Libraries across Devon celebrate 100 years of free reading

The 100th anniversary of the Devon County Library Service is being marked this month by Libraries Unlimited, the charity that manages 54 libraries.

The Devon County Library Service was launched in 1924 with the aim of providing a single county-wide service giving all residents free access to books.

Before then, many of Devon’s individual scattered community libraries were operated by subscription, or aligned to institutions such as the church, or funded by individual local authorities.  

Libraries Unlimited took over Devon County Council’s library services in 2016. The charity library model established in Devon was seen as groundbreaking when it was set up and was promoted around the country through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Libraries Unlimited’s Board includes staff, library users, members of the community and business and independent experts. This has enabled it to continue to succeed through challenging economic times by being able to source income from beyond local authority grants from sources such as other charities, trusts, other Government departments and private donors.

The history of public library services in Devon:

Public libraries had existed in various locations around Devon since 1870. The Public Libraries Act of 1850 aimed to provide universal, free access to information and literature, for the greater social good, alongside the many private subscription and circulating libraries in towns and cities in England.

From 1870 to 1924 seven publicly funded libraries were established in Devon towns but they served less than 50 per cent of the population and less than two per cent of the surface area of the county.

1924 – the Devon County Library Service, funded by Devon County Council, opened in 8 Colleton Crescent in Exeter. The first Devon County Librarian, Stanley T Williams, was appointed in July on a salary of £300.

Grant funding was secured from the Carnegie UK Trust which was founded in 1913 with the specific aim of improving well-being. The building of branch libraries and the establishment of 500 village centres was considered fundamental to that aim.   

1931 – the Devon Library Service moved to 138 Cowick Street in Exeter.

1939 – another move took the Library Service to Barley House in Isleworth Road, St Thomas, Exeter.

1975 – the service expanded to become the Devon Library & Information Service, taking in the seven independent publicly funded library services established since Exeter’s in 1870.

2016 – management of the service was taken over by charity Libraries Unlimited.

Alex Kittow, Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited, said: “Over the past 100 years, public libraries have been not just a free source of knowledge, but welcoming community hubs of activity and information. 

“The creation of Libraries Unlimited in 2016 was ground-breaking and has been an outstanding success. Not only do we run the public libraries which enable people to borrow books, we also deliver a year-round programme of cultural events and activities, support for local businesses and entrepreneurs, wellbeing initiatives and educational provision.

“This past year we loaned over 1.5 million books, staged nearly 24,000 events - up 111 per cent on the previous year - and welcomed people into our libraries for 2.3 million visits - a four per cent rise on the previous year. 

“Of course, it’s a different landscape now to 100 years ago, but we’re not just sustaining our service, we’re growing – our eBook downloads rose by six per cent to over 253,000 last year, eAudiobook downloads went up 28 per cent to 292,000, and people logged into our free WiFi for nearly 165,000 sessions – an increase of 23 per cent on the previous year.” 

 He added:  “This centenary is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come, and to look towards the future. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved but we’ve got big ideas and even bigger ambitions. We are dedicated to continuing to invest in our service to fulfil our core mission: enriching lives and building communities.”