The Montrose Library is situated in an A-listed Carnegie funded building in the north Angus coastal town of Montrose. It was first opened in 1905 and in 2018 received a £1 million refurbishment to provide it with "flexible, community focused spaces".
Building in High Street, Montrose
Montrose Library
General information
Status
Category A listed building
Address
High Street, Montrose DD10 8PH
Opened
19 October 1905
Design and construction
Architect(s)
J Lindsay Grant, Manchester
History
In 1901, Scottish philanthropist Dr Andrew Carnegie, responded to a request for funding to provide a public library in Montrose. “I should be very glad indeed to comply with your suggestion and consider it a privilege. If Montrose will adopt the Free Libraries Act and provide a suitable site, I shall be glad to provide money for the building”- Andrew Carnegie.[1]
The architect commissioned was J Lindsay Grant of Manchester. The total cost of the building was £7,500 with further contributions from the town of Montrose of £1000, from Mr and Mrs W. Douglas Johnson of £500 and from “Montrosians at home and abroad” of £1000.[2] Contributions for funding the book collection were requested from present and former Montrosians and local children's families to stock the juvenile section.[3] The library was opened in 1905 by John Morley MP. Montrose Library was the first ‘open-access’ library in Scotland.[4]
Collections, services and outreach
Montrose Library is run by Angus Alive, a charitable trust running culture, sport and leisure in partnership with Angus Council.
Refurbishment
The library was officially reopened on 5 September 2018 by Scottish author Stuart McBride, after a £1 million refurbishment.
Gallery
References
^Pinnington, Edward (1905). Montrose Public Library. Montrose: Standard Office.
^Montrose Free Library- Second Paper. Montrose: Montrose Library. 1904.
