This is the library that was just down the road from where I lived as a child, and it was my second home. I even dreamed of what it would be like to live in it! What an incredible invention libraries are. I often take them for granted but the freedom and right to borrow books - to take them home for free - is such a wonderful privilege.Today, of course, we can borrow DVDs from the library; we can use the internet there. But the greatest joy is still to be had browsing through shelf after shelf of books.
I searched for 'public lending library history' but, for once, Google let me down. What I did find out was that Scotland's first free Public Lending Library was Innerpeffray Library, which was founded by Lord David Madertie in 1680, when he made 400 of his family books available to the public. Madertie said that the library, and school founded at the same time, were "for the improvement and education of the population particularly the young students."
Libraries in some form or another date back more than 2,000 years but the free public lending library that we have today didn’t come into being until the second half of the 19th century when the Public Libraries Act was passed in 1850.
Libraries in some form or another date back more than 2,000 years but the free public lending library that we have today didn’t come into being until the second half of the 19th century when the Public Libraries Act was passed in 1850.
The Act allowed any municipal borough of 100,000 souls to introduce a halfpenny rate to establish public libraries - although not to buy books - as part of a movement to improve educational opportunities and facilities.
I for one am jolly glad the Act was passed.
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38 comments:
Great idea for the free theme and I like the photograph of the library. It is easy to take libraries for granted but they are a wonderful part of my life.
Thanks for this post. Being a ferocious reader ever since I was a child, I couldn't have satisfied my need for books without public libraries. I now live in a small village in New South Wales, Australia, but our library is actually quite good because it is part of a small network of three different libraries. The best part is that they we can suggest titles the library should stock and in most cases, they will order and buy them for us!
Unfortunately, the government of New South Wales is forever threatening to reduce the funding going to public libraries, making our libraries a threatened treasure.
Great choice for the theme, and I too really appreciated your post! On Sundays I do a "blog your blessing" weekly meme and this week I wrote about our own library and how much it means to us :)
Happy photo hunting!!!
most of us often take for granted our local library for their free lending books enriching our knowledge. Thanks for reminding :)
Good job and sharing on FREE this week Liz. I always get free books and newspaper to read too :)
Please do check out my photos at FREE as in FREE in Criz’s Sanctuary and FREE as in FREEDOM in Insight Criz. Have a nice weekend!
Great post Liz, I am a lover of libraries too. We go every Saturday and have done for more than forty years. Even during the week the "old scientist" will say I'll just walk up to the library ( two miles away).
Have a great weekend Liz.
Ahhh... I forgot that I could borrow books for free at the library. We have several huge libraries in our country and they are not as widely used as they should.
Informative post.
I have done mine.
http://www.keeyit.com/index.php/2008/02/16/photo-hunter-free/
Have a nice weekend.
I love that libraries ar efree I have so many memories of ours in my home town and it is my second home here:>g
Original! :) Great idea.
I spent a lot of time in the library when I was studying and when I went back to graduate school. I like the feel inside the library and I too love browsing on book shelves.
What a great idea for this weeks theme! Thanks for sharing:)
Great take on the theme. We all too often take our freedoms for granted. Pop on over and enjoy your weekend.
Wonderful choice for the theme FREE. Mine's up now, too. Come on over! :D
OOK!
Very good thought out post/photo. I wouldn't have ever thought of the library!
great idea for this week theme..wow, that library is pretty old...great entry..
Great take on the theme! I love my library, they even print out my Chilean newspaper twice a week (I am in Spain) for free and it's much nicer to read than the online version ;)
Happy hunting and happy weekend.
i love to go to library also. But in here, we have to pay per year then we can borrow books for free :D
Will u visit my “Free“ Thanks and have a nice weekend
Great choice for the theme. Happy Hunting.
Good choice for free. Napaboaniya is right, often we take it for granted, especially now that everything can be found in the www.
A free library....but wait, don't your taxes go for keeping it open?
If you haven't visited my 'free photo' drop by ---but wait, visiting hours aren't free by any means. It costs you to surf the 'net! rofl Drop by if you can. I'd love to have you share your comments.
Omg, of course!! I totally forgot about FREE libraries! Bravo! And thank you for pointing that out! We do take libraries for granted but I can't imagine my life without them.
Write From Karen
Fabulous choice for free! Our mom used to practically live in the library - she loves reading and books, and she worked as a library page when she was in high school.
good take on the theme
I love going to the library. Recently, however, I've found libraries that charge for media... like videos and CDs... which doesn't seem to me to be in the spirit of the public library system!
GReat take!
I think it's a scandal that they spend most of their budget ~ when it's not going on DVDs ~ on autobiographies by Jordan and Sharon Osborne! (Hey I shouldn't complain one day they'll be ordering zillions of copies of MY autobiog!!)
Hope all's OK with you Liz I've had some real bad troubles trying to load your blog... utterly no idea why...
have a great weekend!!
;->...
Great thinking for this week's theme. Good job in photo hunting, happy weekend!
FREE RIDE
I agree wholeheartedly. I love libraries too, even if I tend to buy more books than I should! Happy weekend
Libraries are a great example of free! Not to mention the imagination that is opened when you read :)
Excellent post, Liz! How would I ever have managed as a child without a free library? I lived in Llanelli, which at one time had the best public library west of Cardiff.
I like your take on the theme Liz! When I was a kid I half lived in our local library - but now it didn't ring a bell with "free"...
Have a happy Weekend! :)
I am all for FREE libraries and that choice for the theme is great.
I have no memory of that building at all, but then I never knew Bowdler was buried in Oystermouth so my knowledge of the place is patchy. Used to go the hardware shop in the main street often. An old colleague of my father's ran it - Philips by name.
We had at least ten chickens, five ducks,four cats,four dogs briefly,seventeen goats (big mistake) and a cow. I gave up gardening.
Have a good weekend.
Aileni.
It's true that library is so important and useful. But, for a lazy bone like me who just can't finish reading the book at home, library seems to have no function. haha... That's me! :)
Now, this is a good interpretation of Free. I love visiting the library when I was much younger..Now, i find myself buying that paperback at the airport bookstand...
Pearl
Good old Oystermouth library. I've often sat on the wall outside, munching a bag of chips from Johnny's.
So am I!
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