Radford-Lenton Library is celebrating its centenary with an event featuring live music, crafts and local history displays on Saturday 31 October.
The library opened on 22 October 1926, supported by Carnegie funding and a grant from the Miners’ Welfare Committee’s Wollaton Group towards the building and equipment.
The first book borrowed was The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, issued to Councillor G. H. James JP.
Designed by Nottingham City Engineer T. Wallis Gordon in an Elizabethan-inspired style, the library opened on the same day as Wollaton Library and Wollaton Hall as a public museum.
Shortly before the opening, the Nottingham Evening Post reported that “it is largely owing to the actions of the Miners’ Welfare Committee (Wollaton Group) in promising a substantial grant towards the cost of buildings and equipment that it has been possible to carry through the scheme”.
Nottingham City Libraries will mark the anniversary with a birthday event from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 31 October.
Activities will include performances by Carlton Brass Band, birthday speeches and cake cutting, along with crafts and bat puppet making led by puppeteer Laura Mathews.
Visitors will be able to share memories and messages on a Birthday Wish Wall and view local history materials from Local Studies. The library’s Knit & Natter group will also display 100 commemorative bookmarks, with refreshments available throughout the event.
Councillor David Mellen, Executive Member for Culture, Communities and Tourism, said:
“It’s wonderful to see Radford-Lenton Library reach its 100th birthday. A lot has changed since the library first opened its doors in 1926, and libraries have adapted to meet the needs of different generations. But what has remained the same is their importance as welcoming community spaces where people can learn, discover new interests and connect with others.
“This anniversary is a chance to celebrate not only a remarkable building, but also the thousands of local people who have used and supported the library over the years. It’s wonderful that, 100 years on, Radford-Lenton Library continues to be a valued and well-used part of local life.”
The event is open to everyone, including regular library users and residents interested in learning more about its history.
