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Local Public Libraries
In 1916 the Epsom correspondent for the Advertiser, normally a zealous supporter of the town, felt he had to highlight its shortcomings. There were no handsome structures in the High Street and the area lacked beautiful parks: no municipal baths had been provided, and worst of all there was nothing in the way of a public library. Over the next eighty years most of these shortcomings were to be remedied, but the path to modern library facilities was a long one. In 1940 contractors set up a temporary wooden building on the Waterloo Road site, just to keep the service going through the War. As the century approached its end, the temporary wooden building was still in use, but plans had been drawn up at last for a truly up-to-date library, now the Ebbisham Centre The first libraries in the area were not a public service, but an amenity in gentlemens' houses. The earliest, and the most distinguished, was that of the Lumleys at Nonsuch Palace. Henry, Earl of Arundel, had acquired the library of Thomas Cranmer when the king's minister was arrested in 1553; Arundel himself had few pretensions to learning, and disliked foreign languages, so his only additions to the collection were a few works on military tactics. But his heir, John Lord Lumnley', was a true bibliophile and built up the collection until when catalogued in 1609 it contained 2,800 books. Eventually these were 'dysparsed sundry ways', but some of them survive today in the British Library. The earliest public library - which was also the first public building, other than a church, to be built in Epsom - was the Literary Institute, which opened in about 1830 and continued in use until it fell victim to the High Street widening of 1937. The Literary Institute stood between the present Boots and Woolworths: it consisted of a large room, able to seat up to 150 people, and a library of more than 2,000 books. The large room was intended as a reading room, and stocked the newspapers of the time. Two members stood at the door checking the tickets of those who wished to enter, reading them by the light of candles set in four tall brass candlesticks. In the evenings it was used for lectures, concerts and spelling bees. For many years the posts of librarian and caretaker were combined by James Elliott, who was also parish beadle and town crier. By the 1880s the Literary Institute had run into financial difficulties, largely because it had no young members. At the same time the Epsom Town Working Mens' Club needed larger premises - their meeting room by the Old Mission Room, at the rear of the present Post Office, was inadequate. A merger was agreed, but after this the Literary Institute gradually lost its identity. Circulating libraries were originally commercial ventures rather than public services. William Dorling set up Epsom's first after his arrival in the town in 1826, drawing on his earlier experience as printer, stationer and librarian at Bexhill. By 1830 the Epsom Almanack (printer: William Dorling) contained an enthusiastic list of the miscellaneous articles sold at the library. The original Dorling premises were in the High Street building now occupied by Waterstones bookshop. Here the library was prepared to lend books by the month or the year - generous terms, which were standard for the period. Not only were there daily papers and periodicals in stock, but the premises also included a billiard room. The catalogue lists 1,597 books, mostly light reading or works of travel and history. There must have been brisk demand, since readers were requested to send a list of up to twenty books that they might require, to avoid disappointment if their first choice was unavailable. By the 1840s Dorling had moved his business to Ormonde House, which stood at the end of the High Street on the Upper High Street corner. This was a much more distinguished building, for with the growth of their racing connection the Dorlings were going up in the world. Meanwhile their previous premises were taken over by John Nelson Collingwood, who had opened for business in 1837 as a bookbinder and bookseller. He, too, was prepared to lend out books. When William Dorling retired in 1859, his son Henry gave up the old family business and the stock was sold off by the local auctioneers, H. Andrews. Henry's daughter Lucy, who had married an Andrews and set up as the town's postwoman, took the opportunity to acquire the books and continued to profit from lending them. Her combined library and stationers were at the corner of the High Street and Waterloo Road. The collection must have been kept up-to-date, for a visitor in 1894 found it full of the latest publications as well as the standard works by favourite authors. By 1918 C.W. Daniell, running a stationers at 27 High Street, was competing with his circulating library. He was also the local agent for Judges Postcards and sold crested china and souvenirs. The development of a library service within local government has been comparatively recent. Until 1938 Epsom and Ewell were served by voluntarily staffed centres - five of them, two of which were on Epsom Downs, with one at Staneway House in Ewell. In 1934 plans began for a central library, museum and art school, all of them to be housed (along with an extension to the fire station) in the same building on the Bromley Hurst site in Church Street, where the old Town Hall had been. A premium of a hundred guineas was offered in 1935 to the architect who should submit the best scheme. Later that year, it was decided that the site was not large enough and new locations were sought, one of them being next to the East Street waterworks. The Bromley Hurst site was occupied by a new fire station and firemens' quarters instead of the proposed cultural centre. By June 1936 it had been discovered that the waterworks site was equally unsuitable, and this was earmarked for the new swimming baths. Hoping to build on Heathcote Road, the Council purchased Waltham House in Worple Road so that the library and museum could face onto one frontage, and the art school onto another. Experience of delays with the County Council left Epsom & Ewell anxious to build the school of art independently on the Heathcote Road plot, as they feared that the project would fall through if library facilities were also insisted on. By 1939 there were plans to convert the old school of art in Church Street, despite its unsuitability. Events elsewhere in the early 1940s limited the Council's freedom of choice, and they were left with the options of renting a shop or putting up a temporary wooden building. They chose a site behind 12/14 Waterloo Road, where in September 1940 a small one-room library was at last opened by the Mayor, W.C. Littlejohns. After the war plans to resite the library at the Cedars or at the nearby Silver Birches civic site fell through, since the location was not central enough. Instead, in 1947, the Council removed its offices from the Waterloo Road buildings and the library expanded into them. It was to remain there for fifty years In 1936 the Surrey County Librarian requested the use of a room at Ewell Court as a library. The Victorian house, bought by the local authority for £2,500, was to be turned into a social centre for the rapidly expanding Ewell Court estate. For £808 the new library was fitted out, £100 covering the cost of reference books and £35 the newspapers and periodicals. A situations vacant board, featuring job advertisements from the local press, was also supplied. When it opened in 1938, Ewell Court was the first public library in the Borough, and six months later staff could report over seven thousand readers registered, with 740 books issued each day. The local ratepayers wanted more - musical scores, for instance, and a childrens' library. One enterprising individual stole a set of Ordnance Survey maps (price £2) and a reward was posted inside the library for their apprehension. The Cuddington Residents' Association wanted the amenity of a library in their ward too, and they were backed up by the local Labour Party. It was opened in Shadbolt Park in 1940, and remained there until it was closed during economies of scale in 1976. Meanwhile the less prosperous community of West Ewell was scheduled to get a library, in Fulford Road, but nothing came of this. In 1947 the part-time, volunteer library at Staneway House was made professional, and the administrative headquarters of the Borough library service were moved there. The library at Staneway House was heated by coal fires - one of the staff was detailed to keep these alive and clean up after them. Summer brought relief from this chore, but instead it became necessary to catch the birds that fell down the chimneys. The ground behind the property was haunted, and staff working late were troubled by sounds like the clinking of glasses and banging of mugs, which disappeared whenever anyone walked to see out of the window, being replaced by a horrible sensation of cold.. In 1955 a part-time library was opened at the Wells Social Centre. Meanwhile four minor libraries continued at the Oaks, the Firs, Dennington, and Richmond House. These relied on Staneway House for the supply of books, and were staffed by volunteers. The Epsom Downs library, serving Langley Vale, started at the school in Grosvenor Road and was moved in 1955 to the church hall in Rosebery Road. Stoneleigh, which had been developed as a residential area without a library, was scheduled to receive one in 1950 but the site (between Rosedale Road and the railway) fell victim to government measures for slowing down capital expenditure. By 1965, plans for permanent provision had been dropped and in the next year Stoneleigh library was opened in rented premises, previously the site of a supermarket. There was certainly a demand for its services, as 1,078 books were issued in its first two hours of opening. In the mid-60s plans were drawn up for a sub-central library in Ewell village, one with accomodation for administrative offices and a book supply department. At first it was proposed to house this in the 18th-century Bourne Hall building, but the progressive deterioration of this property led to its demolition in 1962, leaving the way open for something more ambitious. The new Bourne Hall opened for use in February 1970, replacing Staneway House. John Dent, who had been Borough Librarian since 1938, had pressed for up-to-date services and the new development had three adult sections - recreational, information and reference - while children had their own division with a study room, magazine section and Library Club. Study carrels were provided and beyond them was storage space for 26,000 volumes, a fire-proof store for rare books, and the latest thing in technology - a Telex. The first photocopier arrived three years later. Books were issued on a special rapid system of John Dent's own invention, which was afterwards taken up by other libraries nationwide. Among the photographs in this exhibition were:
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