Bedford
Public Library

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By the early 1930s Bedford was only one of three towns with a population of over 20,000 that did not have a public library. Since the 19th century the town had a General Library, which by 1892 had 20,000 books with a membership list of 1,000 subscribers. However, by the 1930s it was realised that this library was now inadequate to meet the needs of the town.

As a result the Town Council purchased the building from the General Library Council in 1936 and the building opened as the Public Library on the 24th May 1937. The library had a book stock of 22,000 books with a Lending Library, Reference Library, John Bunyan Library, Children’s Library, Reading Room and Lecture Hall. During the week the Lending Library was open 9.30am-7.30pm and 9.30am-1.00pm Thursdays, Reference Library and Reading Room 9.00am-9.00pm daily and 9.00am-1.00pm Thursdays, Children’s Library 4.00pm-7.00pm and closed on Thursdays. On Saturdays all departments were open 9.30am-5.00pm.

In 1969 St. Paul’s Methodist Church and Sunday school buildings standing next to the Public Library were demolished and replaced by Bedford Central Library, which was opened in 1972 with the old public library building becoming the Harpur Suite.

Sources

• BAKER, Austen The Library Story. 1958
• Kelly’s Directories of Bedford

Bedford Public Library by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2014

Page last updated: 7th May 2014