

Loans increase over the summer months. Westlibraryloans2425.png
Loans increase over the summer months.

In 2024/25, the Library had 1,470 active members (8th in the service), and 87,258 visits over the year (5th in the service). On average, it performed 2,669 loans per month (7th in the service), rising to around 3,000 loans in the summer months. [13] The Library also has a toy library, where parents can borrow toys for their children. [14]

On top of serving as a lending library, West Library provides access to 6 free public computers, free wifi, and printing facilities. [15] The Library also hosts Islington's youth employment hub. [12]

In 2018, West Library manager Adenike Johnson reflected that:

"People are really isolated, especially old people, so libraries are their lifeline. In my library we have an exhaustive list of things for the community, from dance classes and live music once a month, to children’s clubs, writing classes, dominoes, baby bounce, cooking and taekwondo – there’s more to libraries than some people think." [16]

The West Library Hall can host around 100 people. In 2024/25, the library hosted events including World Book Night with author Kia Abdullah, and an art workshop event with royal portrait artist Phillip Butah. In 2024/25, West Library welcomed 8,066 attendees for events – 13% of attendees to all Islington Library events. [17]

The lower ground floor and ground floor of the library are wheelchair accessible via a lift. [18]

See also

References

  1. "Collection-main catalogue-west library". Islington Libraries. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 "WEST LIBRARY AND ATTACHED RAILINGS, Non Civil Parish - 1280963 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 Willats, Eric (April 2021). Streets with a Story: The Book of Islington (PDF). Islington Heritage Service.
  4. "Barnsbury Local History Trail" (PDF). Islington Library and Cultural Services. 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 Chandler, Julia (21 August 2016). "Islington West library". The Carnegie legacy in England and Wales. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  6. "Arthur Beresford Pite". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  7. "Arthur Beresford Pite (1861–1934)". Art UK. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  8. "Pite, Arthur Beresford 1861 - 1934". AHRnet. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  9. 1 2 Williams, Helena (10 March 2011). "West Library reopens". Islington Now. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  10. "Where next for our libraries?" (PDF). The Journal of the Islington Society. October 1999. ISSN   1465-9425.
  11. Harper, Paul (8 March 2011). "100-year-old Barnsbury library reopens after makeover". Islington Gazette .
  12. 1 2 Gregory, Julia (8 September 2021). "Youth employment hub on the cards for Islington's West Library". Islington Gazette . Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  13. "Response to Freedom of Information Request 6574453". Islington Council. Information Governance Team. 7 August 2025.
  14. "Find Your Islington | Islington Libraries - Toy libraries". findyour.islington.gov.uk. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  15. "West Library | Islington Council". www.islington.gov.uk. 21 February 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  16. Cumiskey, Lucas (12 October 2018). "Who's who: Islington librarian Adenike Johnson on austerity, 'street corner universities' and growing up in Highbury". Islington Gazette . Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  17. Gannon, Michelle (12 May 2025). Libraries 2024-2025 Performance Report. Islington Council.
  18. "West Library AccessAble". AccessAble. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  19. Aitchison, Max (14 December 2018). "Cally Road transformed to star in series The Crown". The Islington Tribune . Retrieved 30 August 2025.