Falkirk Public Library

Falkirk Public Library is a public library in Falkirk, Scotland. It is administered by Falkirk Community Trust.

Falkirk Public Library
Falkirk Public Library plaque
Former namesDollar Free Library
General information
LocationHope Street, Falkirk, FK1 5AU
Town or cityFalkirk
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates56°00′06″N 3°47′18″W
Opened1904
Website
http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/venues/falkirk-library/

Local author Alan Bissett credits the library for giving him his passion for writing.[1]

History

In March 1886, Robert Dollar, a wealthy Scots-American industrialist born in Bainsford, Falkirk, wrote to the Falkirk YMCA offering them £5,000 fund a “free library without any charges and open to all denominations” for the local community. In October of 1887 the local YMCA asked the public for donations to help further fund the first library in the area. After a successful fundraising the Dollar Free Library opened in Falkirk in June of 1888.  It loaned over 20,000 books and served more 1,000 patrons in the first nine months.

Falkirk Town Council took over the library in 1896 under the Public Libraries (Scotland) Act and appointed the first librarian, George Chapman. Dollar had already agreed that in the event of the burgh adopting the Free Libraries Act that his library could be transferred to the town and the use of the premises be granted free of charge.

In 1897 philanthropist and businessman Andrew Carnegie pledged £2,500 to build a new library in the town, asking for the public to match his donation to fund the building of the a new premises. The funds were raised by public subscription. The Town Council awarded the design contract to architects McArthy and Watson of Edinburgh. Building work was completed in 1902 when Carnegie visited to officially open the building itself. It would open as a functioning library to the general public in 1904.[2]

Listed building

Because Falkirk Public Library was designed by architects McArthy and Watson in 1901 in the style of 14th century gothic, it became a category B Listed building in 1972.[3]

Services

Falkirk Public Library offers book lending, computer access and courses, a reference library as well as a local and family history collection.[4] The local history collection contains the local newspaper the Falkirk Herald (founded in 1845).[5] Family history resources include local census returns, IGI, church records and monumental and burial inscriptions.

Falkirk Library provides a podcast and blog.[6]

References
  1. "A Love Letter to Falkirk Library from Author Alan Bissett". Scottish Book Trust. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  2. Falkirk District Council: Leisure Service Department (1993). This is your Library: Falkirk Public Library. Falkirk District Council. pp. 2, 3, 4.
  3. "PUBLIC LIBRARY HOPE STREET". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  4. Falkirk Community Trust. "Falkirk Library". Falkirk Community Trust. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  5. "Guide to Scottish Newspaper Indexes". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  6. Falkirk Community Trust. "Library Love Falkirk". Library Love Falkirk. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
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