Ilkley 100
Ilkley Library Centenary
100 years after the Free Public Library was officially opened in Ilkley the history of the library is commemorated in a series of web pages available to view at: www.bradlibs.com/ilkley100
The building of the library was made possible by a donation of £3,000 from Andrew Carnegie. It was this donation that started the whole project for the building of the Town Hall complex including the King's Hall and later the Winter Gardens. In October 1907 the Ilkley Library was formally opened with great ceremony by the Rev. Robert Collyer, a Victorian hero who, from humble beginnings as an Ilkley blacksmith's apprentice became a famous preacher in America. Unfortunately though, the building work had not gone according to plan and once opened, the library promptly closed again. It was not until May 1908 that the reading rooms opened to the public and the lending service followed in July of that year.
Visitors to the library in Ilkley can also read about the history and view the images and memorabilia in the form of an exhibition currently running.
