Well-behaved boys pose for the photographer in the boys' reading room of Kinning Park District Library in 1907. Watching over them is a member of staff whose supervisory duties also included the girls' reading room, which can be seen in the background.
Designed by architect Donald Bruce, Kinning Park Library was built in West Scotland Street with a grant of £5000 in 1901 from Andrew Carnegie to Kinning Park Burgh Council. Its opening on 25 October, 1904 by Provost Thomas McMillan was one of the last official functions performed by a burgh representative, as Kinning Park was absorbed by Glasgow in November 1905 and the library became one of the city's branch libraries.
Kinning Park was one of five branches threatened with temporary closure in 1919, due to a financial crisis caused by the legal limit on the library rate. This was resolved by the passing of the Glasgow Corporation Order Confirmation Act, 1920, which increased the maximum library rate to 3d (just over 1p) in the pound. The library closed in 1967 and the building was demolished in 1978.
Reference: D-LB
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
architects, children, girls, Glasgow Corporation Order Confirmation Act, 1920, Kinning Park District Library, libraries, library attendants, rates, reading rooms, women
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