Kensal Rise Library
51°32′02″N 0°13′34″W / 51.5339°N 0.2261°W / 51.5339; -0.2261,
LocationBathurst Gardens, London NW10 5EU, United Kingdom
TypePublic Library
Established1904
Branches1
Collection
Items collectedBooks, Audiobooks, Ebooks, CDs, DVDs.
Access and use
Access requirementsFree to all, but library borrowing requires library card registration
Other information
Employees1
Websitehttps://kensalriselibrary.org/

Kensal Rise Library is a public library in London, England, opened by American author Mark Twain in 1900. The site was donated by All Souls College, Oxford.[1] The library's threatened closure prompted a large campaign to save it, led by figures including Alan Bennett, Philip Pullman, Zadie Smith, Nick Cave and Pet Shop Boys.[2]

The library was formerly part of the London Borough of Brent library services, it is now run independently. Users require a specific Kensal Rise Library card to use the service and it is open 2 days a week.[3]

History

Kensal Rise Library designed by Done, Hunter and co. architects[4] and was opened by Mark Twain, who had been staying nearby at Dollis Hill House, whose guests have included Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and which was later used by Winston Churchill's War Cabinet.[5] At the ceremony, Mark Twain gave the Library Committee chairman five of his books and a signed photograph.[6] A plaque was also installed noting Mark Twain's visit and donation of £3000 from Andrew Carnegie.[7]

In 1922 the library became the first in the then borough of Willesden to have books on open access shelves.[8]

In autumn 1964 the Children's Library was moved into the 1928 extension.[9] Murals created in 1934 were still in the building, stored on one of the upper floors, in the late 2000s.[10]

In 1994, the interior was refurbished in a Neo-Edwardian style.[11]

Brent Council put forward proposals to close the library in November 2010. The proposals were met with widespread condemnation and significant media coverage,[12][1][13] and protests at council meetings.[12] Philip Pullman described the proposed closure as "barbarism".[14] The campaign to save the library was supported by Alan Bennett,[15] Zadie Smith,[16] Nick Cave[17] and the Pet Shop Boys.

In May 2012, the council removed books and the Mark Twain plaque in the middle of the night, due to 'public safety concerns' around the closure of the service.[18]

All Souls College sold the building in April 2015,[19] to Uplift Properties Ltd,[20] stipulating to the buyer that Friends of Kensal Rise Library have a rent free space for a community library on the ground floor of the library building. An open day was held inside the library building on 6 June 2015,[21] and after an estimated £200,00 of refurbishment costs, the new library opened in 2016.[20]

After the closure of the library, volunteers from the local community set up a pop-up library outside.[22]

By late 2018, Friends of Kensal Rise Library had signed a long lease for part of the ground floor, following refurbishment. The library part of the building has been open for various community and fundraising events in 2018 and 2019. Book shelving was put in place and the library open for book donations from 7 to 13 April 2019.[23]

The library now is open to the public only two days a week as an independent library, separate from the London Borough of Brent library service, run by the Friends of the library as a registered charity. They employ a Library Manager, but otherwise rely on volunteers and book donations.[8]

The library features in:

References

  1. 1 2 Topping, Alexandra; Page, Benedicte (7 January 2011). "Libraries seen as easy touch when it comes to balancing the books". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  2. ↑ "Campaigners take library battle to Court of Appeal". www.standard.co.uk. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Join the Library – Kensal Rise Library". Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "Kensal Rise Library, Bathurst Gardens, NW10 5JA" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "Brent Heritage – Gladstone Park". Brent Heritage. 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  6. ↑ "Kensal Rise Library". Brent Heritage. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  7. ↑ "The Mark Twain House & Museum - The original plaque for the Kensal Rise Public Library, was created for its 1900 opening. It notes special guest Mark Twain | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  8. 1 2 "About us – Kensal Rise Library". Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  9. ↑ Barker, Robert. "Kensal Rise Library, 1900 – 2000" (PDF).
  10. ↑ 'Kensal Green', a history talk (essentially an extended version of the Brent Archives Places in Brent booklet on Kensal Green) by Brent Archives given at Kensal Rise Library in 2007.
  11. ↑ "Kensal Rise Library". Brent Heritage. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  12. 1 2 "Tim Lott: The local library, a beacon of civilisation". The Independent. London. 23 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  13. ↑ "Author Maggie Gee: 'Libraries are a free education'". BBC News. 19 January 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  14. ↑ Bryant, Miranda (14 February 2011). "Philip Pullman slams council over plan to shut Kensal Rise library". Archived from the original on 23 February 2011.
  15. ↑ Mohammed, Syma. "Alan Bennett backs crusade to save Kensal Rise Library". Kilburn Times.
  16. ↑ Parsons, Rob (30 March 2011). "Zadie Smith's anger at 'shameful' library cuts". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  17. ↑ Chilton, Martin (8 July 2011). "Library campaigners helped by Nick Cave". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  18. ↑ "Kensal Rise library stripped in night of books and Twain plaque". the Guardian. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  19. ↑ "April 2015 Update". Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  20. 1 2 "July 2015 Update". Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  21. ↑ "Open Day in the Library!". Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  22. ↑ Brady, Tara. "Fresh hope for campaign to save Kensal Rise Library". Kilburn Times.
  23. ↑ "Kensal Rise Library | All about the community run Kensal Rise Library". Friendsofkensalriselibrary.org. Retrieved 13 October 2019.

51°32′02″N 0°13′34″W / 51.5339°N 0.2261°W / 51.5339; -0.2261

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