The English Public Library 1945-85
Introductions to Heritage Assets
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This guide looks at the development of public libraries in England after the Second World War. It places their architecture – external and also internal – within a period of considerable political, social and economic change.
Post-war aspirations set new challenges for the country’s library services, which had already begun to expand considerably in the 1930s. Outwardly, new library buildings continued – financial constraints permitting - to reflect civic pride and aspirations, while inside new layouts, fixtures and fittings provided for an increasingly middle-class readership. Children’s services were ever-more important, while larger libraries offered facilities such as local studies and record libraries, and later computers.
Contents
- Introduction
- Historical background
- The background to post-war library building
- The earliest post-war libraries, 1955-65
- Later developments in library design, 1965-85
- Change and the future
- Further reading
Additional Information
- Series: Guidance
- Publication Status: Completed
- Pages: 20
- Product Code: HEAG136
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