In
the 1840s, William Ewart, Joseph
Brotherton, and Edward Edwards, became involved in a campaign
to obtain a system of public libraries. Brotherton and Ewart were
both Liberal MPs but Edwards was a Chartist
who was also involved in the struggle for universal suffrage. Edwards,
a former bricklayer, had educated himself by spending his non-working
time in Mechanics' Institute libraries,
and in 1839 became an assistant in the Department of Printed Books
in the British Museum.
When William Ewart introduced his Public
Libraries Bill in 1849 he encountered considerable hostility from
the Conservatives in the House
of Commons. It was argued that the rate paying middle and upper
classes would be paying for a service that would be mainly used by
the working classes. One argued that the "people have too much
knowledge already: it was much easier to manage them twenty years
ago; the more education people get the more difficult they are to
manage." Ewart was therefore forced to make several changes to
his proposed legislation before Parliament agreed to pass the measure.
The Public Libraries Act became law in 1850. Whereas William
Ewart wanted all boroughs to have the power to finance public
libraries, the legislation only applied to those boroughs with populations
of over 10,000. The Borough Councils also had to obtain the consent
of two thirds of the local ratepayers who voted in a referendum. Other
restrictions included that the rate of no more than a halfpenny in
the pound could be levied. Furthermore, this money could not be used
to purchase books.
William Ewart and Joseph
Brotherton continued with their struggle for a more generous and
comprehensive approach to public library provision. This led to two
amendments to the 1850
Public Libraries Act. In 1853 the act was extended to Scotland and
Ireland and in 1855 the rate which could be levied was raised to a
penny. Borough Councils were also granted the power to buy reading
material for their libraries.
The penny rate still made it impossible for local authorities to provide
libraries without the support of wealthy entrepreneurs. These philanthropists
usually supported libraries in their own areas. For example, Henry
Tate and John Passmore Edwards in London. However, the greatest
supporter of public libraries was Andrew
Carnegie, who helped to finance over 380 libraries in Britain.
Manchester was one of the first to
establish a public library and appointed one of the main campaigners
for this reform, Edward Edwards, as its first Chief Librarian. However,
Edwards' radical political views resulted in him being dismissed in
1858.
By 1900 there were 295 public libraries in Britain. However, it was
not until 1919, when the rate limit was abolished and the formal adoption
abandoned, that a truly comprehensive and free library service was
possible.
Manchester Public Library in the 1860s.
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