Boston Library celebrates 120 years of serving the public (IN PICTURES)

​Boston Library opened on June 16, 1904, making Sunday its 120th anniversary.

The public resource launched at the same time as the Municipal Buildings, in West Street, where it was originally based. It moved to its current home in County Hall 50 years ago next January.

Staff at the library only became aware of this year’s 120th anniversary a couple of months ago.

Senior library assistant Ed Robinson discovered the milestone while preparing a display for May’s Local and Community History Month.

Ed then trawled through local newspaper archives to learn more about the history of the library to mark the occasion. He did this online through the British Newspaper Archive, but also through the physical copies of old newspapers – including the Standard – kept at County Hall.

The finished display contains a wealth of historical finds, including:

• When Boston Library opened, it had a collection of about 4,000 books (some still remain), and within six months or so it had almost 1,000 members.
• The library was originally managed by a woman called Florence Pooles (1870-1947). Her recruitment, ahead of several men, was reported nationally – with one women’s magazine calling it a ‘step in the right direction’.
• The original library had three sections – the ‘lending library’, the ‘reference library, and the ‘reading room’. A children’s section was not introduced until 1939.
• The last customers to be served at the old library were the same as the first customers to be served at the new library – Mr and Mrs George Watts.

Alison Wade, library manager, said the project has highlighted to her how much the role of libraries has broadened over the years to include far more than just reading.

“We are definitely about books-and-more nowadays,” she said.