Montrose Library

The Montrose Library is situated in an A-listed Carnegie funded building in the north Angus coastal town of Montrose. It was first opened in 1905 and in 2018 received a £1 million refurbishment to provide it with "flexible, community focused spaces

Montrose Library
General information
StatusCategory A listed building
AddressHigh Street, Montrose DD10 8PH
Opened19 October 1905
Design and construction
ArchitectJ Lindsay Grant, Manchester

History

In 1901, Scottish philanthropist Dr Andrew Carnegie, responded to a request for funding to provide a public library in Montrose. “I should be very glad indeed to comply with your suggestion and consider it a privilege. If Montrose will adopt the Free Libraries Act and provide a suitable site, I shall be glad to provide money for the building”- Andrew Carnegie.[1]

The architect commissioned was J Lindsay Grant of Manchester.  The total cost of the building was £7,500 with further contributions from the town of Montrose of £1000, from Mr and Mrs W. Douglas Johnson of £500 and from “Montrosians at home and abroad” of £1000.[2] Contributions for funding the book collection were requested from present and former Montrosians and local children’s families to stock the juvenile section.[3] The library was opened  in 1905 by John Morley MP. Montrose Library was the first ‘open-access’ library in Scotland.[4]

Collections, services and outreach

Montrose Library is run by Angus Alive, a charitable trust running culture, sport and leisure in partnership with Angus Council.

Refurbishment

The library was officially reopened on 5 September 2018 by Scottish author Stuart McBride, after a £1 million refurbishment.

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References
  1. Pinnington, Edward (1905). Montrose Public Library. Montrose: Standard Office.
  2. Montrose Free Library- Second Paper. Montrose: Montrose Library. 1904.
  3. Montrose Free Library. Montrose: Montrose Library. 1904.
  4. Kelly, Thomas (1973). A History of Public Libraries in Great Britain 1845 – 1965. London: Library Association.

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