Our story: 100 years
The libraries provided by county councils between 1922 and 1927 were financed almost entirely by the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust (C.U.K.T.), whose aim was to bring rural inhabitants the benefits of free access to books. Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish/American industrialist who, during the final years of his life, donated $350 million, funding thousands of public or ‘free’ libraries. We still have Loughborough’s original Carnegie Library used by customers today.
Leicestershire's history
Two Leicestershire men, William A. Brockington and Herbert Schofield, facilitated this aim as a possibility for the county. In 1920 C.U.K.T. organised the first Rural Library Conference. William Brockington attended and gained an insight into how the scheme would work. He passed on the information to Herbert Schofield who drafted a scheme – eventually to be adopted – and sought financial help from C.U.K.T. for its implementation. In 1922 Schofield successfully secured a grant from C.U.K.T. to set up a county-wide library service with its headquarters based at Loughborough College.
In May 1922 approval was given for a Leicestershire County Rural Library. When it opened in March 1923, the rural library, based at Loughborough College, held a stock of approximately 8,000 volumes, with two honorary librarians and some clerical help. Transport required to deliver boxes of books to rural areas was also provided.
In February 1924 a motion was proposed and passed that the Public Libraries Acts of 1892 and 1919 for the whole county be adopted, with the exception of the Borough of Loughborough and the Urban District of Bottesford and Ibstock. That motion passed in February 1924, determines the foundation date for the County Library Service and the centenary year being commemorated today.
100 years of books
To celebrate 100 years of Leicestershire Libraries, our librarians have picked out a selection of books across each of the decades our service spans. Take a look at these books across the decades:
- 1924 – EM Forster, A Passage to India
- 1934 – PL Travers, Mary Poppins
- 1942 – Agatha Christie, The Body in the Library
- 1952 – JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- 1965 – Frank Herbert, Dune
- 1972 – James Herriot, All Creatures Great and Small
- 1982 – Roald Dahl, The BFG
- 1993 – Sebastian Faulkes, Birdsong
- 2004 – David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
- 2016 – Naomi Alderman, The Power
- 2020 – Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club
Our library service today
100 years on, there are now 53 libraries across Leicestershire including three mobile libraries delivering books and resources to rural communities and a thriving online digital library offering e-books and e-audiobooks for loan. Alongside traditional book lending, there are PCs with free access to the internet, events and activities including the popular Wriggly Readers, an under-fives story and rhyme time, and many other resources for communities. Our libraries have adapted to community need and continue to thrive.
Celebrating our centenary
Pop into your local library or connect with us on social media to find out more!
On Thursday 5 December 2024, we held our first 100 years celebration at Loughborough library. The, then Chairman of Leicestershire County Council Cllr Joe Orson gave a speech and met with former librarian Geoffrey Smith, who was instrumental in supporting the library service for several years.
From May to June 2025, the Loughborough Local Studies Group hosted an exhibition to celebrate 120 years of the iconic Carnegie Library in Loughborough, as well as 100 years of the county library service as a whole.
We have also designed some banners which contain information about our libraries’ history and tell the story of Leicestershire libraries from the 1920s to the present day. They will be touring the following libraries over the next year:
| Date | Library |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | Loughborough Library |
| September 2025 | Shepshed Library |
| October 2025 | Birstall Library |
| November 2025 | Glenfield Library |
| December 2025 | Oadby Library |
| January 2026 | Earl Shilton Library |
| February 2026 | Lutterworth Library |
| March 2026 | Hinckley Library |
| April 2026 | Syston Library |
| May 2026 | Melton Library |
| June 2026 | Ashby Library |
| July 2026 | Coalville Library |
| August 2026 | Broughton Library |
| September 2026 | Blaby Library |
| October 2026 | Wigston Library |
| November 2026 | Market Harborough Library |
Make sure to follow our Facebook | Leicestershire Libraries and Instagram | Leicestershire Libraries pages for more information on planned celebrations and how to get involved!